Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-16
Starching and Ironing.

ges, Fanny Field has often worn TO say,
and says it too in spicy, readable way.
This is the way she treats of starching
and ironing.
"Whv, child what under the sun is the
matter?" asked rs stepped into Mrs.
Bent's kitchen one morning last week
and found that lady crying over The iron
ing table. Ms. Bent has been married
three months. and of course | expected to
find smiles and sunshine instead of tears.
Matter enough" said Mrs. b. as she
wiped her eyes. ''Sam hasan't clean,
fine shirt for Sunday, and can't iron one
fit to be seem"
as that alp"
'All! guess you would think that was
enough if you fused and worried over
these plaguey shirts rs long as | have !;
and the more fuss the worse they look !!
The starch sticks to the irons, and the
irons stick to the shirts, and there is a
wrinkle here and blister there, and IL
daub of starch somewhere else, ard
have scorched one, and the only one that
have ironed halfway decent is as limp
AS an old dish-rag. Oh dear! what fools
girls are to get married before they know
how to do things"
l thought so too, but kept my thoughts
on that subject to myself, and said;
"You are not 10 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 | will
give you lessen ON starching and iron
ing now.
Il see you have hot water in the reser-
voir; now if you will wash out those
shirts-you can do nothing with them as
they are now-l will show you about the
starching. Wet the scorched shirt in
suds and lay in the sun; if it is not really
burned, only scorched, the sun will whit
en- it again.
"Now that the shirts are in the rinse
water we will make the starch. sec
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 great deal of the cheal
starch is not good. For two quarts oil
starch we take four tablespoonful OF
this starch-of the gloss starch little
more than half that quantity would prob,
ably be sufficient, but it is impossible tc
give the exact proportion OF starch' a.
different brands OF starch vary IN strength
put IN as much cold water anu rut
smooth. Pour in gradually, stirring al
the time, two quarts of boiling water; add
Il teaspoonful of salt, piece of butter OF
lard-tallow is the best if you have it
the size of Il large hazlenut, and boil
fifteen minutes. You may put in very
little bluing II you Ike, but we don't uSt
it.
Before ironing day comes again get
some OF the best white glue: put table
spoonful for each quart of starch in cup
in u dish of warm water and put it on the
stove until the glue is dissolved, then
strain into the starch. Some use gum ara
bic dissolved, instead of the glue, but we
like the glue best-it gives finer gloss
and makes the things so much sitter.
Use the starch as hot us you can beal
your hands in; hot starch will strike
right into the linen, while cold starch will
daub and stick on the outside. Don't
wiring too dry, and don't leave tn starch
dripping; hit the happy medium
For calicoes we use flour starch. Tc
make two quarts Of starch stiff enough fol
a dress, take three tablespoonluls, moder
ately heaped, of sifted wheat flour; ado
cold water slowly, stirring all the time
until you have 4 smooth paste; then stil
in two quarts of boiling water, add Il
tablespoonful Of salt, Il piece of lard OF
follow the size of II small hickorynut, ant
boil fifteen minutes. For dark cali
Goes add a cup or more of cold coffee t.
prevent any whitish appearance; and fol
very light calicoes use bluing if you like
Il blush tint. Glue water is good to
stilfen calicoes. Do not use hot starcl
for colored clothes; it is apt to fade them
| after the shirts have been starcheC
with the boiled starch, and dried, mix
tablespoonful, or more rs you need, o
starch with II little cold water, Pour
little boiling waiter over piece of bora!
the size of hickorynut: when dissolve,
add the starch and put in water enougI
to dip the collars, cuffs and shrt-bosoms
Dip each article twice, wringing out eac
time and clapping well with the hand,
Stir the starch well each time before yo
dip anything. Roll the shirts up tightly
after slightly dampening the sleeves AN
DOuy, roll lue CullS anu collars IN q Clpa
cloth and let them remain three hours b,
fore ironing. Set the starch that yo
have left away until it settles, then pou
off the water and the starch will soon DIR
again.
"Now for the ironing! iron the back ,
the shirt first, then do the sleeves and III
binding; be very careful not to stretch til
neck. Now slip in the bosom board an
witha clean cloth wrung out of hot watC
rub the bosom well; if the bosom wrnl
les anywhere, rub them toward the bo
tom. Iron quickly with Il hot iron. bl
, not hot enough to stick and scorch-wi,
t little more practice YOU will soon leal
r when the iron is lust right: raise II
, plaits with the blunt edge of a table knit
. and iron again. Now take the clot
d wrung out OF clean hot water again, an
y rub the bosom over again. Take the DC
: ishipg iron and rub the bosom. a sma
i, place at time, until it shines to suit yo
t and the shine will depend very mu,
D upon the strength and perseyerancc wi
K which YOU use that iron. 1t is no child
; play to polish Il bosom properly; v,
l. must bear down very hard with the ron
l, ded end of the iron and rub until Il
), bosom is quite dry. The iron must n
}; be too hot-a moderately hot iron il 4
If best. Do the cuffs the same. When 1
~ "a, QUO l., -. a.