The hearthstone; or, Life at home

For washing black or navy blue linens, the following receipt is an excellent one : Take two potatoes, grated into tepid soft water (after having them washed and peeled), into which a teaspoonful of ammonia has been put. Wash the linens in this, and rinse them in cold, blue water. Dry in the shade. They will need no starch, and should be dried and ironed on the wrong side. It is said that an infusion of hay will preserve the natural color in buff linens, and an infusion of bran will do the same for brown linens and prints. Linen can be washed beautifully by using refined borax instead of soda as a washing-powder. One large handful of borax is used to every ten gallons of water, and the saving of soap is about one-half For laces and cambrics an extra quantity is used. Borax softens the hardest water and does not injure the linen. To Wash Silk Stockings. — The best way to wash all silk stockings is to make a good lather of curd soap and rain-water ; use it nearly cold, and then wash each stocking separately, rubbing as little as possible. Rinse in clear, soft water ; squeeze out the wet as much as possible in a soft cloth ; do not wring the stockings ; wrap each one in a dry cloth, and when almost dry rub them with a piece of flannel always the same way. A small quantity of liquid ammonia should be added to the lather when black stockings are to be washed. Another way to Wash Silk Stockings, — Make a strong lather with boiling water and curd soap. Leave it to get almost cold, then divide it into two parts. Wash the stockings well in one of the lathers, pressing them up and down, but avoid rubbing as much as possible. Squeeze out the wet, and then wash them in the second lather, in which a few drops of gin may be poured. Do not rinse in fresh water, but squeeze out the wet very carefully without wringing. Lay them out flat on a piece of fine linen, and roll them up tightly until almost dry, then rub with a roll of flannel. Black stockings should be washed in a cool lather of plain white soap and rain water, with a little ammonia mixed in it. Keep from the air while drying by rolling in a cloth ; do not wring, but press the moisture well out. Borax and water form a good rinse. How TO DO UP Lace Curtains. — First take them down and give them a good shaking, then rub them through two waters or pound and rub them ; put in a pillow-case to boil, which prevents their being torn ; suds and rinse in bluing water and dry. Choose a warm, sunshiny day to starch them. Take quilting-frames out in the sun, place them upon four chairs (the same as for a quilt) and pin a sheet on them ; use silver gloss starch and make a cooked starch, bluing it a little ; starch two pieces and pin on the sheet together stretching them lengthwise as far as possible ; then pin the edges as near as two inches before the edges are quite dry (the middle dries first) ; take them on the ironing-sheet and smooth them nicely. When washing fine laces, do not use starch at all in the last water in which they are rinsed ; put in a little fine white sugar ; dissolve it thoroughly, and the result will be pleasing. Salt should never be used in starch. Although it gives the linen a good appearance and makes it iron smoothly, it surely destroys the fabric.