THE WASHING OF CLOTHING 197 



not, calcium carbonate? Ammonium sulphate? Sodium nitrate? 

 Iron chloride? 



223. The Washing of Clothing. We must now apply 

 what we have learned about acids, bases, and salts to some 



FIG. 194. 



Modern Laundry. The illustration shows an electric-power tub for washing; one for rinsing; 



a hot mangle, or ironer; a cold mangle; electric irons, and laundry tub. Courtesy 



of the Department of Home Economics, Cornell University. 



common household practices. We begin with the washing 

 of clothing (Fig. 194). 



Clothing that has been worn too long has a damp, 

 sticky feeling. It has this feeling because its pores are 

 clogged with the materials given off by the skin. These 

 consist of perspiration, of organic waste which the body 

 casts off through the skin, and of dead skin itself. When 

 these fill the pores of clothing, it is unfit to wear, whether 

 it looks dirty or not. The evaporation of the perspiration 

 regulates the temperature of the body (cf. 74), and the 

 clothing should aid, not hinder, this evaporation. The 

 reason why clean garments feel so comfortable is largely 

 because they have a fresh absorbing surface. 



