ON STARCHING, IRONING, AND CLEANSING.
_To prepare Starch._ Take four tablespoonfuls of starch; put in as much
water; and rub it, till all lumps are removed. Then, add half a cup of
cold water. Pour this into a quart of boiling water, and boil it for
half an hour, adding a piece of spermaceti, or a lump of salt, or sugar,
as large as a hazelnut. Strain it, and put in a very little blueing.
Thin it with hot water.
_Glue and Gum-Starch._ Put a piece of glue, four inches square, into
three quarts of water, boil it, and keep it in a bottle, corked up.
Dissolve four ounces of gum Arabic, in a quart of hot water, and set it
away, in a bottle, corked. Use the glue for calicoes, and the gum for
silks and muslins, both to be mixed with water, at discretion.
_Beef's-Gall._ Send a junk-bottle to the butcher, and have several
gall-bladders emptied into it. Keep it salted, and in a cool place. Some
persons perfume it; but fresh air removes the unpleasant smell which it
gives, when used for clothes.
_Directions for Starching Muslins and Laces._
Many ladies clap muslins, then dry them, and afterwards sprinkle them.
This saves time. Others clap them, till nearly dry, then fold and cover,
and then iron them. Iron wrought muslins on soft flannel, and on the
wrong side.
_To do up Laces, nicely_, sew a clean piece of muslin around a long
bottle, and roll the lace on it; pulling out the edge, and rolling it
so that the edge will turn in, and be covered, as you roll. Fill the
bottle with water, and then boil it, for an hour, in a suds made with
white soap. Rinse it in fair water, a little blued; dry it in the sun;
and, if any stiffening is wished, use thin starch, or gum Arabic. When
dry, fold and press it, between white papers, in a large book. It
improves the lace, to wet it with sweet-oil, after it is rolled on the
bottle, and before boiling in the suds. _Blond laces_ can be whitened,
by rolling them on a bottle, in this way, and then setting the bottle in
the sun, in a dish of cold suds made with white soap, wetting it
thoroughly, and changing the suds, every day. Do this, for a week or
more; then rinse, in fair water; dry it on the bottle, in the sun; and
stiffen it with white gum Arabic. Lay it away in loose folds. _Lace
veils_ can be whitened, by laying them in flat dishes, in suds made with
white soap; then rinsing, and stiffening them with gum Arabic,
stretching them, and pinning them on a sheet, to dry.
ON IRONING.
_Articles to be provided for Ironing._
A settee, or settle, made so that it can be used for an ironing-table,
is a great convenience. It may be made of pine, and of the following
dimensions: length, five feet and six inches; width of the seat, one
foot and nine inches; height of the seat, one foot and three inches;
height of the sides, (or arms of the seat,) two feet and four inches;
height of the back, five feet and three inches. The back should be made
with hinges, of the height of the sides or arms, so that it can be
turned down, and rest on them, and thus become an ironing-table. The
back is to be fastened up, behind, with long iron hooks and staples. The
seat should be made with two lids, opening into two boxes, or
partitions, in one of which, can be kept the ironing-sheets and holders,
and in the other, the other articles used in ironing. It can be stained
of a cherry-color; put on casters, so as to move easily; and be
provided with two cushions, stuffed with hay and covered with dark
woollen. It thus serves as a comfortable seat, for Winter, protecting
the back from cold.
Where a settee, of this description, is not provided, a large
ironing-board, made so as not to warp, should be kept, and used only for
this purpose, to be laid, when used, on a table. Provide, also, the
following articles: A woollen ironing-blanket, and a linen or cotton
sheet, to spread over it; a large fire, of charcoal and hard wood,
(unless furnaces or stoves are used;) a hearth, free from cinders and
ashes, a piece of sheet-iron, in front of the fire, on which to set the
irons, while heating; (this last saves many black spots from careless
ironers;) three or four holders, made of woollen, and covered with old
silk, as these do not easily take fire; two iron rings, or iron-stands,
on which to set the irons, and small pieces of board to put under them,
to prevent scorching the sheet; linen or cotton wipers; and a piece of
beeswax, to rub on the irons when they are smoked. There should be, at
least, three irons for each person ironing, and a small and large
clothes-frame, on which to air the fine and coarse clothes.
A bosom-board, on which to iron shirt-bosoms, should be made, one foot
and a half long, and nine inches wide, and covered with white flannel. A
skirt-board on which to iron frock-skirts, should be made, five feet
long, and two feet wide at one end, tapering to one foot and three
inches wide, at the other end. This should be covered with flannel; and
will save much trouble, in ironing nice dresses. The large end may be
put on the table, and the other, on the back of a chair. Both these
boards should have cotton covers, made to fit them; and these should be
changed and washed, when dirty. These boards are often useful, when
articles are to be ironed or pressed, in a chamber or parlor. Provide,
also, a press-board, for broadcloth, two feet long, and four inches wide
at one end, tapering to three inches wide, at the other.
A fluting-iron, called, also, a patent Italian iron, saves much labor,
in ironing ruffles neatly. A crimping-iron, will crimp ruffles
beautifully, with very little time or trouble. Care must be used, with
the latter, or it will cut the ruffles. A trial should be made, with old
muslins; and, when the iron is screwed in the right place, it must be so
kept, and not altered without leave from the housekeeper. If the lady of
the house will provide all these articles, see that the fires are
properly made, the ironing-sheets evenly put on and properly pinned, the
clothes-frames dusted, and all articles kept in their places, she will
do much towards securing good ironing.
_On Sprinkling, Folding, and Ironing._
Wipe the dust from the ironing-board, and lay it down, to receive the
clothes, which should be sprinkled with clear water, and laid in
separate piles, one of colored, one of common, and one of fine articles,
and one of flannels. Fold the fine things, and roll them in a towel, and
then fold the rest, turning them all right side outward. The colored
clothes should be laid separate from the rest, and ought not to lie long
damp, as it injures the colors. The sheets and table linen should be
shaken, stretched, and folded, by two persons. Iron lace and needlework
on the wrong side, and carry them away, as soon as dry. Iron calicoes
with irons which are not very hot, and generally on the right side, as
they thus keep clean for a longer time. In ironing a frock, first do the
waist, then the sleeves, then the skirt. Keep the skirt rolled, while
ironing the other parts, and set a chair, to hold the sleeves, while
ironing the skirt, unless a skirt-board be used. In ironing a shirt,
first do the back, then the sleeves, then the collar and bosom, and then
the front. Iron silk on the wrong side, when quite damp, with an iron
which is not very hot. Light colors are apt to change and fade. Iron
velvet, by turning up the face of the iron, and after dampening the
wrong side of the velvet, draw it over the face of the iron, holding it
straight, and not biased.