Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-07-26
THE INEVITABLE wAsH-DAY.
Clothes and Hanging Gar
ments on the Line.

Clothes and Hanging Gar
ments on the Line.
Even with set tubs two wooden
ones of handy size help out amazing
". One had better be kept especially
for table linen and for rinsing the
finest things. Use the other for
soaking, but do not soak too long.
An hour is long enough to soften and
dissolve the dirt, yet not long enough
to set it all through the garment.
Soaking suds strong with soda will
eat and destroy the fabric, but dirt
comes out easier and without damage
to the fiber if the soiled things are
wet through with and well wrung out
of warm soda water kefore they go
in soak. This wetting and wiring
ing out will whiten and sweeten with
out hurting the clothes. The caus-
tic soda attacks the dirt first and is
washed out, or dissolved away, before
it has time to eat the fabric It must
not be too strong-a tablespoon of
soda to three gallons of soft water
is about the right proportion. Hard
water requires fourth more soda,
as some of it goes to neutraize the
lime, says the Washington Star
Keep a sharp lookout for spots and
stains in the sorting. Either wet
fruit stains in alcohol, whisky or
camphor, or pour stream of full
boiling water through them. A stain
once set by suds is thenceforth al
most hopeless. Beware especially of
grass, paint, mud and wagon grease
marshall of which must be taken
out before washing or not at all.
Kerosene in the boil whitens clothes
safely. especially such as are yellow
from long lying. Use tablespoon
full to a gallon of water. For things
very yellow or grimy make an emul-
sion of kerosene, clear lime water and
turpentine in equal parts. Shake to-
gether until creamy, then add cup
full to a boilerful of clothes and keep
over the fire half an hour. The same
emulsion is good for very dirty
things, as jumpers, overalls, work
ing shirts, children's trousers. Use
it in conjunction with very strong
suds, as hot as the hand can bear, and
rub it well upon the dirtiest spots.
fore washing out, and be sure that
VIC SCCOuu SuOS anu Iuc I1uSluS wa
ters are as hot as the first suds.
It is nearly as essential to hang out
things properly as to wash them well.
If big things, such as table and bed
linen, dry out of shape stretching and
pulling them straight wears them
more than use. Hang sheets, table
cloths, towels and napkins across the
line ends down. Warp threads are so
much stronger than filing that if
things are habitually hung length
wise they will certainly split along
the fold Indeed, all washable things
should be hung out that the weight
while wet-which is thrice the weight
dry-comes upon the 1engthwise
threads. To do this with skirts,
shirts and made garments generally,
get a strip of clean inch-square deal,
some wooden barrel hoops and plenty
of good-sized screw hooks, along with
a few picture hooks. Saw after the
manner of a coat hanger. For shirts
the deal ought to be long enough to
reach a little way in the sleeves. Fas-
ten the neckband and slip the hook
over the line. Thus a full-size shirt
will be properly dried and aired in
about six inches of line space. The
barrel hoops are for skirt hangers.
Tie stout Irvine so it makes knot
ted cross in the middle of the hoop,
and slip a picture hook under the
cross. Then fasten the skirt band,
put the hoop inside the skirt and
hook upon the line. The line must be
extra stout, and properly braced for
such hangers, and they mean extra
strain through quadrupling its dry
ing capacity.
Whether hung on hangers or sim
ply line, take pains to hang out
shirts so the bosoms will not drag.
Once the several thicknesses pull
apart and dry in creases it will be
hard work to get them back into
shape. It is the same with cuffs and
collars. Snap them out straight and
hang so warp and woof will pull true.
ALI the stiff and polished things need
to get bone-dry before stretching.
They also need to be well wet in
blood-warm water before rubbing.
Stiff linen is nearly as breakable as
cardboard, especially the fine sort
used in good shirts.