1 124 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



plementary colors and when used together in proper proportions give the 

 effect of whiteness. Bluing is unwarrantably used to hide a yellowness 

 which comes from careless washing. 



Indigo. — Indigo (originally of plant origin, to-day manufactured artifi- 

 cially) was at one time the chief soiu-ce of bluing compounds, but now is 

 very little used in the laundry. 



Prussian blue. — Prussian blue gives a better color than does indigo 

 and is easier to use. The objection to prussian blue is that it is an iron 

 compound, is decomposed by alkalis, and yields iron rust. If all soap or 

 other alkali is not carefully rinsed from clothes and they are then blued with 

 Prussian blue, they may become yellow or covered with tiny rust spots. 

 If, however, prussian blue is used after the precaution of careful rinsing, 

 it gives satisfactory results. As it is one of the chief liquid blues on the 

 market, careful rinsing has become a laundry rule. 



Ultramarine. — Ultramarine (originally finely ground lapis lazuli, but 

 now artificially manufactured) is also a satisfactory blue. Finely ground 

 it is put upin the form of small balls or squares. It is very generally used in 

 the home. The better the product, the more finely ground it is. It is 

 poor economy in buying ultramarine to get a cheap article, as its particles 

 are coarse and show on the blued garment. 



Aniline blue. — Aniline blue is a coal-tar product and its action in bluing 

 is that of a dye. It is the blue used by nearly all commercial laundries, 

 but it is not much used in the home. It will not set in an alkaline liquid 

 and requires acid to bring out its color. Being a dye, it is difficult to wash 

 out of clothing. 



No one kind of bluing may be recommended to the housekeeper. She 

 must experiment for herself, choose one good variety, and learn to use 

 that one properly. 



Sufficient bluing should be used to make a little of the bluing water 

 taken up in the cup of the hand show a pale sky-blue color. More than 

 that amount of bluing should not be needed. It is always best to make 

 a small amount of strong bluing in a bowl of water, then draw from it 

 to color the water in the tub. 



TO REMOVE STAINS 



The ordinary washing process is sufficient to get rid of most of the dirt 

 in clothing, but certain stains may require special treatment in order to 

 insure their complete removal. Some stains are insoluble in water, or 

 in soap and water, or they may be made so by the action of heat and thus 

 become permanently set during the washing. It is wise always to look 

 over clothing for such stains and to remove them before the washing 

 begins. Such examination will often save time, and wear and tear on 



