, 1921-04-07

~ GOD equipment In the laundry room
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is as important as right methods
W. In laundry work. Both decrease the
~ labor, shorten the time, and assist
"X@ In producing better results. Equip
kSZNSJ ment need not be expensive, but 1t
tST W. should be chosen and placed from
FL the point of view of service and
\XKJ for the comfort of the worker.
The working surface of nearly
al laundry equipment is usually set too low, and
u woman operating 1t is so out of balance that
she Is soon fatigued. Little of the washing process
Is done In the bottom of the tub, and the work
ing height is about halfway up the side. For the
average worker the top rim of the tub should be
80 inches from the floor; In all cases the tubs
should be placed so that the worker does not
stoop from the shoulders but bends at the hips.
A portable washtub may be easily raised or low
cred to the right height. If the top of the wash
board is too high, 1t may be lowered by cutting
on part of the legs. The ironing table or board
should be low enough so that force from the
shoulder can be easily applied 81 inches is a
good average height. Where no special room is
provided for the laundry and there are no set
tubs. a portable bench of the correct height and
size is convenient.
A wooden tub is difficult to keep In good condi-
ton. II kept dry 1t is likely to shrink and fall
apart; If kept moist enough to prevent shrinking.
1t is likely to become watersoaked and Shiny, and
may have a disagreeable odor. A portable, gal
vanized-iron tub is fairly light, durable and easy to
NTf oot A'hJ &OAAOAts N hDtI u Is Sui
lighter. Is easily kept clean, and is durable If left
dry, but Is more expensive than an iron tub. ANY
portable tub may have a hole bored in 1t and a
Plug inserted so that wnter may be drained from
1t without lifting the tub. Hot and cold water
can be piped to a portable tub as we'll as to a
more expensive stationary one.
For set tubs. wood. which is now little used, has
the same qualities as for portable ones. Soap
stone and similar materials are cheaper than
porcelain, but because Of their dark color It is
more difficult to be sure that they are clean.
Porcelain or enameled-iron tubs are heavily glazed
and do not rust or absorb grease. Both white
and yellow porcelain tubs are on the market; the
latteE are cheaper but the color may make 1t hard
to ten when the clothes are white. A home laun-
dry liz most often equipped with two tubs, but
when there is no washing machine a third tub
saves much handling of the clothes.
Washboards reduce the work Of cleaning a gar
ment but are somewhat hard on the clothes. A
glass board, although more easily broken, Is pref
cradle to a metal one, because the corrugations
are rounded and the friction on the clothes is
less. When the surface of a washboard is broken
1t should not be used. Washboards should always
be put away dry, SO that they do not warp.
Wringers save labor, make the clothes much
dryer and are less destructive to fabrics than hand
wringing. To prevent buttons from being torn OF
by a wriDger. fold them into the garment and
hold 1t fat. A reversible wringer Is much more
useful than a one-way wringer II two or more
tubs are used. To keep a wringer in good condi-
ton II should be oiled with good machine oil and
the pressure screws should be loosened when It IL
not in use. When the pressure Is put on again,
both screws should be turned at once: then the
pressure Ia more likely to be even. The rollers
Of q wringer may be cleaned with a cloth moist
ened with two or three drops of kerosene; but.
since kerosene dissolves rubber, the rollers should
be washed with soap and water as soon as the
discoloration disappears.
A tin boiler costs less than any other. but is
not particularly durable. II must be well dried
after using. A tin boiler with a copper bottom
is more durable. conveys heat better, and is worth
the additional cost. A boiler made entirely Of
copper is expensive. but is the most durable OF all.
Some elaborate laundry equipments have station
dry boilers, which save much lifting.
Some helpful washing devices are on the mar
ket. One is a perforated funnel, made to place In
a wash boiler. which works on the same principle
as u coffee percolator, spraying the clothes and In
creasing the circulation OF the water. The funnel
on-a-stick washer creates n partial vacuum and
makes II possible TO wash more clothes Mt n time
and also TO wash very soiled clothing without Inn
mersing the hands or scrubbing.
washing machines. whether operated by hand
or by motor, are efficient because they do more
work I'm a given time and do much OF II without
direct and constant supervision. While Wooden
tub machines are cheaper than those with metal
tubs. they are likely to dry and then leak. II kept
IN n heated room It Is better TO store them In a
cellar, a barn, or n shed, or ON a porch. Leaving
n wet sponge in the machine helps to provide
moisture. Metal tubs must be protected against
rust, and the working parts of all machines must
he kept properly oiled.
While there are two hundred or more washing
machines on the market, they mny all be grouped
under five heads:
"a Machines Of the dolly" type have n device
like a shortlegged stool that revolves in n tub.
usually Of wood. and cleans the clothes by draw
ing them through the soapy water, first one way
and then the other. In some cases there are cor
rugated boards around the side OF the tub. There
Is special danger of tearing the clothes IL too many