Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-03

"OO much time and strength are
wasted in the process OF
washing and ironing in the
home laundry. The washing
machine and ironing machine
alone could save you more than 104
hours a year, but not every house
wife is in possession of either of
these labor savers. However. if you
wash in the tubs and iron by hand.
you can make the work lighter by
studying your methods a little and
seeing where you can save time and
strength.
To begin with. when washing don't
place your clothes baskets at the
other side of the room. Keep them
near the tubs and have your indoor
clothes driers and racks near enough
TO you to save long walks. If you
have neither electricity nor gas, an
oil water heater will be very useful
for heating water for all purposes;
and keep it near you. 1t is good
idea to keep everything you use
within reaching distance during every
process of your laundry work, then
you won't be obliged to take. useless
steps and waste valuable time.
Lessons From n Lauundress.
Every French woman pays particu-
lar attention to the white cuffs and
collars which give a smart finish to
her frocks. and is always careful to
see that they are spotlessly clean.
She generally washes them herself.
using plenty of water and soap, and
rinses them several times, putting a
little bluing in the last water. To
stiffen them slightly, she dips them
In rice water and borax. She washes
her handkerchiefs next, having first
left them to soak overnight in cold
water.
All these small articles are then
rolled in cloth. left for a while, then
ironed damp. She shakes water over
the clothes from a brush kept especially
for that purpose.
Woolens, too. she sometimes washes
at home. For these she uses lukewarm
water, rain water if she can get it, and
good lather of soap. Then she dips
in her woolens, lifting them in and out
instead of rubbing them. She uses sew
eral waters for rinSing, and gently
Saueezes the water out of them. The
garments are then placed on a towel
in the sun near a fire to dry.
a French woman never mixes the
washing. She attends to the wooden
articles separa tely. and white garments
are kept apart from colored things. She
always bois white clothes. a little
chloride of lime. used 50 much in France
under fancy name. is invaluable for
removing stains. II used very care
fully. it is harmless. Wash silks are
much improved by the addition of a
little melted paraffin to the washing
water
CoIored Materials.
Before making up colored wash mate
rails they should be shrunk and the
colors set. Cream and lavender will
retain their colors uninjured by laun-
dry work if they are washed for Is
minutes in about two gallons of cold
water to which a cupful of strong vine
gar has been added Sailed water, or
water to which turpentine has been
added, will set pinks and blues. Col
ored silk stockings may be successfully
washed by following the same rules.
Never soak or soap colored goods over
night.
Don't boil them, don't wash in hot
water, don't use washing fluids. wash
ing powders or anything else contain
ing the slightest particle of sal soda.
Don't put them all into the tub at
once.
Don't let them lie any longer than
necessary in the suds, rinsing water, or
clothes basket.
Don't hang them up to dry SO that
the right side will be exposed to the
hot sun.
Don't hang them in the sun at all if
shade is available.
Don't iron them with a very hot iron.
To Wash Bedspreads.
II bedSpreads changed quite
frequently they will not require
soaking, but il they are very much
soiled they must be soaked first by
putting them in tub and pouring
over them a boilerful of hot water
in which two tablespoonfuls of borax
has been dissolved. Prepare suds
by dissolving one bar of hard white
or yellow soap in a boilerful of hot
water and wash them the same as
other white goods. Do not use any
form Of soda, I've or any washing