Evening star., 1942-01-04
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.


Monday is the traditional wash
day of our Nation.
Wartime eXigencies are making
every day washday at most of our
larger Army camps. even Sunday
If circumstances warrant Washday
on such a universal scale in Army
life makes for superior morale. prac-
tically universal cleanliness in SOL
dier personnel and an infinitely
higher degree of disease resistance.
Typical Of a large fixed camp
Quartermaster Corps laundry is the
one at Fort Sill, Okla, which is one
Of the older laundries. One of the
newer large cantonment. type laun-
dries is in operation at nearby Fort
George G. Meade, Md.
At Fort Sill clean garments and
linen are turned out "a hours a
day, five and one-half days a week,
for 1,00o-bed hospital and some
l4O military organizations. 1887 Of
f1cers, lot nurses and 81 900 enlisted
men.
Every week an average OF $4,000
bundles Of clothes, averaging 20
pieces to a bundle, goes through
this smoothly working plant
| One of its principal tasks is keep
ing the men in clean shirts, trousers,
socks and underwear and stocked
with fresh sheets and pillowcases.
From the hospital alone this laund-
dry receives $4,000 pieces per week,
such as sheets, pillowcases, robes,
uniforms, towels, etc. The sheets.
! pillowcases and mattress covers,
/ from the various batteries and de-
! tachmentS amount to rOundly IS 900
per week.
Water Softeners Used.
1t takes more than 5000 pounds
Of soap and 1000 pounds of laundry
| alkali week to remove the dirt.
Two automatic water softeners re-
duce by tWo-thirds the amount of
soap that otherwise would be needed
for the approximately 800 1000 gal
Ions of water used each week.
Army laundrieS have also reduced
by one-half the amount of chlorine
bleach used per hundred pounds of
clothing in order that it may be used
for more vital defense supplies. Ex-
periments on the Army's part have
shown that the necessary whiteness
and germicidal action may be ac-
complished with a l quart of l per
cent solution. rather than the 2
quarts of l per cent formerly used.
AS fast as new Army camps have
been built throughout the United
States a complete laundry service
commensurate with their size Is set
up by the Quartermaster Corps.
The Army's new portable or mo-
bile laundry and sterilization units
on semi-trailers for field use with
troops. it is believed, are the most
efficient In modern warfare. BY
means of the sterilization unit bath
ing and a complete change into
clean clothes Is made possible for
troops either after they have been
on maneuvers or in actual combat.
Units Independent.
Capable of being readily concealed
OF dispersed IN case OF air attack.
each unit is complete in itself and
can function without any other
unit.
These mobile laundry units on
| rubber-tired semi operate
on the same principle as any other
kind of big commercial truck. The
water supply is obtained from
| streams or lakes or any ordinary
water-supply connection.
Their mechanism includes wash
ing machine. an extractor to re-
move surplus water from the washed
materials and two steam heated
tumblers for drying them. These
mobile units are capable of moving
over first, second or even third class
roads.
The electric current for operat-
ing the washing equipment is pro-
vided by motor generator set, and
an oil-burning boiler provides the
steam for use in the tumblers and