The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-03-06
Careful Instructions for Starching and
Ironing Shirts. Etc.

WORK ana lhe ike Is prepared a. loi
lows: \ sufficient quantity of starch
should be reduced 10 an even paste
with cold water in perfectly clean
pan, adding two heaped tablespoons
fuls of powdered boraX to each pound
of dry starch. Cold water should then
be added until the starch is of the con-
sistence of new milk, and perfectly free
from Jumps. Those inexperienced in
preparing starch will probably find il
an advantage TO strain the starch
through muslin, but with some care
this is not wanted. Where doubts ex.
ist a. towhether the starch is of the
right consistence, il is well to starch
and iron an old collar, and it will then
be readily seen if the requisite stiffness
has been obtained.
In starching shirts, the two halves OF
the front should he folded together, the
outer seams being exactly level and
then gathered together in the left hand
in such way that The stiflened por-
tons only may he dipped in the starch,
while the plain portions can be left dry.
Thoroughly saturate the parts to be
stiilened with the starch, and when
this is done wiring out all supertiuous
starch with the discngagcd hand.
Starch the cuffs or wristbands in the
same way, and, after sprinkling the
unstarched parts with clean water, roll
down tightly with the fronts and
wristbands inside, and in about two
hours the shirts will be tit TO iron.
Collars, cuffs, fronts, and similar ar
ticles which have to be stifiened all
over, should be thoroughly saturated
with starch, and after wringing should
he rolled down in clean white cloth
for couple or three hours before iron
ing.
Waistcoats, ties, and some other
things require much thinner starch
than shirts, though the method of APP
plication is the same, but some amount
of Judgment is Necessary, owing 10 the
variation i'm individual tastes in regard
10 the amount of stiffness desirable, 50
that no hard and fast rules are possi-
BILE. In no case should boiled starch he
used for this class of work, a. it gives a
very undesirable appearance, and when
once the method of starching and iron
ing with raw starch il mastered, its
over other forms becomes
very apparent.
In ironing shirt :, the modus operand
is as follows. The shirt-which by the
wly, is inside oat-is unrolled and the
YOKE irOned, il IS then turned, and the
right side of the yoke and neckband
ironed. The shirt Is then folded length
ways from the gathers of the yoke to
the tail, and the back is ironed on either
81 L.. After this the wristbands are
ironed, being polished if Necessary /;
the sleeves being then taken in hand
and finished, putting in any pleats
tha may be necessary, aud being care
ful to press them into proper shape.
When this Is done, take the shirt by
the shoulders aud turn il front upper
most on the board, with the collar to
the left hand, and, after putting in any
necessary pieats in the back, insert the
folded front flannel and proceed with
the front. Before commencing to iron.
the front should be pulled into shape,
after which it should be irOned until
dry, doing one side at a
time, and being careful to avoid max
ing creases. When both sides are done
pm the collar or neckband together,
and run the iron down the centre and
access the base of the front, afterwards
ironing the remaining unstarched por-
tions of the garment, and putting in
any necessary pleats. When this Is
dpne. carefully turn the shirt front
on the board and fold neat
", pinning the shoulders together to
round the front somewhat. Then hang
b fore the fire to thoroughly dry and
harden the work. OF course this leaves
the front unpublished, and the whole
work so far is done with moderately
not irons only; but, when the fronts
nave to be polished, the convex iron
should be made a. hot a possible short
If scorching the goods, and at the point
mentioned, instead of pin
hing the collar together, take out the
lannel and put in the slate or marble
lab covered with one thickness Of lin
N only, and, after damping the sur
ace Of one-half the front, polish with
he convex iron by quickly passing it
IcrOss from side to side, and then from
,ase to collar, using considerable pres
ure, and working with the back Of the
ron A. far ~ possible. Treat the other
Iaif of the front in similar manner;
in the collar, and proceed to finish as
efore, Of course removing the slab.
Vhen properly polished the fronts
hould be as smooth and shiny n chi |
IA, and the polish should stand with
at dulling oil. Moreover, long and |
aried experience teaches me that with |
iareh prepared in the manner describ-
1 above, the shirts or collars can be |
xposed to dampor fog without losing
leir brilliancy. Shirts or fronts hav-
~ raised patterns are irOned 10 the
point, then dampcd down Oh
ne surface and covered with fine
men cloth, after which they are iron
| until dry. The same process is
lopted with all stiff fronts whether
ley be attached 10 shirts or not, and
lerefore directions need not be repeat
l for these.
Collars and cuffs are starched in the
lme way rs shirts, and should be roll
l in clean white cloth for few
ours, to get rid of superfluous moist
re-, after which they should BE- laid
ngly ona clean cloth on the ironing
Dard and pIlled into shape, after
ards ironing on each side alternately
ntii thoroughly dry, being careful to
void creases, and then polishing in the
ay previously described, using the
on both across ana lengthways of the
'ticles, rolling them into a circular
rm for wear, and pinning or other
ise fastening the fronts together. As
lie patterns of collars vary 50 much, it
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