FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 148

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
1. If the garment is silk, wool or cotton^ follow the general directions for the laundering of gj^rmenta made of theee fabrics. A woven garment should be squeezed with the hands and lifted up and down in the water rather than rubbed on a board. 2» Measure the length and width of the different parts of the garment before wettinR it. For example^ in thf* casc^ of a swohter, measure the length of the front, the width of the front, the length of the back, and the width of the back in several places, the length of the sleeve along the seam^ and the length of the shoulder. 3. Spread one or more clean sheets, folded several times, on a fiat surface such as a table, and place it whore there is a gmicl draft. Outdoors in the sunshine is a gooct plare, if the garment to be dried is not too delicate in color. After the garment has !>ei*n rinsed, plac^ it with the back next to the folded sht?et. Bring the fronta together, and place the sleeves in a nearly outstretched position. 4. After the garment has been placed a-s suggested, test the measure- ments with those taken hcforc it w^aa wet. Htreieh it until it gives the correct measurements. If necessary^ pin it into place. 5. WTien the garment is practically dry on the aide exposed, turn it and let it dry on the other aide. It may be uecossary to turn the aweaier eeveral times. This method is much better than hanging the garment on a coat^hanger after washing, because the size may be kept the same as before washing. Washing silk. Silk should be washed in much the same way as wool. While it is not so strongly affected by soaps and alkalis as is wool, its gloss is destroyed by the use of strong cleansing agents. The deUcacy of the fiber makes hard rubbing impossible, for it breaks the fibers and destroys not only their durability but also their silkiness. In wringing silk, it should lie placed be- tween dry towels or hea\^ cloths and put through a loosely ad- justed wringer. It slioidd be ironed on tlie wrong aide while I I I 272 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING still damp, witli a rnofJerately hot iron. Silk is very easUy scorched and, if \hv iron is too hot, ilm silk will bo stiff. The iron should l»e pushed baek anti forth wiili a wriggling niotion to give softness and plial)ility to the silk. It is often l)est to iron silk under a cloth; to do so gives le^ss body and a softer finish. Ribbons, if of good quality, may be very Huccessfully washed. To iron them they should be eovereil witii a dry cloth and the iron moved frequently back aod forth over the surface of the cloth above them. Wdshing laces.