226 MAWS CONQUEST OF SUBSTANCES 



their alkali content, cut the grease and themselves act as 

 cleansers. In some cities where the water is very hard, as 

 in Columbus, Ohio, it is softened and filtered at public ex- 

 pense, before it leaves the reservoirs. But even under 

 these circumstances, a moderate use of washing powder is 

 general in laundry work. 



If washing powder is put on clothes dry, or is thrown into 

 a crowded tub, it will eat the clothes before it has a chance 

 to dissolve in the water. The only safe method is to dissolve 

 the powder before the clothes are put into the tub. The 

 trouble with our public laundries is that many of them are 

 careless about this very fact, and do not take time to dissolve 

 the powder before mixing it with the clothes. 



The strongest washing powder is soda, and this cheap form 

 is as good as any of the more expensive preparations sold 

 under fancy names. Borax is a milder powder and is desir- 

 able for finer work. 



One of the most disagreeable consequences of the use of 

 hard water for bathing is the unavoidable scum which forms 

 on the sides of bathtub and washbowl. The removal of the 

 caked grease is difficult, and if soap alone is used, the cleaning 

 of the tub requires both patience and hard scrubbing. The 

 labor can be greatly lessened by moistening the scrubbing 

 cloth with turpentine and applying it to the greasy film, which 

 immediately dissolves and thus can be easily removed. The 

 presence of the scum can be largely avoided by adding a 

 small amount of liquid ammonia to the bath water. But 

 many persons object to this; hence it is well to have some 

 other easy method of removing the objectionable matter. 



208. To remove Stains from Cloth. While soap is, gener- 

 ally speaking, the best cleansing agent, there are occasions 

 when other substances can be used to better advantage. For 

 example, grease spots on carpet and non-washable dress goods 



