If any fruit-stains are on napkins or table-
cloths, lay the stained part over a bowl, and pour on
boiling water till they disappear. Ink can be taken out if
the spot is washed while fresh, in cold water, or milk and
water ; and a little salt will help in taking out wine-stains.
Machine-oil must have a little lard or butter rubbed on the
spot, which is then to be washed in warm suds. Never
rub soap directly on any stain, as it sets it. For iron-
rust, spread the garment in the sun, and cover the spot
with salt ; then squeeze on lemon-juice enough to wet it.
This is much safer and quite as sure as the acids sold for
this purpose. In bright sunshine the spot will disappear
in a few hours.
Remember that long boiling does not improve clothes.
If washed clean, simply scalding is all that is required.
WASHING-DAY, AND CLEANING IN GENERAL, 57
If delicate curtains, either lace or muslin, are to be
washed, allow a table-spoonful of powdered borax to two
gallons of warm water, and soap enough to make a strong
suds. Soak the curtains in this all night. In the morn-
ing add more warm water, and press every part between
the hands, without rubbing. Put them in fresh suds, and,
if the water still looks dark after another washing, take
still another. Boil and rinse as in directions given for
other clothes. Starch with very thick hot starch, and
dry, not by hanging out, and then ironing, but b}^ put-
ting a light common mattress in the sun, and pinning
the curtain upon it, stretching carefully as 3'ou pin. One
mattress holds two, which will dry in an hour or two. If
there is no sun, lay a sheet on the floor of an unused
room, and pin the curtains down upon it.
In washing flannels, remember that it must be done in
a sunny day, that they may dry as rapidly as possible.
Put them into hot suds. Do not rub them on a washing-
board, as this is one means of fulling and ruining them.
Press and rub them in the hands, changing them soon to
fresh hot suds. Einse in a pail of clear hot water;
wring very dry ; shake, and hang at once in the sun.
Flannels thus treated, no matter how delicate, retain their
softness and smoothness, and do not shrink.
Starch is the next consideration, and is made in two
ways, — either raw or boiled. Boiled starch is made by
adding cold water to raw starch in the proportion of one
cup of water to three-quarters of a cup of starch, and
then pouring on boiling water till it has thickened to a
smooth mass, constantly stirring as you pour. A bit of
butter✪ Boiled Starch is added by many excellent laundresses, the bit
not to be larger than a filbert. Any thing starched with
58 WASHING-DAY, AND CLEANING IN GENERAL.
boiled starch must be dried and sprinkled before ironing,
while with raw starch this is not necessary.
Page 28 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1881. 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
If any fruit-stains are on napkins or tablecloths, lay the stained part over a bowl, and pour on boiling water till they disappear. Ink can be taken out if the spot is washed while fresh, in cold water, or milk and water ; and a little salt will help in taking out wine-stains. Machine-oil must have a little lard or butter rubbed on the spot, which is then to be washed in warm suds. Never rub soap directly on any stain, as it sets it. For ironrust, spread the garment in the sun, and cover the spot with salt ; then squeeze on lemon-juice enough to wet it. This is much safer and quite as sure as the acids sold for this purpose. In bright sunshine the spot will disappear in a few hours.
Remember that long boiling does not improve clothes. If washed clean, simply scalding is all that is required.
If delicate curtains, either lace or muslin, are to be washed, allow a table-spoonful of powdered borax to two gallons of warm water, and soap enough to make a strong suds. Soak the curtains in this all night. In the morning add more warm water, and press every part between the hands, without rubbing. Put them in fresh suds, and, if the water still looks dark after another washing, take still another. Boil and rinse as in directions given for other clothes. Starch with very thick hot starch, and dry, not by hanging out, and then ironing, but by putting a light common mattress in the sun, and pinning the curtain upon it, stretching carefully as you pin. One mattress holds two, which will dry in an hour or two. If there is no sun, lay a sheet on the floor of an unused room, and pin the curtains down upon it.
In washing flannels, remember that it must be done in a sunny day, that they may dry as rapidly as possible. Put them into hot suds. Do not rub them on a washingboard, as this is one means of fulling and ruining them. Press and rub them in the hands, changing them soon to fresh hot suds. Einse in a pail of clear hot water; wring very dry ; shake, and hang at once in the sun. Flannels thus treated, no matter how delicate, retain their softness and smoothness, and do not shrink.
Starch is the next consideration, and is made in two ways, — either raw or boiled. Boiled starch is made by adding cold water to raw starch in the proportion of one cup of water to three-quarters of a cup of starch, and then pouring on boiling water till it has thickened to a smooth mass, constantly stirring as you pour. A bit of butter is added by many excellent laundresses, the bit not to be larger than a filbert. Any thing starched with
boiled starch must be dried and sprinkled before ironing, while with raw starch this is not necessary.
Records on this page
Boiled StarchRaw Starch