New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-21
Also Choose Crepe and Cot
ton Poplin Instead of the
Popular Linens.

The laundry problem We have always
with us. but especially'in the summer does
the cry 20 out through the land, What
shall l do to keep clean?" At as little eX-
pense of money, time and energy as pos
sble understood OF course.
This problem was set before Miss j.. Ray
Balderston, head of the laundry Depart
ment at the Teachers College School OF
Domestic Arts and Sciences. Miss Balder-
ston. who is known all over the country
as an authority on questions OF domesuc
and institutional laundering, has had q
wide experience IN teaching various
branches Of domestic science at private
schools and in the settlements Her theories
have in all cases been worked out IN prac-
ice and sometimes have been eNolFeo
from practical experience.
When the question OF easily Numbered
summer clothes was put to her, Miss Bal
derston said:
Crepe, white cotton crepe of good quail
ity. 1t washes easily, does not have TO De
ironed and wears very we'll indeed. But a
GOOD quality. say. for instance, costing
about % cents a yard, is most advisable
In the better grades the crinkles do not
come out; they may seem to when the
material is ironed, but when it is wet again
they all come back. Very satisfactory IN
dergarments. especially Chemises, can be
made of crepe, and it makes attractive
Shirtwaists.
Another advantage that this material
has. besides the obvious one of saving the
time and energy that some one would have
10 expend over the ironing board, is It's
tremendous value TO tourists, especially 10
those who go off on short Jaunts and 90
not care TO be troubled with much luggage
The crepe chenises and shirtwaists can be
rubbed out at night and are clean anu
fresh for the next mornings journey.
Cotton poplin is another practical ma
,erfal for summer wear. OF course, linen
- perhsps the most attractive Of all the
summer textiles. but il wrinkles so easily
that II can scarcely be called practical
Cotton poplin has not this disadvantage,
and # is made now I'm some qualities that
are really attractive,
"Tor children's clothes-not dress-up
ones but the little rompers and Russian
,louso suits for morning and playtime-the
good old-fashioned seersucker is ideal 1t
comes. of course, in plain white and striped,
With good fast Colors, and, like the crepe
sted bv laundresses In families of small
children: it does not require ironing.
Miss Balderston thinks that from almost
every point Of view white is the best Tor
summer clothes. In the first place, there
is almost no ono who will deny that
fresh white dress is attractive and appro-
ur:ate, and IN the second place "hi'e can
he washed with so much less care than
colored material
There Is no trouble with the setting OF
tie colors," said Miss Balderston, and
while white may show the dirt more easily
than even the light coored garments the
danger is that the colored garments VIII
h, permitted TO become oversoiled ana must
therefore be oyerwashed to make them
clean again. This, naturally Is destructive
OF the material When l speak or Whlte
material 7 mean white material OF gOou
quality. The cheaper fabrics are put to-
r.ther In such haste and so loosely that
no matter what their color they VIII not
stand repeated washings we'll
Having secured the best materials the
next thing is TO get them properly laun-
dered. and here there would be less cause
for complaint, according to Miss Balder-
sion, if women who patronize commercial
laundries were not so absolutely indifferent
10 their character.
".NIauv. housekeepers," she said, "bemoan
the way. ID which their washing IS done,
and speak of alkalis and beaches, Of which
they probably know nothing at all, and
then send their laundry TO the man around
the corner who has an agency, or 10
basement place, where they see women
ironing i'm the window. They don't stop 10
think that the real washing is not done on
the premises. and that If the basement
laundry anL the man who really does the