The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-20
Bg Rene BGche.

VUTHO tore the hole IN your shirt
w waist, %s, >. .,,,- COLLAR %, ..r.
tooth edge?
What made your handkerchief fall to
pieces as if it was made of paper?
At last science has turned its attention
to the laundry There is no excuse for
the wholesale destruction of good cotton
and linen in the public laundries. Science
has undertaken to find out what is the
trouble and to standardize the process Of
setting the dirt cut Of fabrics sent to the
wash.
The United States Bureau of Standards,
working in connection with the Mellon In
stitute for Industrial Research, at Pitts
burgh, at the request of the National
Laundry Owners Association is conduct
ing scientific research work which prom
ises to be of great value.
The problem is one Of great Importance.
Il. A generation ago most families were still
doing all of their own washing. But now
aGays, largely owing to the increasing diff
ficulty of getting competent and willing
"help." this industry las has been the
case with so many others), is passing out
OF the home and into the hands Of CONNER
cial concerns, even the table and bed-linen
being commonly thus disposed Of.
q Industrial plants, in a word, are doing
= the peoples washing. II they do not know
how to do It properly, 1t is high time they
learned
- Most of us have noticed that once in a.
while clothing returned from the laundry
has a peculiar odor, slight but distinguish
able It is an unclean odor and means
dirt. This is particularly liable to happen
in the Summer time.
The cause is only too obvious. Your
soiled clothes at the laundry are mixed
; with other peoples soiled clothes, OF
course, and. owing probably to imperfect
rinsing, some Of the dirt representing
perspiration and other unpleasantnesses)
has not been removed. The idea of wear
iIg garments soiled with other peoples
dirt is disagreeable, to say the least.
= Typhoid Carriers" and other persons
afflicted with diseases send to the laundry
/. their clothes, which are mixed in with the
garments Of healthy folks. 1t is a serious
question how far this may tend to the
communication of dangerous germs. To
: handle each customers raiment separately
is obviously impossible; hence the neces-
sity Of properly standardized methods IN
= surfing complete disinfection.
Special emphasis is due to be laid upon
this point ,or the reason that the clothing
that goes to the laundry consists largely
Of items Of most intimate attire.
Scientific laundering has 10 do with both
physics and chemistry. Take the funda-
mental matter OF dirt II Is of various
kinds, which have certain physical pecu-
liarities. Precipitation, when clothing is
saturated with It, Is dirt; dust is dirt; egg
stains and bloodstains are dirt. Any for
nHrTv rrFar
: point, is dirt. The problem of dealing eff
fectively with dirt Of all sorts is one in
which chemistry Is intimately concerned.
From myriads Of tiny glands an oily
fluid is continually poured out over the
surface Of the skin, forming a coating to
which dirt particles readily adhere. Hence
the desirableness Of q daily bath. More or
less of this fatty substance IS taken up,
together with the persplration, by gar
ments worn next to the skin, and PARTICLES
81 dirt stick to It. At the laundry It is re-
moved by soapsuds, incidentally loosening
the dirt particles. which are set aioat in
the suds.
There you have one of the first princi-
pies involved in the washing of clothes.
1t is simple enough, but a definite under
standing OF this and other physical land
chemical) facts Is necessary to the practi-
cal working out Of the laundering problem.
The water used is very important
Doubtless you have noticed, after taking
"a bath, a sedimentary deposit around the
sides Of the tub, and have wondered II
, that quantity Of dirt could really have
come from your person. AS q matter Of
fact II did not Mainly, Il was not dirt at
ALL but a precipitate formed by q COM
bination OF some Of the soap with mineral
salts contained in the water.