The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-11-20
F 4 II WASHING
PROBLEMS
TAKEN Up
Sally Davidson Gives a Few
Hints on Cleaning OF
Summer Draperies

Washing summer curtains, draper
les. blankets. covers and rag rugs
before ptItting these summer things
away, though important. is rarely
given the care and attention It
should have. No doubt it is our
enthusiasm for q change that makes
us more or less indifferent To the
things we have grown accustomed
TO. Nevertheless. that does no. 1itef
the fact that these summer tinEgs
will not wear as long as tneE
should unless they. in turn, are
Ngiyen proper care Therefore It
would seem better to postpone the
washing and cleaning Of these
things until after the living portion
Of the house shines forth in all fts
winter splendor. Then one can give
attention to the washing. DRYING
and storing of the simmer things
that could not possibly be given
them while the other work was IN
progress.
Washing Curtains
Washing summer curtains ls quite
q task because the dust has ire
quently been ground into the ma
teriaI and also such curtains are
often badly sunburned Thus these
curtains must be handled with the
utmost care and even in an electric
washer they should not be WASHED
too long as the sunburued sections
may disintegrate BY soaking such
curtains overnight and then wash
ing them in warm, soapy water ~
the washer not longer than the
usual running time for your par
tciular WI sker and ate this boil
ing them for twenty or thirty mn
utes, followed By two or three
riYisines win cleanse the curtains
pretty thoroughly. To bleach them.
they should be laid on the grass
and permitted to dry in the sun.
( Also ii may do them some god
to be left out overnight. Do not
blue or starch these curtains be-
fore packing them away for the
winter. Instead just simply fold
them and pack them away rough
dry.
CretOnne Draperies
Most cretonnes, unless they are
high-priced, VIII fade a little in
washing. but the colors can be kept
from running by substituting .
generous amount pf s.it and vine
gar for soal N tie washing water.
Before wash lEg my cietonne dra-
peries aIv avs hang them out on
the line and eat and shake them
thoroughly Later / so over them
with my electric cleaner. using the
flexible hf sc and drapery tool a
simple say to 90 this is to spread
these cEAtunne hangings on the
laundry sioor either lacking or
weighing them down at the cor
ners. Then i. Is easy to go over
these haneinrv with the cleaner
and rid them or much of the dust
they have so;.ected during the sum
nser. Ny electric washer is then
filled with luke-warm water, to
whicf l add cupful Of salt and
about the same quantity Of vine
gar. 1t is not a good plan to load
the washer as heavily as for or
binary laundry-in fact rarely
put in more than two pairs OF the
hangings at time-and / run
the washer about five minutes
longer than for a load of ordinary
laundry. sThen ] rinse the hang
tngs twice and hang them to dry
In the laundry with the electric
fan speeding the work.
This same treatment applies to
washing cretonne or chintz furnt-
ture covers, bed spreads and other
such.
Rag rugs may also be washed
the same way except that they
will keep their shape better II,
laid flat to dry on the laundry
floor when they are OF delicate.
coloring, or otherwise on the grass
out Of doors.
Summer Blankets
The summer blankets, though
mostly mad Of cotton, neverthe-
less wash - carefully as though
, they were al wool and this repays
me for they remain practically as
soft and fluffy as when new. These
I also wash in the electric washer
In Iukewarm, soapy water. Thea
I rinse them in water Of the same
Temperature as that In which they
were washed and dry them In the
open aIr. AS a rule l try to pick
WINDY day as a good steady
breeze always dries such blankets
Better than just the heat Of the
sun. that is. ie makes them soft
and fluffy.
I 90 not iron any Of these
things until the time they are to
be again put to use, that is, all
but tie blaI.Kets, for those / do
not iron at all Although II one
prefers 10 press the curtains and
furniture covers enough to FOLD
more evenly, they can be easily
passed through the electric ironer
which need not be very warm.