Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-27
Washing FIannels.

IN washing hanneis, make q suds of
blood warm water and white soap. Allow
the fianHels to soak in this water from
one half to one whole hour, then wash
them with as little friction as possible,
using no rubbing-board or soap, save
what is dissolved in the water; squeeze
the articles with the hands until the dirt
if forced out as much as possible, then
change to another clear suds prepared in
the same way, and finish the washing
process. Finally rinse n warm water in
which you may put very little blueing If
you like. Do not wiring as you do other
clothes, but simply squeeze out the water
enough to admit of carrying to the line,
and be sure when removing the hannels
from one water to another that each sue
cessive water is hotter than the last
never any colder.
If you wish to restore the color of fan
nels which are apparently ruined by bad
treatment, it can be done by making a
solution of 1 = pounds of white soap and
tWo-thirds of an ounce of spirits of am
monia dissolved in II gallons of soft
water. By dipping the Efannels in this
and wetting them thoroughly in the So
luton, beautiful and lasting wilderness
wis be impaired TO them, no matter how
yellow they were previous 10 this INNER
sion. After being well stirred around for
a short time, take the articles out and
wash well in clean, soft water.
To cleanse blankets, put two large
tables poOnfuls of borax and one-half a
bar of white coap (cut up the soap into
thin shaviDgs with a knife, before putting
into the water) into tub of luke-warm
water; when the soap and bOrax are well
dissolved, put IN the blankets and let
them remain in soak over night; the
next morning wash well and rinse in two
waters, and hang out to dry without
wringing them at all.
The washerw0man of Holland use a
handful of borax to every ten gallons of
water. This makes the clothes very
white and is perfectly harmless. The
reason why WOODEN fabrics shrink, Is be-
cause the fibres of wool and certain kinds
of hairs are toothed or tagged at the
edges, the teeth or imbrioatiOns pointed
upward. These flores, therefore, when
subjected to friction of compression, be-
ing free to move in one direction, by
reason of these asperities of surface,
have great tendency to unite and cling
together. This accounts for the peculiar
qualification possessed by wool for mat
ting or fulling, and so explains why
WOODEN fabrics are so liable to shrink
badly when washed. In washing, the ex-
cessive rubbing to which they are as a
rule subjected, causes binding or mat
ting together of the ultimate tibres which
cause shrinkage, and this is rendered
worse by the common practice of chang
ing the piece from hot TO cold water, as
the contraction of the fibres which this
causes is of itself fulling process. So
remember, whenever washing ToOlen ar
ticles and changing from one water to
another let each successive water be hot.
ter than the other, never any colder. The
fibres of cotton and linen are straight
and smooth, and possess none of the
roughness of surface which characterizes
the structure of wool, hence they 90 not
shrink in washing.
Now, a few words in regard to wash
ing cotton goods. 1t Is a well known
fact that soda spoils lawns and percales.
They should be washed in tepld water,
without soap, save just enough dissolved
In the water to render il smooth and easy
TO use. Wash and rinse as eXpeditiously
as possible, turn and starch in thin boiled
starch, in which you have dissolved
enough white soap to make it trife
sudSy. Dry in the shade and iron on the
wrong side. Should the articles have a
figure of some bright hue which is liable
to fade, a generous handful of salt will
prevent it, by using 1t in the rinse water.