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Wash Day: Turkish

Rinse by pouring over it water containing a little alum. Add a little bluing to the last rinsing water. Apply thin starch or a solution of gum arabic with a sponge, and when nearly dry lay a Turkish towel over the ironing board, put the duck on this with the lace underneath, and iron the duck. This is a perfectly safe method and gives a polish which cannot be acquired in any other way.

To Wash a White Lace Veil. If not much soiled, first wash in cold water with castile or curd soap, squeezing between the fingers without rubbing. When stems and spots have disappeared, squeeze gently from the cold water and pour over it the hot suds. Let stand until cool enough to bear the hands, and continue squeezing with the fingers until perfectly clean, changing the suds if necessary.

If much soiled, put the veil in a cotton bag and boil ten or fifteen minutes. Rinse in cold water with a little bluing, and starch with a thin solution of gum arabic, rice water, or corn starch. Stretch to its original shape and spread over a linen towel stretched tent fashion out of doors, and in the bright sun if possible. Pull the edges out to their proper shape and fasten with pins. When nearly dry iron on a Turkish towel through a piece of flannel or linen cloth.

To Wash Black Lace. Make suds of castile or other hard white soap and boiling water, and add a tablespoonful of oxgall to set the color. Allow this to cool until it will bear the hand, then immerse the lace and cleanse by squeezing gently with the fingers. Rinse in two or more cold waters, adding salt to the first and bluing to the last. Starch with a thin solution of gum arabic or common glue made by dissolving a piece of thin glue about an inch square in a quart of boiling water. Or use thin rice water or cornstarch. Lay over black silk or cambric stretched tent fashion, stretch, and pin the edges securely. When dry arrange face down on a Turkish towel, and iron through & thin cloth, following the pattern with the point of the iron. Use a warm, not hot, iron, as much heat will turn the lace rusty.

To Sponge Black Lace.--First dust the articles thoroughly and stretch, face down, over a piece of black goods, tacking down the edges with basting thread. Sponge with dilute ammonia and water.

Or sponge with green tea.

Or use borax water in the proportion of 1 teaspoonful of borax to 1 pint of soft water.

Use, if convenient, an old black kid glove as a sponge. Press while still damp and without removing from the cloth to which it is basted. Lay the lace on a Turkish towel protected by a piece of dry black goods and iron through the protecting cloth on the wrong side, using a warm, not hot, iron.

Or a long piece of lace may be wound about a bottle and put in a warm place to dry. Avoid the direct heat of the sun or of a hot stove or iron, as these tend to give black articles a rusty appearance. Lace Curtains-When To Launder Them. Have a special day at housecleaning time for lace curtains, doilies, dresser scarfs, and all articles of fancy work. These require suds made of fancy soap and more care in the laundry than ordinary articles; hence they should be handled by themselves and given special treatment. After being done up they can be laid away until house cleaning is finished, and put up as each room is cleaned.