Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-04
THE HOUSEHOLD.
ADou, s,archlnr and Ironing.


Many housekeepers are troubled with the
starch sticking to the iron, and every one
who has had experience knows how trying IL
is TO have shirt front, or n pretty muslin
with which one has taken especial pains,
come out looking like q fright because the
starch would stick, rub up and cook on in
brown flakes and blotohes, in spite of all ef-
forts to the contrary. A good plan, for com
mon flour starch, is to add handful of salt
"a good large one), stirring IL well with the
flour before putting in any water. This
serves double purpose II makes the starch
less inclined to lump in making, and does
away with its troublesome inclination to
stick. All starched clothes must be
thoroughly dried before attempting to iron
them, then evenly sprinkled, or, what is bet
ter, left out in the dew till just damp enough,
folded, covered, and allowed TO lie for several
hours, when, II they prove troublesome, the
fault generally lies either with the ironer or
in the iron.
The new patent silver plated irons, with
circular wooden handles which come off
while the irons are heating, are excellent in
every sense of the word, and render ironing
a comparatively easy and pleasant task. But
il one has not these, and cannot afford to
buy, she may make the old-fashioned ones
answer a very good purpose by using them
properly that is, by keeping them in dry
place, so the surface will remain smooth and
bright. A sad-iron that has been allowed to
rust till the surface is full Of small hills and
valleys, is an abominaton to any housekee-
per. Occasionally bit of beeswax should be
shaved on brown paper, and the irons rubbed
hard on that. This takes off all the rust
smoke, starch, or whatever may chance to be
on Them and makes them very smooth and
| clean. Nice starch may be made from flour
| by mixing a stiff dough with water, then
working this dough under water with the
hand until the fine part of the -four has all
worked out in the water leaving the brown,
sticky gluten in the hand. Have the starch
water boiling, and stir in this liquid. For
fine starch, take spermRceti and white wax
half an ounce of the former to an ounce of
the latter, and melt together. To every
quart of starch after it has been boiled, add a
piece Of this as large as a small hazlenut It
| gives n fine gloss, and prevents sticking.
Much of the comfort or discomfort of iron
| ing-day depends, too, upon the ironing blank
ct and holder. Though we may not be able
| to indulge in a patent adjustable ironing
board-which is, nevertheless, very great
| convenience-that is no reason for having
our ironing blankets full of creases and
wrinkles, and no excuse for doing without a
blanket altogether, as is the habit of some
| housekeepers, substituting good sheet every
time, to the great detriment thereof, as one
seldom gets through ironing-day without
some soiling and more or less scorching of
the ironing sheet Nor is a folded piece of
newspaper or q ragged stocking convenient
and comfortable substitute for n holder, as
the hands are burned and the clothes soiled,
and double the time wasted that would be re-
| quired for making frst-class ironing hold
| er.
The main part of the ironing. blanket
| 4. = Al.
| will keep in shape and not shove about easily
upon the table. Old flannel blankets or
sheets do nicely for this purpose though
| pieces Of old heavy bed ticking do quite as
| well. Cut into pieces of the required size,
| which should always be wide enough to iron
asheet folded to four thicknesses without NOV
| ing it from side to side. After the pieces are
shaped, lay them evenly together upon the
table, smooth out all the wrinkles, and sew
firmly together around the edges with a darn
ing-needle and Irvine. There should be a
couple of thicknesses of cotton cloth, or a
piece of an old sheet, for the upper surface,
and this should be pinned or basted on
smoothly by itself, in order that it may be re-
moved and washed at need, without the troub-
10 of taking the whole apart. By following
| these directions, remembering to make OF
good size and weight, one will have an iron
ing-sheet which she will not be obliged, every
five minutes or so, to smooth out and adjust
to its proper place upon the table. Holders
should be cut from pieces of an old soft quilt,
enough thickness being used SO that the iron
will not heat the hand, then basted or quilted
| together. and a cover made of stout soft
cloth. This cover or shield, should be sew
ed together, ON three edges, the fourth left
open to slip the holder in, and basted togeth-
er afterwards. In this way the cover may,
when soiled, be easily removed, washed
ironed, aud returned again to its place
Susan Busybee in Country Gentleman.