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Wash Day: Curtains

To Air Lace Curtains. -Lace curtains may be cleaned easily and will not need washing so often if hung on the line on a clear day with a gentle breeze-not too windy-and dusted by the wind. Washing these articles is a WASH DAY delicate and difficult business, and they necessarily suffer more or less from the process.

To Prepare Curtains for the Laundry. Stitch a narrow piece of tape along the hem of net or lace curtains before they go to the laundry. This keeps the curtain from pulling out of shape when ironed. Lay the curtains on an old sheet and brush them carefully with a soft brush to remove the dust. Fold them separately as a tablecloth is folded, taking care to keep the edges perfectly together until the folds are about two feet square. Baste a strip of white muslin along the edges to keep the package in order and quilt slightly with basting thread.

In this shape large curtains can be put into suds and cleaned with a pounder or otherwise.

Or fold them carefully and insert in a pillowcase, running through them at intervals strong basting thread to keep them flat and prevent their bunching in the end of the case.

Or they may be carefully gathered crosswise and tied loosely in a bunch by two or three cords at intervals.

Wash like other fine white goods, first, if much soiled, soaking for an hour or more in soap and cold water, next rubbing gently between the hands in warm or hot soapsuds, and afterwards boiling in one or more hot suds according to their condition. Rinse first in hot water, afterwards two or three times in cold water, adding bluing to the last. Kerosene, ammonia, or turpentine may be used in the boiling water, but no washing powders that may contain free alkali.

Or put the curtain in a large tin funnel with a wooden handle attached to it; work it through suds and rinsing water in such a way that the water will pass through the curtain and out at the bottom of the funnel, removing the dirt by suction. This process will not injure the most delicate fabrics, no matter how long it may continue.

Colored Curtains. If there is any doubt about colors being fast, delicate-colored curtains may be cleansed with gasoline.

To Dry Curtains. If curtains are dried out of doors, cover the line on which they are hung with one or more thicknesses of paper or throw over it a dry sheet. This will prevent the clothespin from marking the articles and keep them from being injured by the wind.

Or, if the curtains are folded and basted together with muslin, dry them before taking them out of the folds.

Or lay a blanket on the floor and spread the wet curtains on it, stretching them carefully. They will keep their place and dry without fastening.

To Stretch Curtains. - A curtain stretcher is not used in most families, and hence is something of a luxury.

Sometimes two or three families in a neighborhood can combine to purchase one for their common use. As a substitute lay a sheet or clean wrapping paper on the floor, stretch the curtains over this, and fasten by means of heavy pins called bank pins, which can be obtained at the stores. Use a pin for each scallop, driving them into the floor with a tack hammer. Lay other curtains over these, hooking thein on the same pins, as is done on stretchers. Several curtains may be hooked on the same set of pins. The pins may be afterwards removed and used again.

Or the curtains may be pinned to sheet laid upon the carpet, two or three curtains by carefully matching the scallops being pinned down at the same time.

Or stretch a sheet on a quilting frame, and pin the curtains to this.

Or, while damp, hang the curtains, one at a time, on a curtain rod, and slip a heavy rod or curtain pole through the hem at the bottom. Stretch the curtains to their full width, and allow them to hang until dry. The weight of the rod at the bottom will stretch them sufficiently.

SILKS AND SATIN To Launder Silks. To wash silk dresses and other garments, ribbons, handkerchiefs, stockings, and the like, first rip apart made-up garments, shake, and brush thoroughly to free them from dust. Prepare soap jelly by cutting castile or other good white hard soap into shavings, pour over it about double its own bulk of water, and dissolve by gentle heat. Have ready two or three tubs or pans and fill these partly full of hot water.

Thus the washing and rinsing waters will cool alike and always be of exactly the same temperature. This is the great point to observe in washing all animal fibers, as silks or woolens.

In the first receptacle dissolve enough soap jelly to make good suds, and let stand until the hands can be comfortably borne in the water. Wasł each piece separately in the suds by sousing it up and down, raising it in one hand and stripping it through the fingers with the other. Continue this process until clean, but without creasing, wringing, or squeezing it.

When washed clean, strip through the fingers to remove suds. If soiled spots do not come out, rub on a little soap jelly and immediately dip again into the suds. Change the suds if necessary. Rinse in clear water, following the same process as in washing, strip out the water between the fingers, or shake out the pieces without wringing, and iron at once without hanging up to dry.

Or mix 6 ounces of strained honey with 4 ounces of soft-soap jelly made of castile or other hard white soap, and add 1 pint of whisky. Rip apart made-up articles, spread the pieces flat on a smooth surface, and apply this mixture with a brush, rubbing lightly with the grain of the silk.

Rinse in two or three clear waters, not too hot to bear the hands comfortably, and without wringing, creasing, or folding the silk. Add a little sugar or a tablespoonful of honey to the last rinsing water. Iron at once.

Or for delicate fabrics, as China silk, pongee, and similar dress goods, for each article, as a waist or summer gown, put 1½ pints of bran in a bag of white muslin, and pour over it sufficient boiling water to wash the garment. When the hands can be borne in it comfortably, squeeze the bag in the water to extract the solution of bran. Add 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of powdered borax, wash, rinse in clear water, and iron at once. Use no starch, as the bran gives sufficient stiffness.

To Wash Colored Silks. - The same cautions must be observed in washing colored silks as in the case of other colored goods, with the additional caution that they must not be crushed, squeezed or wrung when wet, or wrinkles may be formed which will not iron out. Prepare suds for silk by dissolving hard white soap in boiling water, and add oxgall or alum to set the colors. Allow the suds to cool until they will bear the hands, and immerse the silk in them. Lay the washboard across the tub, spread an old towel or piece of flannel over it, lay the silk flat on this, and apply the suds by rubbing gently with a soft cloth or a sponge, or a toothbrush or nailbrush having medium hard bristles. When the silk is clean apply cold water with the brush and afterwards souse in cold water containing salt. If the silk is of solid color, dissolve a little dye the color of the silk in the rinsing water. If the color has faded this will restore it. Silk garnents rinsed in diluted dye water will come out nearly as fresh as new.

To Wash White Silk. -Prepare suds as for other delicate white goods by using hard white soap, but no soda or washing compounds containing free alkali. Cleanse the silks by applying the soapsuds with a soft cloth or brush, rinse in cold water, partially dry in the sun, and while still damp iron between two cloths on the wrong side.

To Wash Satin. - Satins may be washed in the same manner as silks, or sponge the way of the grain with a weak solution of borax.

To Wash Silk Stockings.-Prepare a lather and wash as other silk goods.

For white stockings add a little bluing to the last rinsing water. For WASH DAY other tints add a little dye of the required color. Stretch the stockings to their proper shape, and pin or baste them between two thicknesses of a clean linen towel. Stretch this tent fashion, and the stockings will dry in their natural shape without ironing.

Or wash in bran water.