The Southern herald., 1899-09-15
WAsH.DAY WISDOM.
How to Do Up the Light summer Gar
ments Vslth Least
Trouble.

II vol can get good laundress by
the dey =; viii be found by far the most
economical plan Of doing up the sum
mer gowns. Insist on. her using thin
starch, and ironing all embroideries on
the wrong side. Where plaitings are
used baste them carefully before put
ting the garment in wash. All shirrings
for wash dresses should be done on
narrow tables, run in castings. These
should be let out before sending TO
wash and drawn up again after the gar
ment is ironed, process'which not only
facilitates the task of ironing, but
make the articles look very much bet
ter. When navy blue or black linens are
washed, instead of using soap, take two
large potatoes, peeled and grated into
pail of tepid soft water, to which
tablespoonful Of ammonia has been
added. Wash the linens in this and
rinse in cold blue water. They will
need no starch, and should be dried and
ironed on the wrong side. An infusion
of hay will keep the color in buff cot
tons and linens, while the use of bran
will do the same for brown goods
Only the very thinnest starch should
be used for the fine ginghams and fan
cy cottons so popular this season. The
beauty Of these depends greatly on
their soft finish, and is lost when they
hang in stiffly starched folds.
Every expert laundress has a recipe
of her own for washing black lawns
and sateens. One of the best of the
methods is to wash them like any other
cotton garment, and then scald them
for Is minutes in water to which just
enough extract of llgwood has been
added TO color it, Rirsing after wash
ing, in very deep indig % water, so deep
as TO be black rather than blue, will
prevent their turning brown or rusty.
Doubtful colors may be set by soaking
for several hours before washing in salt
water, or in weak solution of sugar
of lead. The salt used should be table
salt This is best for reds and pinks;
sugar of lead is preferable for blues.
Never use washing soda in the laundry;
II yellows white goods and fades or
changes the hues Of colored goods. For
the same reason strong soap should be
tabooed; no soap which Injuries the
hands should be used in the laundry.
Always dry colored fabrics in the
shade; the sun will invariably fade
them more or less. One sunny summer
Monday morning | found the head of
the department Of cotton colored dress
goods in u mammoth dry goods store
decidedly out of temper. A customer
had just come in with Scotch gingham
which Had faded. Madam" he said,
"this has been dried in the sun-thc hot
sun, Mt that. As came downtown this
morning, late, all the back yards were
full of colored clothes, hanging in the
blazing sunshine. Don't you know you
can bleach anything by wetting it with
water and hanging it in the full sun
shine? No color is fast under such con-
ditions."
Swiss muslin never looks new after
even the most careful washing; there
fore French or India muslin, at three
times the price, is cheaper in the long
run. Seeded and embroidered muslins
launder admirably. 1t is scarcely
necessary to say that it is of the utmost
Importance that the irons and ironing
sheet used for white muslins should be
scrupulously clean. Try the irons al
ways on a clean white cloth or on white
paper to prevent any danger of smut or
scorching.
Fresh fruit stains may be removed by
scalding with boiling water before
washing; ink stains can usually be re-
moved by soaking in fresh milk; the
milk will not injure the most delicate
colors. Salts of lemon, lemon juice and
salt, the article well wet with the mix
ture and dried in the sun, will efface
most stains, including ink and iron
rust, from white goods; if the fabric is
colored the acid will remove the color
along with the stain. Oxalc acid is still
more powerful for the same purpose;
after using it wash the article, or the
acid will injure the fabric. Ammonia
will restore color which has been taken
out by acids; when, however, the acid
has been used to remove stain the
spot will often reappear along with the
restored color. French chalk is a spe-
cifc for grease spots. Get the chalk in
the stone, the powder is frequently
adulterated, and scrape it on the spot
until well covereds Leave the chalk on
until it absorbs the grease. Two or
three applications are often necessary
for the purpose. Brush the chalk off
thoroughly each time before renewing,
and use plenty of chalk. - Chicago
Times-Herald.