470 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



DRY CLEANING. 



To obviate many inconveniences connected with the use 

 of soap and the usual process of washing, a German chemist 

 proposes for woolen or silk goods what he calls dry clean- 

 ing ; that is, the removal of the dirt by means of benzine or 

 naphtha, which, unlike soap, injures neither the finest fabric 

 nor the most delicate color. In addition, it is claimed, as the 

 greatest advantage, that no ripping apart of garments is nec- 

 essary, the most complicated construction of ruffles remaining 

 intact. As the greater portion of the benzine used can be 

 recovered by redistillation, the process is comparatively in- 

 expensive. The machine used for larger cleaning establish- 

 ments is essentially as follows : A drum of open lattice-work 

 receives the goods to be washed. It fits into a larger, abso- 

 lutely tight vessel, containing the benzine, and is turned by a 

 steam-engine while dipping into the cleaning liquid. Fifteen 

 to thirty minutes of time are sufficient, according to the 

 greater or lesser fineness of the fabric operated on. After 

 rinsing in clean naphtha and slightly wringing, the cloth is 

 placed in a centrifugal machine, and then dried at a rather 

 high temperature. As long as the benzine is in motion, it 

 retains its cleaning properties, even when it appears quite 

 turbid ; but, as soon as a sediment is allowed to form, the 

 more delicate fabrics will become soiled. It is, consequently, 

 better to sort the goods, and commence with white silk or 

 wool, etc., and to use the same liquid afterward for darker 

 cloth. Rapid manipulation and good tight vessels prevent 

 evaporation, and thus decrease the quantity of benzine nec- 

 essary for the process. Such parts of dresses as are much 

 soiled by grease or perspiration are to be brushed or rubbed 

 with naphtha previous to placing them in the rotating drum. 

 6 C, xiv., 1872, 135. 



NEW WASHING PROCESS. 



The injurious action of soda upon linen has given rise to 

 a new method of washing, which has been extensively adopt- 

 ed in Germany, and has been introduced into Belgium. The 

 operation consists in dissolving two pounds of soap in about 

 three gallons of water, as hot as the hand can bear, and add- 

 ing to this one tablespoonful of turpentine and three of liquid 



