_To Remove Grease Spots._—Scrape Venetian or French chalk fine;
moisten to a stiff paste with soap-suds; make it into flat cakes by
pressing between two boards, and dry in the sun or oven. Keep these
for use. When you need them, scrape one to powder and cover the spot
with it, laying the silk upon a fine clean linen or cotton cloth. Lay
two or three folds of tissue-paper upon the chalk, and press it with
a hot iron for a minute or more, taking care it does not touch the
silk. Raise the paper and scrape off the grease with the chalk. Split
a visiting-card, and rub the place where the spot _was_, with the
inside, to restore the lustre. The silk should be pressed on the wrong
side.
If the spot be discovered at once, simply rub the wrong side hard with
powdered French chalk, and leave it to wear off.
_To Wash Silk._—Mix together
2 cups cold water.
1 tablespoonful honey.
1 tablespoonful soft soap.
1 wineglass alcohol.
Shake up well; lay the silk, a breadth at a time, on a table, and
sponge both sides with this, rubbing it well in; shake it about well
and up and down in a tub of cold water; flap it as dry as you can, but
do not wring it. Hang it by the edges, not the middle, until fit to
iron. Iron on the wrong side while it is very damp.
Black and dark or sober-colored silks may be successfully treated in
this way.
_To Smooth Wrinkled Silk._—Sponge on the right side with very weak
gum-arabic water, and iron on the wrong side.