Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-19
A Lesson from the Laundry.
Practical instruction in u Paiatable
shape.

why Cllllu. NuuL uuucT IIlc sui
is the matter?' 1 asked as stepped
into Mrs. Bent's kitchen one morn
ing last week and found that lady
crying over the ironing table. Mrs.
Bent had been married just three
months, and of course l expected to
find smiles and sunshine instead of
tears.
Matter enough" said Mrs. b.,
as she wiped her tears. "Sam
hasn't clean, fine shirt for Sunday,
and 1 can't iron one fit to be seen."
Is that all? ?"
All! L guess you would think
that was enough if you had fused
and worried over these plaguey shirts
as long as l have; and the more I
fuss the worse they lock! The starch
sticks to the irons, and the irons
stick to the shirts, and there is Il
wrinkle here and blister there, and
Il daub of starch somewhere else, and
l have scorched one, and the only
one that l have ironed halfway de-
cent is as limp as an old dish-rag.
Oh, dear! what fools girls are to get
married before they know how to do
things"
/ thought so too, but kept my
thoughts on that subject to myself,
and said:
You are not to be blamed for
not knowing how to do such things
you had no mother to teach YOU
but it is not too late to learn, and if
you would like 1 will give you Il les
son on starchins and ironing now.
"I see you have hot water in the
reservoir; now if you will wash out
those shirts-you can do nothing
with them as they arc now--I will
show you about the starching. Wet
the scolched shirt in suds and lay in
the sun, if it i, not really burned
only scorched, the sun will whiten it
again
Now that the shirts are in the
rinse water We will make the starch.
l see you have the common cheap
starch. You had better get the best
gloss starch; it costs little more,
! but it is the cheapest in the end. A
srea. deal of the cheap starch is not
good. For two quarts of starch we
will take four table-spoonfuls of this
starch---of the gloss starch little
more than half that quantity would
probably be sufficient, but it is i'm
possible to give the exact proportions
of starch, us different brands of
starch vary in strength put in as
much cold water, and rub smooth.
Pour in gradually stirring all the
time, two quarts of boiling water;
and tcaspoonful of sat, piece of
butter or lurd--tallow is the best if
have 1.-THE size of a large hazelnut,
and boil fifteen minutes. You may
put in very little bluing if you like,
but we don't use it,
" Before ironing day comes again
got some OF the best white glue; put
tablespoonful for each quart OF
starch in cup and cover with cold
water. Set the cup in u dish oI
warm water and put it on the stove
until the glue is dissolved, ther
strain into the starch. Some use
gum arabic dissolved, instead of the
glue, but we like the glue best
gives finer gloss and makes thu
things 50 much stitfer.
"Use the starch as hot as you cal
bear your hands in; hot starch will
strike right into the linen, while
cold starch will daub and stick OF
tho outside. Don't wiring too dry
and don't leave the starch dripping
hit the 'bappy medium
: "For caiicoes we use -four starch
To make two quarts of starch stit
t enough for a dress. take three table
: spoonfuls, moderately heaped, O
3 sifted wheat -four; add cold waite
slowly, stirring all the time unit
D you have a smooth paste; then sti
in two quarts of boiling water, and
/ tablespoonful of salt, piece of lar'
4 or tallow the size of small hickor
l nut, and boil fifteen minutes. Fo
: dark calicoes add cup or more Q
: cold coffee to prevent any whitis|
l appearance; and for very light cali
s Goes use bluing if you like bluis
D tint. Glue water is good to stiffe
t calicoes. Do not use hot stal lch fo
t colored clothes; it is apt to fad
e them.
a After the shirts have bee
d starched with the boiling starch, an
y dried, mix tablespoonful, or NOR
G as you need, of starch with littl
;, cold water. Pour a little boilin
II water over a piece of borax the siz
d OF a hickory nut; when dissolve