The herald., 1895-09-01
SOME SECRETS
OF THE THE LAuIDR! LAUNDRY! ARB ARB
HERE REVEALED

The man who returned suit of
clothes, planning that there were
moths in che coat and was asked if he
expected humming birds for $5. 81, received
abe ut as much satisfaction as the average
individual does nowadays who complains
to his up-to date laundryman that his
linen has been rolled to the consistency
of tissue paper. The landryman compla-
Gently replies that the linen is at fault.
In former days the man who could boast
of one dozen good linen shirts felt that
he was at least spared the expense of lay
ing out any more money in that direction
for a long time to come. Nowadays,
however, with the patent bleachers ana
the lightning machinery that irons 100
shirts an hour and carefully folus them up
so that the individual pieces will not fall
apart until the unfortunate wearer at
tempts to don the battered garments, a
dozen soon lose their pristine glory and
become part OF the moldy pas.
GAS long as they lot me have whole
BOSOM" said dweller in bachelor apart
ments the other day, II can get along. but
when they rip up the bosom l am help
less" So serious has become the ques-
tion that many men have their washing
done in the old-fashioned way, and then
send their shirts to steam laundry to
have them starched and ironed.
There's no gain in that, though" !"
explained an employee in steam laun-
dry tor they put all the clothes in the
| same machine and do not sort out the
| ones that are already washed
| 1t is evident. therefore, that If the shirt
Is to remain as an important article of
wearing apparel. instead of affording rare
sport for the laundry employees, it must
| be treated with a shade more of respect
ana be retuned to the owner IN one piece.
| The blame for the rough handling of
the shirt is shifted entirely on the shoul-
ders of those laundryfnen who employ
machines to wash and iron the clothes.
and without doubt they are responsible
for no little share OF the blame. Yet
there is way of handling the clothes by
machinery which is even less damaging
than the old-fashioncd method.
In the ironing process three machines
are employed-one to iron the bosom of
the shirt, the other two for wristbands.
collar bands, and the body. These
machines. in general way, consists of
gas-heated cylinders between which the
linen is run backward and forward.
Whatever be the merits OF the steam
| laundry as compared with the old fash
ioned hand laundry, it is gnerally agreed
that the greatest damage to shirts is done
by the bleaching. Chloride of lime is
used almost exclusively for this pur-
pose. and, II used in the proper proper
tions. it will not do great harm. II it is
not strained however, and. is allowed to
remain in piece of linen for any length
of time. the little PARTICLES eat through
the fabric and ruin it. This, the steam
| laundrymen declare, is where they excel
because they keep the clothes constantly
in turmoil in their machines, so that
| the lime does not have a chance to settle.
The best and most popular substance
I for 'sour" among laundrymen is sui
phuric acid, plain oil of vitrol. Many a
good housewife would scarcely believe
this, but is is true. 1t is used in such
small quantities, however-about one ia
blespoonful in a barrel-that it cannot do
any harm. Two inexperienced Brooklyn
aundrymen poured whole package OF
I chloride of lime in a washing machine,
with the result that every vestige of linen
was eaten up and they had to go out OF
| business.
The only danger in using bluing is
that one may get too much. That used
by laundrymen is so strong that one
ounce is first diluted in gallon of water,
and the one ounce of this prepared mix
ture is used with twenty-five gallons OF
water. A laundryman on Sixth avenue.
not long ago, did not know the com bi-
nation" and ne poured a IS package of
the pure aaiine into his washing ma
chine. His whole WASH was died brill
liant blue, and he has been working ever
since to pay his customers and clean his
machine.
So it will be seen that to conduct a