The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-08
BLEACHING LBGHORN HATS.
Not Difficulty TO Clean Old Straw or
Change Their Colors.

If YOU are one of those enterpr.Sng
women who enjoy doing for themselves
the many little things the cost of which
taken in the aggregate make so start
ling a proportion of the months expen-
ses, you will be glad to know that the
light leghorn hats of the family may be
successfully bleached at home, ans by
the very same methods which are en-
ployed ~ those who make bleaching and
pressing their business.
The first and regular" method is that
of bleaching with sulphur. THIS method
is best pursued out of doors. Get bar
rel, place in the bottom a tin pan in
which is some charcoal and five or ten
cents worth of sulphur.
First wash your hat with buttermilk,
rub it thoroughly, then tie a string from
side to side, so that you can suspend 1t
inside the top of the barrel Light the
charcoal and cover the barrel closely
with carpet or any heavy material;
leave it until the charcoal burns out and
the fumes of the sulphur have done
their work thoroughly. You will find
the hat as white as though it had come
from a professional bleacher.
The second or regular" method is
easier and quicker, but 1 would not ad-
wise it's use in the case of an especially
fine or expensive hat, as 1t is more M
furious to the material; but for ordinary
leghorns, and straws, good for but one
more seasons use, it is very satisfactory,
and as inexpensive as the other.
Take a few grains of oxalic acid and
dissolve them in soft water, or weak
solution of oxalic acid may be had at
the drug store This acid is poisonous,
and if left upon paper, clothing or the
hands will, if at all strong, eventually
eat its way Though the fabric or skin.
The solution therefore, must be weak.
Use a stiff brush and scour the hat
with the solution till white. This will
not only clean but bleach the. straw;
Next rinse it in clear, soft water and
ptTr55e The pre- pressing may be done by inserting
a piece of stiff pasteboard inside the
rim of the crown, or better stln' px
| or similar tin. Leave till nearly dry,
then press the crown by laying a cloth
over it and ironing over the e., tin, "a and q
| the same manner, always having cloth
| between the iron and straw
medium or, dark colored nat may
plying several good coats of shoe polish
| with a stiff brush, but a white nat can
| only be colcred black by dying. To ae-
| leaving it over night in a solution Of
| cooking soda, one ounce of soda to half
gallon of soft water. Rinse thoroughly in
| the morning and put at once into the
dye, as the straw must be wet ct in a order ito to
| solve a package of dye in sufficient water
to cover the hat. we'll, and add one tea
spoonful of salt for each. quart of water.
| Lei the hat boil for an hour in the dye,
| remove from fire and iet it cool in the
dye, then rinse and place to dry. When
nearly dry press as already directed.
Hats of various shades may be colored
to match suit by an easy process,
contrast in color is not to great. To do
this dissolve a package Of dye of the
shade required in a little alcohol and add
q half pint of shellac varnish. Apply
with a stiff brush. More alcohol and
less varnish will make the hat more
pliable; the proportion must be deter
mined by the nature of the straw.
If the black h hat when s1 dyed ia, lacks
solution of one-half ounce of bonnet glue
in one pint of water Philadelphia Press.