Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-09-17
LAUNDERING TABLE LINEN.
Useful Suggestions That Will Be Appreciated
in Every Household.

laundry work, as well as to prevent
stains from becoming permanent,
they must be completely removed
from the linens before these are
placed in the tub.
Fruit stains disappear if rubbed
with butter and scalded by pouring
water from the boiling kettle through
the spot, the linen treated being held
over bowl Wine stains are taken
out by dipping them in pan of boil
ing water, in which spoonful of am
monia has been dissolved. Chocolate
and cocoa stains are removed by
thickly soaping them and then rims
ing them in warm water.
Iron rust is more obstinate and re-
qureS stronger treatment, treat
ment, however, that only the most
careful and reliable laundress should
be allowed to adopt. Indeed, this
share of the work is best done by the
owner of the linen. or under her per-
sonal supervision. For she, more
than any one else, will See that all
needful precautions are taken. She
will look to it that the pan of boiling
water is on the range ready for i'm
mediate use; that only the spot it
self is moistened with cold water, and
that not q grain of the salts of lemon
that she spreads over it in q thin
layer and watches as it slowly dis
solves, shall by any chance fall else
where on the cloth. She will see
fhnf NJ ,.ircA1 - Oh, hn.1
ing water and Immediately exposed
to the hot sun or pressed with a hot
iron. She will be careful to do all
this. because she knows that she is
applying strong acid. and that 4
hole is worse than stain. She will
remember, too, that the term salts
of lemon is misleading, for the
bleach is in reality nothing else than
powdered Oxalic acid. and. being
deadly poison, must be used with
care and then be safely stored away
Javelle water will remove all other
stains. Linen treated with it also
requires immediate and thorough
rinsing in boiling water. for its
strong ingredients are chloride of
lime and washing soda. 1t can be
bought in drug stores, but it can be
made at home for less than half the
cost. Directions for its preparation
are on the boxes of chloride of lime
one buys at the grocer's for disinfect-
ing purposes. Strained off into bot
ties and corked, it will keep indef-
initely, but as safe precautiOn, the
bottles should be labeled and marked
poison in prominent letters of red
ink.
Only the best of laundry soap may
be used on table linens. All others
will turn them yellow and possibly
rot the texture because of the free
alkali they contain. The blue used
to tint the linen after the last rims
ing must also be of the best. Stains
like iron rust are caused by the
chemical ingredients of inferior blue
mixing with starch and producing
iOdide.
Frequent rinsing in pure cold
water after washing and an Occas-
iOnal bleaching upon the grass in the
hot summer sun will render table
linen white and sweet.
Linens embroidered in colors re-
quire especial care. They are, one
at time, put into warm suds and
shaken up and down until perfectly
clean. The wash-bOard need not be
used. rs these pieces are never Suffici-
emily Soiled to require such heroic
treatment. Rubbing them with
soap. boiling or scalding them, will
work irrevocable ruin. After fire.
quent rinsing in many waters they
are hung to dry indoors, and ironed
while still damp. 1t hung to dry in
the open air, the strong light, acting
upon the delicate colOrs. wet from
washing, will fade them as surely as
would sunlight. For the same rea-
son, frockS and shirt waists of dainty
cOlOrS are accorded the same treat
ment.
Starch is seldom needed, and when
used, must be of the very thinneSt
and arabic is considered better than
starch; but as n usual thing ironing
linens while damp with heavy and
thoroughly heated iron until they are
perfectly dry will sufficiently stiffen
them.
Embroidered linens must never be
rolled up damp. to lie until irons and
ironer are ready for them. If they
must wait, each piece should be
separately spread fiat between thick
white towels, to remain there until
placed on the ironing table. If by
such time they are too dry, they may
| be dampened by careful spraying or
by gently patting them with Il wet
rag.
To prepare the ironing table for
embroidered linens, piece of white
eider-down flannel is stretched over
the ordinary ironing blanket, and
over this sheet of white muslin is
drawn taut and pinned fast at the
corners. The piece of linen should
be laid face down and ironed on the
under side. Heavy pressure on the
embroidery will thus throw the stit-
ches to their fullest heightand restore
their original appearance.
Round and ovel pieces are ironed
from thecenter outward; hemstitched
ones along the edges held parallel
with the sides of the table, and
then. like other four-cOrnered pieces,
straight away from the ironer.
Fringed pieces give little trouble,
but are made rich and full after the
process. These pieces are grasped
at the center and SO held that the
fringe may be smartly beaten against
the padded table until each separate
thread lies down smooth and fiat
They are then very gently combed
and brushed with Il coarse comb and
a small scubbing brush. reserved
solely for this purpose. The rest o.
the cloth is then carefully pressed
the iron being carried only to tht
edge of the cloth. leaving the fringe
untouched.
In ironing lace-edged pieces, The