Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-08-09
How to Wash.
THE METHOD OF DEALING WITH sOILED
LINEN AND LACES.

AS in everything else, so in washing
clothes, there is right and wrong way
to do it, and most people take the wrong
way. The clothes are soaked over night,
sometimes in hard water, process
which surely sets the dirt and other
stains, and then, half-washed, are
boiled, and boiled in the vain hope that
the steam will extract the dirt. That
clothes thus treated become yellow and
dingy is small matter for wonder. It
would be strange if they did not.
In washing clothes the right way, the
water used is of great importance-soft
water being much preferable to hard.
Cistern or rain water is best, next comes
river and soft spring water, while in
the limestone regions far more labor
and an extra quantity of soap are nee
essary to success. Therefore, the farmer
who, while supplying himself with all
the newest and most approved appli-
ances for farming. fails to provide q. cis-
tern and pump in or near the kitchen
for wash-day use, is, to say the least,
blamably unmindful of the comforts of
the women of his family. People who
live in the country cannot have station
ary tubs to be found in city houses, but
there is no good reason why soft water
AOI W0suAu8 SuOulu uOt Uo al manu- III
all but the poorest houses !; still 1t is not
absolutely necessary.
The boiling of clothes is widespread
wash-d day error. AS we have already
said, unless the clothes are well washed
it sets the dirt and yellows them. For
this reason all washing machines which
depend on soaping the clothes, then
boiling or steaming the dirt out, have
proved failures. How many weak
backs, how many female complaints,
may be traced to lifting the heavy wash.
boiler back and forth from the stove, it
would be hard to say. It is altogether
mistaken economy to buy low priced
soaps for laundry-work. In the first
place, more of them must be used be-
sides this, the injury done to the fabrics
and colors by thestrong chemicals which
they contain far more than absorbs the
small amount saved in first cost.
No soap which will injure the hands
should ever be used for clothing; 1t is
sure to do harm in the end.
The wringers, which were so hard to
introduce, are now part of the regular
washing apparatus in every welleregu-
lated family. In order to use them
properly, they must be kept we'll oiled
and not set too tight. If they break off
buttons, it is the fault of the laundress
The clothes should be folded with the
buttons inside, and thus pass through
the wringer. Leave nothing in the
"twist'' from wringing, but shake out
each piece before throwing into the
basket and hang out as soon as the bas
ket is full. Clothes should be on the
line as quickly as possible after the
rinsing in bluing water, or there will be
danger of some streaks and cloudys
looking places when dry.
Much care should be taken to see that
the clothes-pins are clean, and the
clothes-line should always be wiped
with cloth before the clothes are hung
upon it. If they-the clothes -line-are
left in the yard, instead of taking in
after using, they will mildew and stain
the clothes badly.
There is always fashion in starching
clothes. Now. .a-days the fancy is for
shirt bosoms and collars and cuffs as
stiff as boards, while in all undercloth-
ing for ladies and children limpness is
the prevailing mode. Fashionable
dressmakers caution their customers
not to have any starch to speak of put
into chemises and corset. covers, while
stffay. starched skirts are wholly out of
style.
In ironing, it is of the first import
ance that the irons should be scrupu-
lously clean. They should always be
carefully wiped before putting away.
and kept in perfectly dry places. Bees
wax and salt will make fiat-irons as
smooth as glass. Tie lump of wax in
a rag and keep it for that purpose.
When the irons are hot rub them with
the wax rag, then scour them with a
paper or rag sprinkled with salt.
The glaze given to collars and shirt
bosoms at city laundries is done with a
polishing iron, which is fat.iron
made of highly-polished steel. The
manner of polishing is to rub and rub
the linen with this until the desired
glaze is obtained, but it is terribly hard
on the linen, and collars and bosoms so
treated do not last long. A little sper-
maceti, or little dissolved gum arabic,
added to the starch gives gloss. Some
laundresses use salt for the same end.
and we have known high-priced
laundress who buttered her starch, i. e.,
she added q slice of the best butter to
every kettleful. Boiling water will re-
move tea stains and many fruit stains
pour the water through the stain and
thus prevent it from spreading over the
fabric, while soaking in milk before
washing will always remove ink stains
from any fabric.