The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-25

n regeneration of valuable old
lace is important. Many girls prefer
to a professional cleaner. All that
is necessary is knowledge and patience.
Never clean old laces with gasoline,
as 1t takes out the natural oils and
makes the fibres stiff and liable to
break. Pure soapsuds with, perhaps,
a bit of borax, is the best medium for
cleaning any mesh that will stand
washing.
Silk laces and those with gold and
silver threads may he cleaned with
spirits of wine. and white or cream
silk lace can be washed in milk with
good effect. Soak silk laces several
hours in hot milk before washing.
Real lace, however delicate, can be
freshened with sud made from pure
white soap. Soak first in cold water
for several hours. then put in a jar
with a little soap jelly and cold water.
put on the stove in a kettle of water
and bring to a boil. then put on back
Of stove for several hours. Shake the
lace in the jar and when the water
looks soiled, pour it off and add fresh
hot water. Do this several times until
the lac is white. Squeeze out the
water gently and pin lace to a cushion
to dry.
An easy method is to cover a smooth
board with white canton flannel. Sew
the lace around this board. taking care
that the mesh Is straight and the edges
pulled out. Cover with thin muslin
bag, fitting loosely. and long enough
to entirely hide the board. Add
hangers for hanging the board to a
clothes line. Brass curtain hooks can
be used If they do not touch the lace.
Make a thick suds of lukewarm wa
ter and let the board rest in it for
half an hour. rubbing in the suds we'll
with the hand. 1t may be necessary
to use several suds, or if the lace is
much soiled the board can be put in
a dish pan of suds brought to the
boiling point.
Rinse In several waters. Never use
blufng for real lace or, indeed, any
kind of lace. A creamy tint can be
given with weak tea-which gives a
more natural tone than coffee. A final
rinsing in skim milk restores the new
tone to most laces.
Hang the board in the sun to dry,
n after the board is removed and
the hastings out the lace will look
like new.
Ironing lace is a mistake, as it flat
tens the design. Small pieces can be
dried around a glass bottle and larger
pieces can he pinned to a sheet tackled
firmly around a table Each point
should be pinned in place. Use tiny
pins. and no harm is done to the mesh.
When ironing must be done, use
folds Of tissue paper above and under
the lace. or it will be shiny. This is
especially important with black laces.
These, If only slightly rusty, can be
freshened by wiping in alcohol; if very
much soiled it may be washed in milk
and water, more milk being used ac-
cording to the stiffness you wish to
impart to the lace.
Yokes n cuffs may be cleaned
without removing if the lace is nut
on several thicknesses of Turkish tow
e.. scrubbed carefully with small nail
brush or tooth brush dipped in SOAP
and water. Squeeze out we'll, hold
yoke downward to rinse, and also hang
upside down to dry. In this wa
there is no running into the blouse
material.
To keep a lace blouse or frock clean.
cover 1T thickly with French chalk
each time it is hung away. This
shakes out easily and the soil goes
with it.