712 



Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



For general laundry purposes one size of the ordinary sad iron is 

 sufficient, but it is advisable to put several irons into the well equipped 

 laundry to use for the various kinds of work to be done. Among these 

 should be hea\^, medium heavy, and small pointed irons, the last for 

 ironing ruffles, laces, etc. 



Fig. 39. — Types of laundry irons. 



A frequent cause of poor ironing is the condition of the irons. They 

 must be kept clean and free from rust to do good work. New irons 

 should be heated thoroughly and rubbed with wax or grease before 

 using, and if they are to be put away for any length of time they should be 

 covered with a thin coating of vaseline, clean grease or paraffin, or wrapped 

 in waxed paper. If starch cooks on, it should be removed immediately 

 with a dull knife. If irons become dirty from careless use, or from being 

 left on the stove during the preparation of the meals they should be thor- 

 oughly washed with soap and water and carefully dried. To keep irons 

 smooth while using them, rub with wax or paraffin and wipe immediately 

 with a clean cloth. They improve with wear if they have good treatment. 



Tubs. Although a washing machine may be used there should be 

 one or more tubs in a laundry. Stationary tubs are better, even though 

 running water is not available, for some simple method of draining 

 them can be devised. These tubs are better made of porcelain or alberine 

 stone. Wooden tubs may be more cheaply constructed. There is 

 danger of the wooden tub becoming unsanitan.' from careless handling. 



A stationary tub should always be set with regard to the height of 

 the person who is to use it most. Manv tubs are set far too low and 

 necessitate too much back bending on the part of the operator. 



If stationary tubs are not available, fibre tubs are the best to buy for 

 the laundry as they are light and easy to care for. Galvanized iron 

 and wooden tubs are cheaper. 



The laundry bench for holding tubs should be of the proper height. 

 Most such benches are far too low, involving effort out of proportion to 

 the task to be accomplished. 



Wringer. A wringer should be a part of the laundry equipment and 

 the best on the market is always the cheapest. After using a wringer 



