A manual of home-making

3> If a mixture of wheat starch and cornstarch is used, the wheat starch ibould be added first and cooked 15 minutes. The cornstarch should thea be added and the mixture cooked 15 minutes longer, Btir the mixture fre- quently, to preyect sticking and formation of a film. Thorough cooking of starch is very desirable in laundry prac- tice, for it increases the penetrability of the starch and deciBases its tendency to stick to the iron. If borax, lard, butter, kerosene, or other like substance is used, it should be cooked with the starch, to insure thorough mixing. A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING Rice starch gives a natural, pttre white color to fabrics^ cornstarch gives a yellow color^ and wheat starch a color ) tween the two. Since wheat starch and cornstarch are tte practical possibihties in the American household, further cb£j parisoD will be between these two* When good color, amodtt oess of surface, phability, and fine finish are deslredp wheat starch gives the better results; moreover, it is said to hoM^ better in damp climates. Cornstarch gives the greater stiffneaa^ or body, to a fabric* y^- According to the finish desired, advantage is taken of lie different characteristics of wheat starch and cornstarch. When flexibihty and finish are the main objects^ wheat starch is lised alone; if stiffness ia the chief consideration and finish may be overlooked, cornstarch is used alone; when it is d^irable |o combine stiffness with flexibility and good finish, a mixture of cornstarch and wheat starch is used. There is no reason wSy the use of wheat starch should not extend to the home laundry. Various substances ar& used with starch to increase its pene* trability and prevent it from sticking to the iron, as well as to give pliability to the cloth, increa^ its body, and improve'^ito color. Of these substances may be mentioned borax, alumj^ paraffin, wax, turpentine, kerosene, gum arable, glue, and dei- trin. Borax increases the penetrability of st^ch and aids in pre- venting it from sticking to the iron. Moreover, starch contain- ing borax adds gloss to a garment, increases its whiteness, and i gives it greater body, together with more lasting stiffness, ^^ it would otherwise have. h Alum is used alone, or with borax, in starch to improve %, S to increase penetrability and pliability, and to thin the st-.^ I mixture. When alum is cooked with a starch paste it causes the paste to become thinner. ^* Cooking thin " with alum does not affect the strength of the starch mixtm-e and is an advantage when a stiff starch is desirable and the thick mixture would ^'^ inconvenient to handle. By the use of alvKa, %\.%jd&.TS»»:i nmde thin without dilution . Alum has been o\>\eJcA^ Ui\s^ persons as being somewlmt injurious to iabnca. ntage THE LAUNDRY ^<^i(ip sdutum for tmshing mtteh^soiled woolens tmd ddicaU colors: I , |x>und very mild or neutral aoap i^' iKjund borax 3 qyafts water- StHip jcilu mih iurpeniine incorp&mted: { bar sioap [ quart water 1 teaspoon tutpeatLQe or kerosene.