LAUNDRY WORK 159
CHAPTER III.
ALKALIES
The Alkalies used in home laundry work are: washing soda, lye, borax and
ammonia. See chapter on Cleaning Materials, page 123.
Ammonia.
Ammonia is a volatile alkali and is used in washing natural coloured wool-
lens, especially if they are very dirty or if the water is hard.
Use one tablespoonful to one gallon of water. It should not be used for
coloured articles, as it draws the colour.
Borax.
Borax is a white alkaline powder found on the shores of various lakes in
California, Peru and other places.
Properties: It dissolves in boiling water ‘but not in cold.
Use in Laundry Work:
(1.) It stiffens slightly. .
(2.) It gives a gloss to linen, and for that reason is added to starch. Use
one tablespoonful borax to eight tablespoonfuls starch.
(3.) It removes (with, water) wet tea and coffee stains.
(4.) It softens water and is not injurious to colored giods.
Use one tablespoonful of borax to one gallon of watet
Washing Soda.
Washing Soda is prepared from common salt and also from certain sea
-plants. It is found on the shores of some lakes in America.
Properties:
(1.) It dissolves in water.
(2.) It softens water.
(3.) It saponifies grease; that is, unites with grease, and thus aids water
in cleansing very dirty clothes,
(4.) It causes colours to run, and weakens delicate cotton or linen fibres.
(4.) It shrinks woollen materials, causing them to become hard and felted.
(6.) It hurts the skin, making it red and sore.
Care: Soda should be kept covered, as it becomes stronger if exposed to
the air, by losing water. ch
Always dissolve soda in hot water before using it for laundry purposes,
otherwise it may injure the clothing.
Caustic soda and lye are far stronger in their action than washing soda, and
should not be generally used for laundry work except in making soap, or softening
the very hard water of the Prairies.
Soda Solution.
One pound washing soda; one quart boiling water✪ Soda Solution.
Boil soda.in water until dissolved, cool, bottle and label. Use one table-
spoonful to each gallon of water for washing coarse dirty clothes, also for
boiling them.
160 GIRLS’ HOME MANUAL
Blue.
Laundry Blue is prepared from various chemical compounds, and liquid blue
from dyes. That sold in solid form is the best for home purposes.
Ultramarine is a fairly satisfactory blue. A cake of blue should be tied in
flannel before being used. . It is then squeezed in the blue water until the right
shade is obtained.
Blueing improves the color of white clothes; the water should be a pale
blue when held in the hand for white clothes, darker for darker clothing.
Caution:
(1.) Stir blue water each time before using.
(2.) Never leave clothes lying in blue water.
(3.) Carefully rinse clothes before blueing them, otherwise iron rust marks
may appear.
(4.) Tightly squeeze blue bag before putting it away, to prevent waste.
Mordants.
A mordant is anything which fixes a color.
Mordants used in laundry work are salt, vinegar, alum, and ivy leaf solution.
Vinegar.
Vinegar is prepared from cider; it is an acid.
Use in Laundry Work:
(1.) To act as a mordant, that is to make fast a color inclined to run; it is
especially good for pinks. Use one tablespoonful to each gallon of water.
Steep the clothes in a weak solution over night before laundering, rinse in
the same after washing to revive color.
(2.) White clothes which are too blue are restored to their original color if
steeped in a weak solution of vinegar. :
Salt.
Salt is prepared from sea water. It acts as a mordant.
Use: A handful to each gallon of water. Soak colored cottons in this
before washing. After washing they may also be rinsed in a salt solution. Salt
is used with lemon juice to remove fruit stains.
Alum 4
Alum is a mineral salt. Dissolve one tablespoonful and add to each gallon
of water for setting colours.
Page 95 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
ALKALIES
The Alkalies used in home laundry work are: washing soda, lye, borax and ammonia. See apter on Cleaning Materials, page 123.
Ammonia.
Ammonia is a volatile alkali and is used in washing natural coloured woollens, especially if they are very dirty or if the water is hard.
Use one tablespoonful to one gallon of water. It should not be used for coloured articles, as it draws the colour.
Borax.
Borax is a white alkaline powder found on the shores of various lakes in California, Peru and other places. Properties: It dissolves in boiling water ‘but not in cold.
Use in Laundry Work:
(1.) It stiffens slightly. .
(2.) It gives a gloss to linen, and for that reason is added to starch. Use one tablespoonful borax to eight tablespoonfuls starch.
(3.) It removes (with, water) wet tea and coffee stains.
(4.) It softens water and is not injurious to colored goods.
Use one tablespoonful of borax to one gallon of water
Washing Soda.
Washing Soda is prepared from common salt and also from certain sea -plants. It is found on the shores of some lakes in America.
Properties:
(1.) It dissolves in water. (2.) It softens water. (3.) It saponifies grease; that is, unites with grease, and thus aids water
in cleansing very dirty clothes,
(4.) It causes colours to run, and weakens delicate cotton or linen fibres.
(4.) It shrinks woollen materials, causing them to become hard and felted.
(6.) It hurts the skin, making it red and sore.
Care: Soda should be kept covered, as it becomes stronger if exposed to the air, by losing water. ch
Always dissolve soda in hot water before using it for laundry purposes, otherwise it may injure the clothing.
Caustic soda and lye are far stronger in their action than washing soda, and should not be generally used for laundry work except in making soap, or softening the very hard water of the Prairies.
Soda Solution.
One pound washing soda; one quart boiling water.
Boil soda.in water until dissolved, cool, bottle and label. Use one tablespoonful to each gallon of water for washing coarse dirty clothes, also for boiling them.
Blue.
Laundry Blue is prepared from various chemical compounds, and liquid blue from dyes. That sold in solid form is the best for home purposes.
Ultramarine is a fairly satisfactory blue. A cake of blue should be tied in flannel before being used. . It is then squeezed in the blue water until the right shade is obtained.
Blueing improves the color of white clothes; the water should be a pale blue when held in the hand for white clothes, darker for darker clothing.
Caution:
(1.) Stir blue water each time before using.
(2.) Never leave clothes lying in blue water.
(3.) Carefully rinse clothes before blueing them, otherwise iron rust marks may appear.
(4.) Tightly squeeze blue bag before putting it away, to prevent waste.
Mordants.
A mordant is anything which fixes a color. Mordants used in laundry work are salt, vinegar, alum, and ivy leaf solution.
Vinegar.
Vinegar is prepared from cider; it is an acid.
Use in Laundry Work:
(1.) To act as a mordant, that is to make fast a color inclined to run; it is especially good for pinks. Use one tablespoonful to each gallon of water.
Steep the clothes in a weak solution over night before laundering, rinse in the same after washing to revive color.
(2.) White clothes which are too blue are restored to their original color if steeped in a weak solution of vinegar. :
Salt. Salt is prepared from sea water. It acts as a mordant. Use: A handful to each gallon of water. Soak colored cottons in this before washing. After washing they may also be rinsed in a salt solution. Salt is used with lemon juice to remove fruit stains.
Alum 4
Alum is a mineral salt. Dissolve one tablespoonful and add to each gallon of water for setting colours.
Records on this page
Soda Solution