Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-01-16
Laundry Work in Winter.

Laundry work in winter and laundry
work In Summer are two diametrically
different things. In summer clothes can
be bleached on the grass and dried in
the warm sunshine, and while they are
whittier for being frozen and thawed.
there is seldom warmth enough in the
depth Of winter to thaw them on the
line, and If they are handled in the
frozen state they are apt to crack. For
this reason good housekeeperS will not
allow fine table linen to ne dried out OF
doors in the winter, even though il may
be slightly yellow Dy indoor drying.
Fine handkerchiefs are very easily torn.
and delicate underwear can be ruined
more quickly by being taken from the
lines and folded when frozen than in
any other way.
II white cotton garments arc much
stained, freezing will restore them to
their proper color, and if there is time
they can he left on the lines until they
freeze hard and thaw out. provided tnpy
are not handled in a frozen state or LEFT
10 flap about in the wind. LOOSELY
woven materials, like stockinette. NAV
also he left outdoors ON the lines until
they are dry enough TO bring into the
house.
A large laundry is a very useful place
in winter. as the clothes can be dried
there and the dangers Of freezing avoid
ed. Such a room is also very useful for
ironing in hot weather. Ii should be
provided with a laundry stove and the
fire kept up until the clothes are dried.
Flannels and wooden stOcknette ought
to be dried on wooden frames. which any
carpenter will make, and which will pre-
vent shrinking. This is because the ulti-
mate fiber of wool is spiral the drawing
up and interlocking of the fibers being
what constitutes shrinkage. In under
wear factories the garments are always
washed and dried on frames SO that they
may be offered soft and unshrunken for
sale.
1t is much better and easier to scruh
sOiled tllnnelS with a small brush than it
is to rub them clean on board. A rather
stiff brush about four or five inches long
is the best article for this purpose. Scrub
the bands and seams of heavy wooden
shirts as well as those Of cotton. in this
way. This small brush is excellent in
wishing corsets or any heavy pieces that
are difficult 10 run on a board IL the
brush has Il small handle the garments
may be more easily cleaned with it.
Many excellent housebeepers Disagree
as to the best method of washing white
clothes. Some of them prefer to soak
their clothes over night in cold water.
Others who are equally good managers,
after examining each piece TO see if there
are any stains or spots that need special
attention. plunge them into boiling hot
soapsuds and let them stand for several
hours. or over night. This latter method
seems to draw out the dirt quite thorough
IT, as the water itself will attest next
morning. The clothes are then lifted out
Of this water into clean warm water the
few soiled places that remain are rubbed
out and the clothes are put in the boiler
to come 10 the boiling point. If the wa
ter is hard, n tablespoonful of washing
soda. bu no more. should be added To ev-
cry gallon Of water in the boiler, the soda
being first dissolved in little boiling wa
ter. If it is put in without melting II may
eat hole in the clothes. If the water is
soft. little melted soap should be used
instead Of soda, and soap should be rubbed
over eacL piece as il is put in the boiler
Very few OF the host laundresses boil
their clothes longer than three minutes.
just long enough 10 allow them to be
thoroughly scalded. Longer boiling only
tends to make white clothes yellow. When
the clothes are taken from the boiler the
water they we're boiled in should Dc
poured over them. and they should be
allowed to stand in it several hours Of