The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-08-11
THE LAUNDRY IN SUMNER
How the Increasing Number Of Was
Dresses Calls for the Best Skill
Of the Laundress.
Of the Z aundress.

With the advent of warm weather
the laundry work increases, and II -
well to bear some things in mind re-
garding the laundering of the pretty
summer dresses, so easily ruined II
careless hands. Soft water should be
used where it is possible to get IT,
but if not, borax, one tablespoonful
to the gallon will render it softer.
| For some waters, one tablespoonful 10
the gallon will be required. Do not
use strong cheap soaps or alkaline
washing powders in washing colored
goods; neither must the water be hot,
and they must have every. particle OF
soap rinsed from them before starch
| ing. There are many comparatively
pure oil soaps on the market at very
reasonable prices, and it is much bet
ter to use only such for goods that
are colored or tinted, hanging them
in the shade to dry, and taking in Tor
| ironing before they are fully dry.
For black and white mixtures, the
goods should be soaked in salt water
| Tablespoonful to quart OF water Tor
an hour before washing Green col
ors should be soaked in water IN
which powdered alum has been dis
solved sufficient to give the water
slightly "puekerish" taste, for an hour,
| then dried in the shade and washed
as other goods.
Black goods should not be washed
with soap. A thin paste OF corn
| starch, flour or rice water will cleanse
as well as soap. To prepare, boil
pint of rice in six quarts Of water I'M
| til thoroughly done, strain, and use
the water for washing. Light-tinted
goods may be safely washed in the
same way, as the thin paste, or starch
water cleanses perfectly without fad
ing. Light yellow, pink, red and
light shades of blue, should have one
tablespoonful of salt to every quart
of rinse water. For lavender and all
shades of purple and heliotrope, use
vinegar in the rinse water instead OF
salt, in the same proportions. For
lilac or lavender colors which have
been un-faded. the vinegar Is par
tieularly good to restore color.
In rinsing black goods, it is well
to use one tablespoonful of turpen-
tine to a gallon of water instead OF
salt Or vinegar, as this will keep it
from looking rusty. Bluefng should
never be used in the rinse water for
any but blue colors, as it is very in
furious to other tints. In the rinse
water for dark blues, browns, blacks
and many other dark shades, vinegar
should be used,
For starehing black or very dark
eolors, only gum arabic or cheap
ge1atine should be used. For making
| the gum arabic starch, soak one ounce
of gum arabic in water over night:
/ in the morning turn it into sauce
pan or inner vessel of the double
boiler, filing the outer vessel with
| cold water and place on the back or
/ the range until the gum arabic is dis
solved; then, pour into 1t two quarts
of boiling water, stirring. and strain.
Or the dissolved gum may be strained
into thin starch and used, Garments
washed in paste water rarely need
starching, even when well rinsed.
Some laundresses use a little bora1
in the rinse water, claiming that this
will stiffen the goods as much as Is
necessary.-The Commoner