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Save Your Lamp-Shades by Washing Them

Sometimes housekeepers think that when silk lamp-shades become dingy and soiled they must be discarded and the frames recovered. However, I have washed several very successfully. Any metal fringe or braid should be removed. Then the lampshade should stand for a few minutes in a tub of warm sudsy water. After the shade has stood in the water for several minutes raise it up and down so the suds will be forced through the material. The shade should then be rinsed in clear warm water. If the silk is faded or a different tint is desired, a dye may be added to the rinsing-water. The shade should be hung to dry in the same position it will have when placed on the lamp, and it should be dried in a shady place. I have washed successfully yellow taffeta and China silk shades made of three layers of material.-E. J., Mount Vernon, N. Y.