Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-27

I.
can put your hand in 1t before putting 1t
on the clothes; If you don't you will soon
have yellow clothes, In spite Of all other
care. When you find the water in the tub
getting cold, dip out a lot Of 1t and put In
clean, hot water, which may then be boil
ing, as 1t will cool in the tub. If the water
gets to looking dingy from the dirt, dip 1t
out and put In more hot water. In this way
you keep the water at the right tempera-
ture and 1t never gets very dirty. / think
that if you are careful to do this. and skim
the water first, using good laundry soap,
one suds Is enough.
Wash the finest white clothes first, and
put them to boil. Have your boiler two
thirds full Of water that has been boiled
with the softening fluid, and carefully
skinned. When you get ready to put the
clothes In the boiler dash in bucket Of
cold water that has been boiled also. and
had soaking to pulp on the back OF the
stove. You can use up all the bits Of soap
about the house in this way.
If you are suspicious of any Of the gar
ments rub soap on the soiled spots, then
put in the boiler and let the water grad
ually come to the boil, keeping covered;
then set the boiler back to stew" for five
minutes. 1t is not well to let the clothes
boil vigorously, because the dirt Will boil
into the fibers and make the linen yellow.
Stir the linen often and pound 1T around
to loosen all the dirt. When you get ready
to lift from the boiler dash in some cold
water and lift into the tub. If the water
I'm the boiler looks murky lift 1t out and
use fresh for the second boilerful. Water
Is the cheapest thing in the world for
whitening clothes, and you can't use too
much of it.
BIueing and starching.
Some women wash everything through
the boil suds. 1t Is not necessary If you
have been careful about the water. Those
pieces of linen that have been badly soiled
may be rubbed on the board. but other
wise q would simply keep adding fresh
water and dipping out the old suds, and
after rubbing and sousing the linen about
run 1t through the wringer into a tub of
perfectly clear water. When the tub is
conveniently full rub and pound the clothes
up and down in the water. and as soon as
II begins to look the least bit sudsy lift
out and add fresh water, having it always
slightly warmed, as much for comfort and
safety from taking cold as from the fact
that warm water will bring out all the
soap.
Put the clothes through the wringer into
the basket, and let them stand there till
you get ready to put them Immediately
through the blue water Clothes should
never stand a moment in the blue water; IL
makes them dark looking, some qualities Of
white cotton taking up the blue matter
much faster than others. Have the blue
water blood warm, use good blueing and
put the pieces through rapidly. Only put
a dozen or so pieces in at once, and add
fl esh water and more blueing as 1t seems
to be needed. Don't put starch in the
blue water.
SEARCHED bed linen is an abomination,
but lots of people starch 1t, and the towels
and handkerchiefs and napkins. 1t may
make them iron smoother. but 1t also makes
them wear out faster, and is a wasteful
performance as well as disagreeable to
people with tender flesh. Clearstarch is
most satisfactory for all purposes, and I
would use 1t in preference to -four for 1t
does not leave marks on colored clothes
and is not inclined to be lumpy. For white
clothes the starch should have a tiny bit
of blueing; for colored ciothes-dark ones
1t may be made quite a dark blue Before
you put the clothes on the line take a
clean cloth and rub 1t vigorously, so that
there will be no dirt on 1t to soil your
clothes. Hang the white clothes in the
sun, and let them hang as long they
can get the benefit Of It.: the sun Is a good
bleacher.
Hard and Soft Water.
Wash colored clothes in perfectly clean
water and not through the suds that you
used for the white clothes. There is al
ways a lot of lint floating in the white
clothes water. and 1t will deposit itself
all ever the darker ones. and you can't
get it of. If you must use the same water,
strain 1t carefully through a fine meshed
cloth-then you will see the why of my
objection. One suds will answer for color
ed clothes AID two ripses. Clear. clean
water for the first, blue water for the sec
ond. observing the very same precaution
When you begin on the colored clothes
put them through on the fly. Don't let
Them soak minute in soapy or softened
water, for II ls death to their bright colors.
Get them on the line in the fresh air as
soon as possible. 1t Is not best to hang
them In the sun for very long, as they will
fade As soon a. they are dry bring them
in.
If Won have No soft uater 10 u-osh x,itb
you will. Of course, have to break" the
water. Get some good, pure article to do
this, and stick to II. ] prefer sal soda to
all the patented stuff that / ever saw. 1t
will not rot the clothes. and most Of the
patent stuff WILL 1t is good plan, If you
can so arrange 1t, to draw all the water
you will need the night before and into
his stir the washing soda. to stand till
morning. Then you can lift 1t off as clear
as crystal Plenty of clear water will make
white clothes. Boil every drop of water
you use on the clothes IL it Is hard, and let
it settle and skim before using. This pre-
caution Is not necessary for soft or cistern
water. In the boiling suds put two table
spoonfuls of coal OIL to each boiler of
clothes. Handle the Oil carefully, as It Is
infiammable, but 1t Is also a powerfully
good cleansing agent, and will not injure
the color of the most delicate fabric. I
have no faith In washing machines I have
seen hundred and l never saw one that
was not more trouble than 1t is worth, and
they all tear the clothes and are death to
buttons. Washing Is not hard work If 1t is
gone at in a systematic manner and the
proper spirit. 1t takes time to do 1t proper
ly. and if it is not done properly 1t is a
thorn In the flesh to a person of dainty
habits.
If you are not strong. yet your means are
too small to admit of putting the washing
out, try washing the colored clothes Mon
day and the white clothes Tuesday. You
will not have to boil the colored clothes,
and you will be surprised to find how quick
ly you can put them through by themselves
and not have much muss about 1t either.
SONORA SARA.
For Little Tot.
This IS such a pretty froclk for little tot.