Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-05-06
IrOnfD4 Made Easy.

BY MRS W.
Good ironing of clothes - q fine art and is
acquired by patient practice and the habit OF
doing oil work conscientiously. In families
where there are young girls there Is often much
nice ironing to DO and IL should never fai to the
mothers charge. but should be done BY those
who require IL, except in cases where servants
kept FOR that purpose. and ID Is always well for
young ladies 10 know how to iron in the best
manner. Netting 50 greatly facilitates the habit
of ironing as to have each one who irons pos
sess her own ironing tools, such a. holders, etc.
In otherwise orderly families i have seen Young
ladies catch up almost anything that was con-
veDieHtly near, to hold irons with; often scorch
ing valuable articles not sGitsble for the pur
pose. Each irOner should have bag. fifteen or
eighteen inches square. 10 I've ably furnished
ana used only By herself 1t should contain an
ironing holder, Of a size and thickness to salt
herself; few layers of newspaper in the middle
make II lighter, and the hand viii be less heated
mar n IL ~ wholly made of cloth. Ironing
holrers made of sawdust are the least heating
20 the hand. The sawdu>t should he nicely and
hinly quilted into the holder and TO be inst right
there should be two quite thin quilted hol ders
tackled together and then the cover put over bott
Wood being UOn-conductor In a great degree,
the hand ia not so pjQrioGsly affected by heat
as from the old-fashioned metal handle and a
common holder. / wish some woman would in
vent movable wooden handle for hat-irons.
HhiSl would be easily adjusted on taking an
iron from the hire. Some woman, whose hus-
band is a blacksmith, and would make her
models, perhaps might succeed. Each ironing
hoider should have one or two covers Ot white
should be fastened on with buttons or strings;
then, ~hen one cover becomes sofled il can be
changed, and is far preferable TO having several
holders.
In the ironing bags. there should always be
kept thin, soitleased pamphlet, for rubbing
uie irons upon, when first removed from the
tire: DO not use the covers. Keep in the bag also
nice SOFT cloth of light COLOR to finish of the
iron with, also light tin ring for resting irons
upon. n mufflD-ring is Just the thing. Another
smaller bag within the other should contain
small white cloth for rubbing specks from
stsrcbed clothes, and soft, fine cloth for COW
ering bosOms and collars If desired. Itsa
towel near, to wipe the hands when stsrchiDp.
instead of rushing across a room 10 wash the In
while doing starched clothes.
One should have q small ironing board for
collars, cuffs. etc. little larger than a hand
kerchief, and it should be covered with cloth
and flannel.
To the upper corner of the board strong
string should be nailed to hang IL up by, and a
calico cloth should be attached to the top like
the cover of q pamphlet, large enough 10 fall
over both sides when hanging, to keep IL from
dust, and should be confined closely around the
board by strings. With two such boards two
can iron at the same table without interfering
OF the house, and saves all the time usually lost
by folding and putting away ironing things of
large size. as blankets and covers, which are
often put away in a hurried and disorderly wav,
to the veSstiOn of the next one who goes to the
ironing drawer or basket. These items seem
small and insignificant, but attention to them
would save much time and trouble, and render
proving to the ironers OF the family, by cult
waiting habits of order and regularity, and lust
regard for the comforts OF othsrs.-American
Ayr calturist