Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-06-10
CLovERDALE, CAL, May IS.


Dear Mutuafs:
VIII try and keep my promise of writing
| something about the laundry work, as it is
now summer time, and with summer comes
summer boarders and consequently lots of
| add few dollars to their income that will
give the benefit Of my experience.
had previously worked in steam laundry.
at the washer. which was operated by an
electric motor and heated by boiler. All of
this machinery attended to alone, besides
keeping up furnace. making soap. etc.
Before that worked in the ironing DEPART
ment.
We had met with many losses by illness and
other causes, so l told my husband / was
going to start laundry of my own. He
objected very much, but in the end had my
way, for wasn't born in Maine for nothing.
have done very well since. hire help dur
ing the summer. but in winter the most of
the work do myself with such help as my
family can give.
OF course my laundry is on a small scale. /
purchased a good washing machine one that
| initiates a steam washer Ia cylinder with
| outlets for the suds enclosed in a tight-ftting
tub and turned with a crank, good wringer,
water awhile, over night when / can. then
wiring through the wringer and put them in
the washer and poar boiling hot suds on them
| and wash ten minutes or maybe fifteen if the
| clothes are much soiled.
| do not use any bleach as is used in steam
laundries, to make them white, but boil them
in the good old-fashioned way. II there are
f., any stains that are stubborn, 1 use the bleach,
i ms INIT toiu s.
{ minutes and then washing out Immediately
The bleach is made by using equal parts OF
chloride of lime and sal soda. Dissolve the
soda in hot water, and the lime well stirred in
cold water. Be sure and get all the humps
out, and then add the dissolved soda. Stir
well together. and let settle before using l,
should be about the consistency of thin cream
! before settling.
As to blueing, some persons like lots OF
blueing in their clothes, others want little OF
none. In doing family washings it is best te
ask about those things when you take the
washing. The same with starch. use whea,
starch for ordinary starching, about two cup.
fuls to gallon of water. One has to use
judgment about such things, thin materials
requiring more and thick less.
White shirts or white collars / do not do, a,
i w INV SaIS W uotuCH WIN t0em, Dut lOl
those who might wish 10 do them, use three
cups of starch to a gallon of water anu have
the starch boiling hot. Dip bosoms and cuffs
| in on wrong side first, and then right side
Have board fixed like an ironing board with
one end free, slip the shirt over it as if you
were going to iron it, then, with your hand
rub the starch into it. Then wipe off all the
starch with wet cloth.
| To OF ;,,c
for nearly all colors excepting blue, one large
| tablespoonful to twelve quarts water; sugar
OF lead for all colors excepting blue. One
ounce to twelve quarts of water; saltpeter in
the same proportion as the sugar of lead viii
set blue. One tablespoonful of black peppe,
to twelve quarts of water has been success
fully used to set delicate colors such as grays
bluffs and the like. Use hot water for all O,
the preparations. Oxgall, if one can get it, il
good for all colors, one tablespoonful to 6
gallon of soft water. Care must be taken MOI
to use too much, if there is white in the mate
rial, as it will turn the white yellow.
For ironing / use an iron that is heated
| with gasoline and have puff irons to iron top,
of sleeves, etc. They may be purchased Of
any dealer in laundry supplies. purchased 9
mangle from the American Ironing Machine
| they sending it to me trial for month
| without any payment down, and then accept
| ing small payment, the rest on installments
| 1t does splendid work and saves both time and
fuel. Mine is heated by gasoline, but car
have them heated with gas or electricity as
one prefers. 1t takes two to run mine, but we
| can iron as much in two hours as would take
one all day.
/ One needs an ironing board free at one end
to slip skirts, etc., over to iron, also sleeve
boards for sleeves.
For taking out mildew in white goods, din
into the bleach and spread out in the hot sun
short time. For taking out iron rust, dip io
solution of oxalic acid. For ink stains. din
into bleach and then into oxalic acid. For
indelible ink, carbolic acid. This is all for
white goods. do not know of anything to
take the above mentioned out of colored
| goods without taking out the color also.
4