ON WHITENING, CLEANSING, AND DYEING.
_To Whiten Articles, and Remove Stains from them._
Wet white clothes in suds, and lay them on the grass, in the sun. Lay
muslins in suds made with white soap, in a flat dish; set this in the
sun, changing the suds, every day. Whiten tow-cloth, or brown linen, by
keeping it in ley, through the night, laying it out in the sun, and
wetting it with fair water, as fast as it dries.
Scorched articles can often be whitened again, by laying them in the
sun, wet with suds. Where this does not answer, put a pound of white
soap in a gallon of milk, and boil the article in it. Another method,
is, to chop and extract the juice from two onions, and boil this with
half a pint of vinegar, an ounce of white soap, and two ounces of
fuller's earth. Spread this, when cool, on the scorched part, and, when
dry, wash it off, in fair water. _Mildew_ may be removed, by dipping the
article in sour buttermilk, laying it in the sun, and, after it is
white, rinsing it in fair water. Soap and chalk are also good; also,
soap and starch, adding half as much salt as there is starch, together
with the juice of a lemon. Stains in linen can often be removed, by
rubbing on soft soap, then putting on a starch paste, and drying in the
sun, renewing it several times. Wash off all the soap and starch, in
cold, fair water.
_Mixtures for Removing Stains and Grease._
_Stain-Mixture._ Half an ounce of oxalic acid, in a pint of soft water.
This can be kept in a corked bottle, and is infallible in removing
iron-rust, and ink-stains. It is very poisonous. The article must be
spread with this mixture over the steam of hot water, and wet several
times. This will also remove indelible ink. The article must be washed,
or the mixture will injure it.
_Another Stain-Mixture_ is made, by mixing one ounce of sal ammoniac,
one ounce of salt of tartar, and one pint of soft water.
_To remove Grease._ Mix four ounces of fuller's earth, half an ounce of
pearlash, and lemon-juice enough to make a stiff paste, which can be
dried in balls, and kept for use. Wet the greased spot with cold water,
rub it with the ball, dry it, and then rinse it with fair cold water.
This is for _white_ articles. For silks, and worsteds, use French chalk,
which can be procured of the apothecaries. That which is soft and white,
is best. Scrape it on the greased spot, and let it lie for a day and
night. Then renew it, till the spot disappears. Wilmington clay-balls,
are equally good. Ink-spots can often be removed from white clothes, by
rubbing on common tallow, leaving it for a day or two, and then washing,
as usual. Grease can be taken out of wall-paper, by making a paste of
potter's clay, water and ox-gall, and spreading it on the paper. When
dry, renew it, till the spot disappears.
Stains on floors, from _soot_, or _stove-pipes_, can be removed, by
washing the spot in sulphuric acid and water. Stains, in colored silk
dresses, can often be removed, by pure water. Those made by acids, tea,
wine, and fruits, can often be removed, by spirits of hartshorn, diluted
with an equal quantity of water. Sometimes, it must be repeated, several
times.
_Tar_, _Pitch_, and _Turpentine_, can be removed, by putting the spot in
sweet-oil, or by spreading tallow on it, and letting it remain for
twenty-four hours. Then, if the article be linen or cotton, wash it, as
usual; if it be silk or worsted, rub it with ether, or spirits of wine.
_Lamp-Oil_ can be removed, from floors, carpets, and other articles, by
spreading upon the stain a paste, made of fuller's earth or potter's
clay, and renewing it, when dry, till the stain is removed. If gall be
put into the paste, it will preserve the colors from injury. When the
stain has been removed, carefully brush off the paste, with a soft
brush.
_Oil-Paint_ can be removed, by rubbing it with _very pure_ spirits of
turpentine. The impure spirit leaves a grease-spot. _Wax_ can be
removed, by scraping it off, and then holding a red-hot poker near the
spot. _Spermaceti_ may be removed by scraping it off, then putting a
paper over the spot, and applying a warm iron. If this does not answer,
rub on spirits of wine.
_Ink-Stains_, in carpets and woollen table-covers, can be removed, by
washing the spot in a liquid, composed of one teaspoonful of oxalic acid
dissolved in a teacupful of warm (not hot) water, and then rinsing in
cold water.
_Stains on Varnished Articles_, which are caused by cups of hot water,
can be removed, by rubbing them with lamp-oil, and then with alcohol.
Ink-stains can be taken out of mahogany, by one teaspoonful of oil of
vitriol mixed with one tablespoonful of water, or by oxalic acid and
water. These must be brushed over quickly, and then washed off with
milk.
_Modes of Cleansing Various Articles._
_Silk Handkerchiefs_ and _Ribands_ can be cleansed, by using French
chalk to take out the grease, and then sponging them, on both sides,
with lukewarm fair water. Stiffen them with gum Arabic, and press them
between white paper, with an iron not very hot. A tablespoonful of
spirits of wine to three quarts of water, improves it.
_Silk Hose_, or _Silk Gloves_, should be washed in warm suds made with
white soap, and rinsed in cold water; they should then be stretched and
rubbed, with a hard-rolled flannel, till they are quite dry. Ironing
them, very much injures their looks. _Washleather_ articles should have
the grease removed from them, by French chalk, or magnesia; they should
then be washed in warm suds, and rinsed in cold water. _White Kid
Gloves_ should have the grease removed from them, as above directed.
They should then be brushed, with a soft brush, and a mixture of
fuller's earth and magnesia. In an hour after, rub them with flannel,
dipped in bran and powdered whiting. _Colored or Hoskin's gloves_ can be
cleansed, very nicely, by _pure_ spirits of turpentine, put on with a
woollen cloth, and rubbed from wrist to fingers. Hang them for several
days in the air, and all the unpleasant smell will be removed.
_Gentlemen's white gloves_ should be washed with a sponge, in
white-soapsuds; then wiped, and dried on the hands. _Swan's-down
tippets, and capes_, should be washed in white-soapsuds, squeezing, and
not rubbing them; then rinse them in two waters, and shake and stretch
them while drying. _Ostrich feathers_ can also be thus washed. Stiffen
them, with starch, wet in cold water and not boiled. Shake them in the
air, till nearly dry, then hold them before the fire, and curl them with
dull scissors, giving each fibre a twitch, turning it inward, and
holding it so for a moment.
_Straw and Leghorn Hats_, can be cleansed, by simply washing them in
white-soapsuds. Remove grease, by French chalk, and stains, by diluted
oxalic acid, or cream of tartar. The oxalic acid is best, but must be
instantly washed off. _To whiten them_, drive nails in a barrel, near
its bottom, so that cords can be stretched across. On these cords, tie
the bonnet, wet with suds, (having first removed the grease, stains, and
dirt.) Then invert the barrel, over a dish of coals, on which roll
brimstone is slowly burning. Put a chip under one side of the barrel, to
admit the air. Continue this, till the bonnet is white; then hang it in
the air, (when the weather is not damp,) till the smell is removed. Then
stiffen it with a solution of isinglass or gum Arabic, put on the
inside, with a sponge. Press the crown, on a block, and the rest on a
board, on the right side, putting muslin between the iron and straw, and
pressing hard. Be careful not to make it too stiff. First, stiffen a
small piece, for trial.
ON COLORING.
_Precautions and Preparations._
All the articles must be entirely free from grease or oil, and also, in
most cases, from soapsuds. Make light dyes in brass, and dark ones in
iron, vessels. Always wet the articles, in fair water, before dyeing.
Always carefully strain the dye. If the color be too light, dry and then
dip the article again. Stir the article well in the dye, lifting it up
often. Remove any previous color, by boiling in suds, or, what is
better, in the soda mixture used for washing.
_Pink Dye._ Buy a saucer of carmine, at an apothecary's. With it, you
will find directions for its use. This is cheap, easy to use, and
beautiful. _Balm blossoms_ and _Bergamot blossoms_, with a little cream
of tartar in the water, make a pretty pink.
_Red Dye._ Take half a pound of wheat bran, three ounces of powdered
alum, and two gallons of soft water. Boil these in a brass vessel, and
add an ounce of cream of tartar, and an ounce of cochineal, tied up
together in a bag. Boil the mixture for fifteen minutes, then strain it,
and dip the articles. Brazil wood, set with alum, makes another red dye.
_Yellow Dye._ Fustic, turmeric powder, saffron, barberry-bush,
peach-leaves, or marigold flowers, make a yellow dye. Set the dye with
alum, putting a piece the size of a large hazelnut to each quart of
water.
_Light Blue Dye_, for silks and woollens, is made with the 'blue
composition,' to be procured of the hat-makers; fifteen drops to a quart
of water. Articles dipped in this, must be thoroughly rinsed. For a
_dark blue_, boil four ounces of copperas in two gallons of water. Dip
the articles in this, and then in a strong decoction of logwood, boiled
and strained. Then wash them thoroughly in soapsuds.
_Green Dye._ First color the article yellow; and then, if it be silk or
woollen, dip it in 'blue composition.' Instead of ironing, rub it with
flannel, while drying.
_Salmon Color_ is made by boiling arnotto or anotta in soapsuds.
_Buff Color_ is made by putting one teacupful of potash, tied in a bag,
in two gallons of hot (not boiling) water, and adding an ounce of
arnotto, also in a bag, keeping it in for half an hour. First, wet the
article in strong potash-water. Dry and then rinse in soapsuds. Birch
bark and alum also make a buff. Black alder, set with ley, makes an
orange color.
_Dove and Slate Colors_, of all shades, are made by boiling, in an iron
vessel, a teacupful of black tea, with a teaspoonful of copperas. Dilute
this, till you get the shade wanted. Purple sugar-paper, boiled, and set
with alum, makes a similar color.
_Brown Dye._ Boil half a pound of camwood (in a bag) in two gallons of
water, for fifteen minutes. Wet the articles, and boil them for a few
minutes in the dye. White-walnut bark, the bark of sour sumach, or of
white maple, set with alum, make a brown color.
_Black Dye._ Let one pound of chopped logwood remain all night in one
gallon of vinegar. Then boil them, and put in a piece of copperas, as
large as a hen's egg. Wet the articles in warm water, and put them in
the dye, boiling and stirring them for fifteen minutes. Dry them, then
wet them in warm water, and dip them again. Repeat the process, till the
articles are black enough. Wash them in suds, and rinse them till the
water comes off clear. Iron nails, boiled in vinegar, make a black dye,
which is good for restoring rusty black silks.
_Olive Color._ Boil fustic and yellow-oak bark together. The more
fustic, the brighter the olive; the more oak bark, the darker the shade.
Set the light shade with a few drops of oil of vitriol, and the dark
shade with copperas.