Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-10
lea From % the seienti6c American Ann j
The Chemist I'M Ethe Laundry
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30 Washing has for its objects not only th'
| removal from our clothing of accidental
| dirt. but also TO carry away certain am
mOniacal salts, the products of respiration
| which are absorbed from the body by all tho
| clothes that we wear, especially those near
| est TO the skin. A change of under gar
ments is essential to health on this very ac-
/ count, and the art of washing is more USE
| ful in removing the hardened perspiration
from the cloth {to which it elings most per-
tlnaciOusly, like the matter of contagloD)
than IN removing thesuperf1uous dirt hich
merely Oftends the eye. Until recently, the
iaundress first operation was TO prepare
"a 1ye'eof potash, which shedid by putting
wood ashes into tub having perforated
bottom. Thetub was then filled with wa
ter, which, Lrickling through, dissolved In
its course the potash contained in all wood
ashes. This process is still extant In some
parts of the country, especially where wood
The starting process of washing now is
TO prepare alye of soda. Hard water re-
qaifes more soda than soft and, when rain
water can be procured, alkali may be dis
pensed with entirely. The utility of soda
or of potash in washing arises from the
powers these alkalies possess of uniting
with grease ofIall kinds, forming soap;
and to disanite the ammonia of the persplrr
alton from thecl0theS, thus purifying the
fabric and rendering it capable of the like
absorption when again worn. This import
ant action has hitherto been lunnotieed.
Now. although we admit great utility, we
particularly caution all parties not to use
too much of these powerful alkalies, ber
Z cause cotton fabrics are partially dissolved
by strong. hot soda, potash, or lime lye.-
It is to this cause that the Sbad color" may
be attributed, which the housewife now
and then justly complains OF in the linen.
? When the outer coatiDgs of the filament of
the. fabric are thus acted upon. they are
quickly influenced by the air, and become
of a yellow tint. nlt's eff.iI 1i''li R@i
q There is another cause of ssbad color,''
and that'is aninsufficient supply of water,
or washing too many things in the same,
liquor. This gives rather a gray tint. The
yellow color is, however, the great thing to
guard against as this partakes of per-
n1anett evil !; and we mention it In partic-
ular. becatse there are strong washing
fluids sold containing lime and soda. In
niue Iaaldries out of ten too much soda is
already used; we need not, therefore, desire
to Increase the evil. 9'g' Itl'' II p 17ef q
Many laundfesses, when they hear COM.
plants of the color of the articles they
send home, will make their alkaline lyea
little stronger next washing day, aud thus
uuwittingly increase the evil. A judici0us
use of soda or pearl-ash is highly beneficial,
and a saving of labor, but, if in excess, is
very Injurious. - 3Tlies9ic af@-'s5 z 2. ts p
~ The Strong lixivfum, recently recon-
mended for washing linen, has long been
known to those who require to cleanse met
Q ais from impurities on the surface only.
Printers, for instance, may use it with
safety to clean the face Of their types from
the unetuous ink used in printing, because
the lye is not strong enough to affect the
metal. The very low priced soaps are by
: no means the cheapest in use; and they
also impart very unpleasant Odor to the
hIinen, which cannot be got rid Of. 1la 9
The use of the isblue" in rinse water is
too well known to need comment further
than t0'our purpose The ordinary blue is
"a compound of Prussian blue and starch
The color that it gives merely covers the
yellow tint on the goods without doing
more. We would suggest the use of pure
indigo instead of common blue. This ad-
vice is founded upon practice as well as
theory. Indigo, in this operation, is with
out any bad action on the fabric. Persons
employed in the, "indigo department." of.
Z the doeksshaVe the whitest linen of all peO-t
pie in LondOnsSs rsaaa a,sz'3 '3~-ssfa'Iss5 4