The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-12-06
MID SOAP AND STARCH.
WASHING AND IRONING CLOTHES
BY MECHANICAL MEANS.

improvements in Laundry Work During
the Last Twenty Observation-Disclosures
ton In the wash demonstrating In
CyIinders-Centrifuga Power--Poiish.
There Is an expression current that the ma
tons using the most perfumery use the least
soap. Carrying out this inference to indi-
viduals would be, perhaps, going too far, but
there may be something In the soap question
when applied to laundry work that win be
Of interest without being personal. The
growth OF improvements In methods of
laundrying during the last twenty years has
been marked. Indeed, It Is the opinion of
some that tho real laundry work proper dates
from about ten years ago. Surprising all are
familiar-at least by observation, If not by
experience-witb the wash day appliances of
the kitchen, let us take look into one of
these modern laundries, and see what a
marked change there is in methods, IL not in
results.
On entering the wash room a sense Of semi
suffocation comes to tho newcomer, due TO the
great change In tho atmosphere from the
dryer air without, though this soon passes
away he.clothes as they come in soiled are
taken from the packages, carefully marked
and then separated and put to whirling in
immense wood-lined cylinders, which are
kept revolving first In one direction, then in
another. These cylinders are supplied with
soap, and the clothes are cleansed by the
movement back and forth. From one of
these cylinders the. clothes are changed to
similar one full of foaming soap suds, and
then to the wringer, or more properly, Eek
tractor This consists of hollow vat or
tub of metal, the sides of which are pune
tured with holes, the whole being on pivot
and placed inside of another tub or case.
CENTRIFUGAL POWER.
The wet clothes are dumped into this re-
ceptacle and It is set to whirling at the rate
Of ,200revolutions minute The centrifugal
power thus generated sends the water flying
out of the clothes and nicely fits them for the
drying process. This latter consists of long
bars ON rollers, which are filed with clothes
and run into place supplied with many
steam coils that give rapid and thorough dry
ing. When the water has disappeared, out
come the garments and they begin their iron
ing journey. The smaller articles, like hand
kerchiefs, are put between cloth covered
eylinders-all the machinery practically be-
ing run by steam-and the collars and cuffs
are subjected to high polishing pressure. The
starching is done in a cylinder similar in CON
struction to the washers, though smaller
The shirt fronts-and what man doesn't like
a shining one whether it's seen or notl-are
not subjected to the old fashioned, hand-iron-
ing process, but are stretched upon fiat iron
about two feet long by one wide, slightly
bcveled and covered with cloth, and then, by
aid of lover. the shirt Is raised up on the
iron until it reaches and Is run over by a
slowly revolving cylinder, heated by gas ON
its inside. Tic result Is beautiful gloss
Caro- has TO DO taken, however, TO keep
everything moving just right, as the roller
is kept so hot it would easily burn the shirt
front If left upon it any length of time Rhe
collars come out of the cylinders polished
properly and then, in case it is "turn down."
a neat little machine runs a moistened roller
along where the bend Is to be, and thus, If
proper care is exercised, the collar is bent to
shape and is not cracked Starch and paper
are two supplies much used, and the former
comes in by the barrel lots, while the paper
comes by the car load, and goes out in small
quantities tied up around your weekly laun-
dry package. The work is largely done by
girls who are paid from IS to $40 per week.
and their work and the hot air they are
obliged to stay in much of the time entitle
them to all they get. Fans are used, how
ever, to keep the rooms as pure as possible
Pioneer Press