FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 149

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
It is often best to dr^'-clean fine laee^i, as they thicken slightly in waiihing. To wa^^h them, a warm neutral poap-solution should be used to which has been added ammonia or borax. The dirt is squer^ze*! out ljy pressing the lace in the hands Init shoultl not be rubbed; riiljbing lireaks tlie deheate threatls. A gootl way to wash fine lace is to baste it io strips of chtx^se-i'loth, being careful to catch down all its points. It should then liH? put to soak overnight in warm soapy water containing a little borax or ammonia. It should lie washcNl liy squeezing, then rinsed free of soap. Old yelluw lace may be hleachi*ii by stretch- ing it, while wet, around a bottle, and standing it in the sun, rewetting the lace occasionally. Javelle water may Iw* used to bleach lace. Lace may be stifTened by rinsing in a mixture of two tablespoons of alcolio! to one cup of water; ly rinsing in borax water, two tablespoons to a cup; or by using gum arable, onf*-eighth teaspoon to a cup of water. If a yellow color is desireri the lace may be dipped in coffee or tea. Black lace should be cleaned l>y .stpieezing it repeatedly in a mixture of one cup of strong coffee and one tablespoon of ammonia. It should be rinsed in gum arabic water made with colTee, to give natural si ItlneHS. Lace curtains should be washed with as near an approach to the can* given to lace as is practica!>Ie. They shoul<l l)e clear- starched, stretched, and pinner! <Mit on sheets, one curtain over another. If available, it is better to ust* curtain-stretchers than sheets, but if care is taken to square off the first curtjiia THE LAUNDRY and stretch it £?traight and even, good results may he obt^ained by piBning the curtains to sheets. BLEACHING Occasionally, even in the Iiouaehold, it may be necessary to supplement the natural bleaching process aeeouiplis^heil by sunshine, fresh air, and green grass, by the use of ehemicals. If a garment lias yellovve<l by age or l>y lieing packed away with starch in it, it may be ex|}edient to use a ebeniica! bleach. The best bleach to use is Javelle water, which should be made as follows : 1 pound waahing-aocia 1 quart boiling water 1^2 rwiumt chit I ride of lime 2 quarL-^ cmjIJ water. Put sndu in granite pan; add boiling water and stir until dissolved ; let cool. DL^ssoIve chloride of lime in cold water; let settle and pour the clear liquid intf> the soda; let settle. Pour off clear hquid, bottle, and put away in dark place. Use, mixed mith equal parts or more of water^ and do not let the garment*? stay in over } i hour. Rinse thoroughly in several waters and I:istly in dilute amaionia water. Moisture i.s necGSRar>^ if clothos are to be blcaeheil by the action of the son. After a garment dries, it shoultl be made wet again and hun^ out. It may be necessary to repeat the wetting operatitjn a number of times before the yellow tiiip;e yieldB. It is siiid that elothca are whitent^d if they are allowed to freeze out of dooi-y on the fine. The reason given for the bleaching action is that frei^zing causes the clothes to retain moisture, hence the time of their bleaching is prolonged. IRONING