58o Reading-Course for Farmers' WiViiS. 



afterwards. Borax, on the other hand, has a tendency to whiten fabrics 

 and is added directly to starch to give it good color and to increase its 

 clearness. When colored fabrics or wools are to be washed in hard 

 water, borax is one of the best alkalis to use for softening the water, 

 therefore it should be on the laundry shelf for this purpose if for no other. 



Ammonium hydroxid, commonly called ammonia, is another good 

 alkali for softening water when it is not advisable to use the stronger 

 alkalis. It is a very volatile substance and consequently should be 

 used only when the process is to be conducted quickly. It is better and 

 cheaper to purchase the full-strength ammonia from a druggist and 

 then dilute it, than to buy the article known as household ammonia, 

 which is of unknown strength. 



Both permanently and temporarily hard water may be softened by 

 distillation, but this method involves apparatus which is not practicable 

 for the average home. 



If water is temporarily hard it may be softened by being boiled 

 and allowed to stand until the lime settles, the top water being 

 drawn off. This is without doubt the method yielding the best re- 

 sults, as no harmful chemicals are left in the water to injure the 

 fabrics. 



Temporarily, hard water may be softened by adding lime or washing 

 soda and allowing the water to stand in open kegs for several days before 

 use; and permanently hard water maybe partially softened in thisv/ay. 

 The water should then be drawn from the top. The first method is the 

 better one to use as no chemical is left in the water. If the water is 

 boiled after the addition of the softening agent, the time for standing 

 can be considerably lessened. Neither of these processes is much in 

 use in the household, as the expenditure of time is often considered 

 unwarranted. The more common method is to add washing soda, lye, 

 borax or ammonia at the time of washing. The addition of these sub- 

 stances at this time prevents the action of the lime upon the soap. A 

 good suds may thus quickly be procured, but it does not get rid of the 

 precipitate which forms and which in part at least- becomes entangled 

 in the pores of the cloth and has a weakening action on the fabric and 

 gives it a close filled-in appearance. 



The only satisfactory method of getting rid of iron is to add washing 

 soda to the water and then let the water settle for five or six days before 

 using. 



Organic material can be precipitated by the use of alum in the form 

 of an alum-borax mixture. The sediment should be allowed to settle 

 and the water can then be drawn from the top. 



