Home › Ironing Day › Ironing Day (II)

Ironing Day (II)

BLUING AND SPRINKLING-STARCH AND STARCHING-CARE OF IRONING UTENSILSIRONING TO DO UP SILKS, RIBBONS, AND WOOLENS-TO DO UP LACES AND CURTAINS TO MARK AND STORE LINEN BLUING AND SPRINKLING Bluing. It is very difficult to rinse clothes quite free from all traces of soap or other washing compounds.

The minute quantities of alkali left in the fabrics tend to give white articles a dingy or yellow tinge. The object of bluing is to correct this. Hence it is customary to add bluing to the last rinsing water for white articles or colored goods that have a white background. For dark colored goods it is also customary to add a liberal supply of bluing to the starch.

Some laundresses do not wring from the bluing water table linens and similar articles which they desire to have a fine, clear white, but hang them up dripping in order to deepen their luster.

To Make Bluing.-In addition to the various kinds of commercial bluing upon the market, the following recipes are recommended:

Dissolve 1 ounce of the best soluble Prussian blue powder and ounce of powdered oxalic acid in 1 quart of soft water.

Or dissolve 1 package of blue diamond dye for cotton in 1 quart of soft water. To prevent lumps, prepare this as you would starch. Rub the dry powder into a paste with a little water, add a little more cold water, then add the rest of the water boiling hot. Cool and bottle for use.

Sprinkling. The object of sprinkling is to give the garments a uniform dampness, to soften wrinkles, and to prevent the iron from scorching. Hence the clothes should be sprinkled slightly and afterwards rolled up and allowed to lie until the moisture has uniformly penetrated all parts of the fabric. Delicate colored goods, flannels and other woolens, and fine linens will have a better appearance if ironed on the same day that they were washed than if allowed to become entirelv dry before ironing. Colored goods especially should not be sprinkled if it can be avoided.

Utensils for Sprinkling. An ordinary brush broom, a child's sprinkling "An Ordinary Brush Broom." can, a tin baking-powder can or glass fruit jar with metal top perforated by holes made with a hammer and small nails, are all convenient utensils for sprinkling. A small fine-grain sponge and a basin of water should be at hand when ironing. If small spots of sheer goods become dry they should be dampened before ironing, or if a smudge or patch of starch appears it can be thus removed without affecting the rest of the garment.