The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-04-14
The Household,
The Terrors of Wash Day.

There seems to be generally accept.
ed idea that wash day must be day Of
discomfort and disorder, day when,
as matter Of course, everything is
disorganized and one must submit to
cold dinners, slop and general misery.
That wash day is day Of hard work
is matter of necessity, but that it
need be the day of dread to which we
are accustomed is emphatically denied
by housekeepers who take pains to keep
up with the progressive ideas of the
age. There are few domestic occupa-
tions where a little forethought and
judgement and some care 10 learning
the best methods are as we'll repaid as
in the laundry. 1t is possible to make
clothes perfectly clean without working
oneself to death, and that, too, without
the use ofinjurious chemicals. Clothes
that are but little soiled may be put
into the boiler with soap and water and
two tablespoonful of kerosene oil. Let
them boil for ten or fifteen minutes.
Treated thus they will require but very
little rubbing and may be put through
a light soap suds, rinsed aud put on
the lines at once. A medium sized
wash would scarcely require two and a
half hours.
The average laundress is not very
careful in handling soiled clothes. 1t
is not at all necessary to throw them
about in heaps on the kitchen or laun-
dry floor, although this is what is usual.
ly doue. A II clothes should be care
fully sorted, each kind being put in a
basket or bag by itself. 1t is one Of
the most judicious economies to pro
vide number of bags, each one marked
with the name of the article it is to con
taia. These may be hung on strong
nails and taken down as required A
patch of dust or dirt ground into
clothes from the kitchen foor is among
III, most difficult of all stains to remove,
and this is SO unnecessary that the prac
tice cannot be too strongly condemned.
When clothes are very much soiled
they may be put to soak over night in
warm suds in which is mixed half cup
of kerosene oil or two thirds ola cup
of naphtha. If the articles are dipped
into the preparation consisting Of one
pailful of water, half cup Of oil and a
third of bar of soap dissolved in hot
water, the soiled spots, sleeves, collars
and bands slightly rubbed in the pre-.
paration with the hands or board, then
rolled in tight rolls and laid in the tub
of water, they will be found in the
morning to be almost clean and the
dirt will come out of them with little if
any effect. Care and steadiness in handl
ing would save nine.tenths of the slop
and muss about the kitchen or laundry.
This is of great importance when the
kitchen range must be used for the
boiling.
If the washes are large and the
clothes are inclined to be yellow. it is a
good plan to soak and boi them as de-
scribed; then, if there is a grass plot
lay them out in sun and dew for twenty.
four hours at least. 1t adds greatly to
the bleaching if the cloths are sprinkled
several times with clean water, as wet
linen bleaches more rapidly than dry.
Clothes should never be allowed to
hang on the line in high wind. II
stiff breeze is blowing, they should be
taken down and folded ss soon as dry.
Many persons take clothes from the line
and crowd them all in wrinkle into
the basket. This is unwise, as folds and
crsas.s arc made which it is sometimes
difficult, if not impossible, to remove,
Clothes that are SO wrinkled are MUGS
harder to iron. Lines should be taken
in Immediately after using and should
be rolled in small parcels end put into
a cloth bag. This does away with the
danger of leaving long gray streaks
when the wet cloths are hung on them
again. The clothes pins should be
carefully kept. as, if sOiled, they make