A manual of home-making

In general it is more difficult to remove stains from wool and silk than from cotton or linen. In removing stains from ma- terials made from tw^o or more kinds of fibers, such as silk and cotton mixtures, the effects of the stain-removers on all of the fibers should be considered. No chemical should be used which w^ould injure the most dehcate of the fibers present. It is also much more difficult to remove stains from colored than from white materials, for the reason that most of the blear-hing agents which must be us(xl to remove persistent stains are likely to destroy the color of the material aa well. 284 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING METHODS FOR TREATMENT OF STAINS IN GENERAL The following paragraphs deal with methods and reagents commonly used in the removal of a mim!>er of 8 tain 8, To save repetition, these are given hero in detail and reference b made to them in dealing with the particular stains in later pages. Laundering. Ordinary' laundering, mentioned frequently as a method for removing stains, should be done aa follows: First, soak the stained portion in cold or lukewarm water, rubbing the stain with a neutral soap if necessary. Follow this \ry thorough rinsing in clean water, after wliicli the article may be laundered as usual. This method should be used only for cotton and Hnen (white or fast colors) and the so-called wash silks and washable woolens. If the materials arc delicate, they should be sponged according to the following directions. Sponging, Sponging is applicable to all fabrics, but especially to deli- cate materials or colors which ordinary laundering might in- jure. The stained article should l>e spreafi on a flat surfa(*e in a good light, and beneatli the stain a cloth foklcd into several tiiicknesses or clean wlijle blotting pai>er shouki be placet! to absorb the sufx^rfluous lifjuid. The pad must lie changed for a fresh one as soon as it Ijecomes soilwL The sponging should be done with a clean, soft lint less cloth (preferal)ly of the same material as that stained) and renewed as frequently as may bo necessarJ^ The stained material should be laiti with the wrong side up and the water applied to the back, so that the foreign sulistances can l)e washe<l from the fibers onto the pad without having to pa^s through the material Applicntion of chetniails. Chemicals should not l>e used until water or laundering has been tried, for they attack the filwjrs of the cloth as well as the stain. There are a few common chemicals which are necessary in removing some stains, and these should be kept in ever>^ huuse- I I STAIN REMOVAL I hold. A j]?ood plan is to have a small copboard in the laundry whore these ehemieals may be kept together with the utensils used in applying them. As some of these eheraieals are poison- ouSj they should not be kept in the family medicine cabinet or M pantry. Chemicals most eommonly used in removing stains " are Javelle water (p. 273), potassiiun permanganate (solu- tion), oxalie acid, aumionia water, hytlrogen peroxide, French chalk, and eream of tartar. These chemieals may be bougiit at any drug store. With these chemicals sliould be kept some of the utensils used in applying them; siuh as a medium-sized liowl, a med- ieine-tlropper, a glass rod wilh rounded ends, sev^exal pads of cheese-cloth or old muslin, and a small sponge.