Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-05-05
3a9l'lngtun Standard
LAUNDRY LORE.
HINTS ON MINIMIZING THE La
Dor OF WASHING.

move All Sorts of Stains.
Ii all the housekeepers in the land
were asked to name the one item oi
housework that it is hardest to "get
through with there would arise one
great chorus-washing and ironing!
Washing and ironing are not easy
work, but there is an easy way and q
hard way OF doing all kinds Of work
and if the laundry work were done the
best way instead Of the worst way, il
would not be nearly SO much OF bug.
bear as it is in most homes. The right
way to do laundry work is to get the
clothes clean and we'll ironed, with a
minimum outlay of strength and 4
minimum outlay of wear upon the
clothes. This latter feature of laundry
work is too often overlooked.
The laundry equipped with all the
modern appliances for washing and
ironing is an interesting place, con-
tanning all sorts of devices unfamiliar
to most housckeepers, from the CEN
trlfugal-motion machine for wringing
clothes-which does not wiring them
at all, but drives them round so fast
the water is literally thrown out of
them-to the mangle for ironing.
Useful, however, as the machinery is,
it is out of the question for more than
very few of the very many laundries.
1t is satisfying, therefore, to know that
first-class laundry-work can be done
without any of these complicated ma.
chimes.
Indeed, in one of the very best laun-
dries in New York there is for equip
ment nothing but the stationary tubs,
with their hot and cold water faucets.
Some of the tubs are supplied with a
perforated tin tube about an inch in
diameter. This tube is connected with
the top of the large boiler which sup
plies the hot water, and through these
holes stream of scalding steam is
turned when wanted upon the clothes,
which are not boiled in the usual way.
The first step of washing is to sepa.
rate white from colored clothes, cot
tons from flannels and then to sort
clothes. Table linen should be kept
by itself. Personal and bed linen can
60 together. Very dirty clothes should
be separated from those only slightly
soiled, etc.
The next step is to examine for
stains. Articles with similar stains
are piled together. To remove fruit,
coffee, grass, tea or claret stains it is
usually sufficient to hold the stained
piece over bowl and pour through it
stream of boiling water, foaming hot,
continuing until the stain has disap-
peared. Hold the vessel containing
the water two or three feet above the
stain to give the stream as much force
as possible. Laundresses say that all
stains can be removed save one-the
stain made by peaches. Claret stains
will often come out in cold water if the
spot when first wet with claret be GOV.
cred with table salt.
To take out iron rust preparation
of oxalic acid is oftenest used. The
right proportion is one tablespoonful
OF oxalic acid to four ounces of warm
water. Strain thoroughly and bottle
carefully. Spread out the stain on a
board and rub with sponge or soft
cloth dipped in the preparation, then
rub with wheat starch until the starch
is thoroughly rubbed in; the stain
should then be washed in tepid water,
and the process repeated until the
stain has disappeared.
Sometimes iron rust will succumb
to an application of lemon juice and
salt. Cover the spot moistened with
the lemon with salt and lay in the sun
for several hours. A solution of n.y.
drochloric acid also removes iron rust
stains. Remember that unless all
bleaching fluids are quickly rinsed out
OF the clothes they rot the fabric.
Mildew is rubbed with lemon juice
and salt and exposed to the sun; if the
stain is not removed the process is re.
peated until it has disappeared. Some
laundresses recommend scraping white
chalk over mildewed garment after
it has been wet in cold water and plac-
ing in the sun. Our grandmothers
believed that buttermilk was an excel
lent remedy for mildew and soaked
widowed pieces in buttermilk and
then spread upon the grass. Lemon
and salt have the same effect, how
ever, and are more convenient for most
people to use.
A grass stain treated to the scalding
with clear water, which yet remains
obstinate, can usually be started by an
application OF lemon juice and expos
ure to strong sunshine. Grass stains
can be removed from cottons by dip.
ping the spots in alcohol.
Old mud stains should be soaked in
cold water long enough to loosen the
CRIME, then soak in another clear wa
ter, and change the water often enough
to remove the stain before it is put
through the general wash. When the
stain is very obstinate, dip it in the
preparation of oxalic acid, already
mentioned, and rinse thoroughly.
Some ink stains. when fresh, if
dipped in sweet milk, will come out