Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-10-22

Wksa Yea Do Up Ysur Curtains.
Emma Gary WallAes)

beauty.
Surrounded By about q. hundred pairs
Of curtains she had Just finished launder-
ing, she was able 70 point out how some
Of them were much better color than
Others, because they had not been gray.
ed By previous improper methods OF
was6jsg. It ID her opinion, also, thst
properly washed and dried curtains will
wear much longer than those done By
lees Intelligent methods, and, OF course,
economy In curtains, - we'll - foods
and other Furnishings, 10 necessary IN the
present crisis Of affairs.
The rules laid down BY this expert
curtain laundress are those learned In the
school of experience, and among the
patrons who trust her with their
drsperies are those who have paid
fabulous prices for rare lace which could
probably not be duplicated ut oil.
First OF all, our expert lsundress
gently shakes the loose dust from
the net, scrim, or lace hsngings. II the
fabric 10 at all tender, she does not take
hold Of single edge, but folds tho cur
tain four times, turning It when one side
10 shaken.
The next step is to fold the curtains
again into smaller but smooth surface
and to lay them into tub OF perfectly
clear, cold water. She emphasizes the
Importance of having the water cold
rsther than hot or lukewarm. The warm
water sets tho brown tint Of sunburn
and the dust-grey caused by atmospheric
action upon the fabric and its content OF
starch.
If the curtains are very dusty, she
changes this cold water two or three
times, not rubbing the curtains, but
merely beating them lightly under the
water with her hands. She 10 careful
not even to turn them unless the fabric
is stout, because vet curtains are heavy
and the weight 10 liable to tear them
where they are not strong.
After this cold rinsing process has
been continued until the water 10 clear,
she makes nice warm suds, using q
| pure white soap. This time she pats
them one by one, In her hands, turning
them gently but never rubbing them.
The flrst sudsing water will show much
soil, and the curtains are gently squeez'
ed but never wrung. A second clear
suds 10 ready and the curtains are put
through this, only one at . time beine
taken, II the drsperies are fine snd
choice.
A perfectly clean, bright boiler, with
out particle Of rust upon 1t, 10 prepared
with water Of the same temperature ii
the sudsing water, and Tablespoonful
OF borax Ii added to each gallon. The
curtains have now been squeezed from
the second sudsing water, laid upon Z
clean table, and sosped gently, paying
particular attention to any darkened
places. They ars folded, sosped, laid
ipt0 the boiler, and covered with water
little bursx is sdded, the boiler cover
put in place, and the curtains are per-
mitted TO come to the boiling point.
This is an important step In the bleach
ing process.
Great care must be taken DOW, as the
cotton or linen fibre will have been
greatly Roftened by the action OF the
,oap and the hot water, and any attempt
at haste will be disastrous. Two ways
are possible to remove the curtains from
he boiler without .injury,-one 10 TO
have laid them In a. cheese-cloth ham,
mock in the boiler and lift the ends ont
row, letting the water drain through,
he other way is to permit them to re-
main in the boiling water until II
cools sufficiently to handle them gently.
Never fish them out With . stick OF
d,pter.
Rinse, one BY one, through two clear
warm waters, making the second cooler
than the frst. Have ready q pail OF
boiled starch, tinted with either biuine
or strained coffee, according to the
shade desired. II isa mistake to do
cur taips up with too little starch, as
tn. do not sled the dust and soon grow
very linn and suiled. They should be
starch, d j,st to the degree o; Lew cur.
tains that have cons'dersbls body.
d vide the pail of starch into as many
buwls as you have curtains, for if one
after another is dipped into the pail, the
fast will be very ri ff and the last very
limp. d. not attempt to finish oil the
curtains at ono. Take them one by
me, rinse. starch and put.oD frames.
Now, the preparation OF the frames Ia
txceedingly important. Before the cur
tains are vet at all, they sbould be
measured and the curtain france set to
that size, or If the curtains are tender, to
an inch or m inch and Q half smaller
each way. This prevents the need OF
stretching, and to stretch wet, delicate
net or lace 10 to. leave yawning holes
somewhere on the surface.
II the curtains are scrim, muslin or
substantial material, they may be put
upon the frames, one By one. without
any further ceremony, but II they are
of delicate texture, the frames should
tirst have . "bscker' or foundation Of
'cheesecloth or cotton the exact size Of
the curtain frame, and fastened over the
pins. This baoker supports the heavy
vet lace and prevents 1t tearing. In
fact, Il serves the same purpose a. did
the floor, when our grandmothers
fastened . sheet upon the spsre-room
carpet aud pinned down their lace cur.
tains upon 1t ut spring house-oleaning
time.
OF course, the pins are properly spao.
ed, and In buying frames the housewife
should be particular to purchase those
having aluminium or non-r1stsble pins.
She will now set her frames In the sun,
properly supported from beneath, or II
OF the easel type, from the back. Our
expert iaundress prefers those which
rest horizontally during the drying proc
ess, and she has don8 curtains success-
fully BY this method that represented
hundreds Of dollars per set. ~ 4's
She is very particular, however, never
to do sheer lace cuftsfps on hot OF
windy day. preferring TO sslsct her
weather. 90 that they will not dsy faster
than she can put them upon the frames.
She keeps ut hand q bowl Of thin starch
with which TO rdsmpen them, should
they become dry, but prefers not to havs
to resort to this means.
When tho dfaperies ire nicely dried,
she removes them, ono By one, II pos.
sible, having someone assist her at the
opposite sidb Of the trtme. She has all
ready clean, padded iro6iog board,
bowl Of warm water, and clean cloth,
and she takes each curtain and dampeps
the edge where the pin.msrks show,
gently presslnR tho points or scallops or
lace, Dc the case may BE-, until the edge
looks exactly % Il did when the article
vas new. She now folds her, curtains,
but docs not press any folds into them,
being careful to have . method In fold.
Ing 90 that oil have cresses In exactly
the same places. Sometimes . she
spreads them all out and folds themb TO-
together, to be sure OF this. They are
now put In boxes and delivered to their
owners. 4assls3t ss * 49,, s1s
To look about the finishing room OF
our, expert laundress 10 to- understand
Why abe 10 proud Of her work and why