The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-18
The Ironing Table.

If the housekeeper would be a success
full wielder Of the fatiron, she should first
assure herself of the perfect smoothness
and cleanness Of the iron She viii also
see that they are kept clean and smooth by
being heated over clean stove and a clear
fire. The ironer should, OF course, try the
irons Immediately before using, and rub
them carefully with cloth provided and
kept for that purpose, any suspicion of
roughness being removed by piece of
sandpaper being rubbed over the surface
of the iron, but this carefulness is not
necessary when the stove top is kept clean
aud free from smoky marks For the ben
eht OF the lroner and the irons, coal fire
is preferable to one of wood, as the stove is
7 more easily kept free from smoke.
The irons, when not in use, must be kept
where steam or frost will not reach them.
Tor they rust so easily. If left uncovered
on the kitchen shelf they viii very likely
become rusty between two weekly ironing
days. We lind the most convenient and
safest place for keeping smoothing irons to
be in the warming oven of the stove, for
there they are always warm and dry.
After starched clothes have been ironed.
the irons must be thoroughly cleaned. if
there is the least trace of burned starch on
their surfaces; indeed, the regular clean
lngs OF the fatirons should not be neg
lected, otherwise, even the best of ironers
viii occasionally find a ''smirch'' on some
freshly laundried article.
Pass the iron once or twice over some
line sandpaper, and then rub its hot sur
face with piece of white wax or sperma-
ceti. The ironing will be accomplished far
! more easily and successfully for this little
iOre-p providence. The ironing sheet must
be kept clean and not scorched and burned
and discolored by many previous ironings.
An ironing board or table. at which one can
be seated II liked, well covered with fan
mel and muslin cloth over that. and a
board for shirts are essential An ideal
ironing cloth is colored blanket doubled
smoothly over the ironing table or board
with folded sheet laid smoothly over if.
a white thick flannel should be provided.
upon which to iron embroideries and Ham
burg edgings.
The articles TO be ironed should be damp
ened sufficiently tie be smoothed: if too
dry they cannot be freed easily from the
wrinkles caused by the wringing from the
water. Ii they are wet rather than DAMP
II requires extra labor to bring them to a
state OF irone5 perfection. They should
also be smoothly folded before ironing. as
this helps to make the process less difficult.
With collars, cuffs and shirt-fronts which
are to be made very stiff, the more salts
starch, dry, and then dip them in cold
starch, rubbing it in, and lay them smoothly
in 4 towel kept for that purpose, rolling it
tightly and leaving it for short time be-
fore ironing
The iron holders should also be clean.
Those made of unbleached cotton are
recommended as excellent but of what
ever material they may be made they
should be thick enough to protect the hand
from the heat and yet not thick enough to
be bungling. Some use the patent handle,
which requires no holder. 1t is wise to
have a supply of these holders to change
when the hand becomes too warm for COM
tort.
There are as many methods of ironing
and as many degrees Of thoroughness in the
work as there are lroners. Some ease the
labor by seating themselves while at the
IRONING board, while others think this in
Z creases the arm ache, and also makes it a
bother TO change the fiatiron. The indiyid-
nal knows best which position is the east
est for her to assume but the housekeeper
Is foolishly wasteful of her energies who
refuses the easier method simply because
she thinks it looks shiftless to make tasks
less difficult. Some ironers insist upon
Ironing every thread which the iron can
5ouch, while others, more mindful of
strength and time, learn to leave unironed
the articles which are equally as disable
md wearable when simply and smoothly
folded and laid away for present or imme-
1iate use.
Ii is well and wise for every young house
keeper to learn to iron perfectly, aud then,
: the occasion demands it, she may slight