National Republican., 1881-10-22
THE SWISS LAUNDRY.
How Washing rs Done by Steam - De.
scriptiOn of the Process


There are some things in this world
that are inevitable. There is the rising OF the sun
and the collection of taxes and an annual blunder
by the Democratic party. There Is also an accum-
ulation of soiled linen In every ones expert
ence. The latter used to have an important social
bearing It was the parent of Blue Monday, with
oil the attendant horrors Of steamy soapy houses,
cold dinners, and snappish wives. II was the
time Of the weekly wash, and the influence
OF the Sabbath was lost IN the wild
turmoil OF that day. Politicians are generally ad-
vised to wash their dirty linen at home but the
modern housekeeper sends It away from home
The laundry as modern Institution Is an obstruc-
| tion in the divorce market. The work that in
volved great labor and sometimes domestic hap
piness Is now done quietly and without bother. A
reporter OF THE REPUBLICAN, could not help COM
pairing the old and new way of doing things as he
stood yesterday in
THE WORK ROOMS OF THE SWISS LAUNDRY,
on street. The sun shone in through the win
dows, where the large force of men and women
were at work washing the clothes, and the spec
tacle presented was quiet and peaceful. There
were no clouds Of steam or puddles OF water; yet
| at the same time large quantity Of clothes were
being washed the articles ranging from collar to
lace curtain. A large circular wooden frame In
one corner was pointed out as the washing
machine. 1t contained a.large rotary, which Is
| divided into four compartments for the different
kinds OF clothes. soilcd shirt Is brought In and
| placed In one Of tlesc apartments. The wheel
begins TO revolve As It turns the garment Is
tossed from one side to the other, and at
| the bottom the wheel dips into n trough filed
with soap and water. After going through this
process for an hour the soap and water is turned
ont from the tank and clean water run in. This
rinses the garment out and then blue water Is sub
| stituted. The shirt is now washed and ready for
| the wrnger. rather peculiar machine performs
| this duty. II is a circular tin vessel with
the sides perforated with holes. The garments
are placed in and the wheel turned, and the vessel
! begins a rotary motion oStwenty-fve hundred
revolutions per minute. The water and moisture
is driven out, and the garment is taken out almost
free from moisture. The apparatus is the same as
is used in extracting the sugar from the cane. The
next process IS the drying and the shirt hung on
| q large wooden horse and placed In an apartment
which Is heated by steam TO temperature OF 1902
| Then comes the ironing,
RESULTING IN THE POLISHED BosoMs
for which this laundry is famous. The polish is
almost entirely secured by the "elbow-grease Of
| the ironer. little wax is sometimes used TO
bring out the starch but the high finish is attrib
uted TO the lusy arms Of the workmen. The shirt
| Is then ready 10 be worn, and the process has not
| required over half an hour. As Mr.. lansing the
superintendent In charge OF the room, said, they
could put out sign "Shirts washed while you
wait" Frequently people come In with bundle OF
clothes and wait while they are being
washed. There is machine in the
laundry which was made to iron shirts by steam.
The iron is a circular roller heated by gas In tho
inside. This Is reyolved by steam and the shirt
passed under II. II was found that the machine
was too hard on the shirts and did not work well,
and so 1t is not used. A similar machine is used
| for ironing collars and cuffs, This, however, has
two rollers, one above and one below, so that
the two sides are ironed, and the limp collar
issues from the machine stiff and shining. II
there is any poetry is washing clothes 1t is found
| In these clean, neat rooms, where
| EVERYTHING MOVES SMOOTHLY
and first class results are obtained. The laundry
does all the washing for the Ebbitt and Arlington
Hotels besides having large list Of families. In.
stead Of combining their work to such specialties
as shirts and collars, they do up ladies' ue under
wear and every species Of clothing that requires
| to be washed. A complete stock Of the latest ma
chlnery and large and efficient corps of work
men enables the laundry to not only execute good
work. but nsures rapidity and facility In handling
large orders. The chemicals which save labor,
but at the same time inJure the clothes are not
used In this laundry. A visit To the laundry 10
! both interesting and instructive.