347 
4883 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Oomrstic Ccoriomi} 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
WISHING IKD IRONING 
Colored Gottoi Goods. 
TO PREVENT FADING. 
SPEED. 
When dry, damp, roll tightly, and let them 
lie until the flat-irons are just hot enough to 
smooth the cloth; an iron too hot is likely to 
injure delicate colors. For dark and bright 
colors one must do differently. I will tell you 
how l laundried a brown-and-gold print re¬ 
cently, aud I think the same treatment will 
do nicely for all dark colors. In water 
enough to cover the dress well, I mixed a 
fresh beef gall and let the dress lie and soak 
in this half an hour. Then I washed it 
thoroughly by squeezing it in'my hands, rub¬ 
bing it carefully around the neck and sleeves 
and bottom of the [skirt. I rinsed it 
well in clear, warm water, and then 
again in another water in which had 
been dissolved a piece of glue’as large as two 
fingers. I dried it at once on the clothes 
horse in the kitchen, and when just dry 
enough to iron nicely, I rolled it while the 
irons were heating and pressed it at once on 
the wrong side, and, lo I my dress had re¬ 
gained all its pristine freshness. 
Starch- Water Instead of Soap. Bran and 
Hay Water. Soft Water. 
Soap In tho Water, Not on the Goods. Dry in 
the Shade. 
Irons Must Not be Too Hot. Iron on the 
Wrong Side. 
Salt, Beef-Gall, Borax, Alum, Vinesar and Su- 
gar of Lead to Sot Oolors. 
Qum-Arabic, Glue and Coffee Jor Dark 
Goods. 
FROM MRS. A. BATTLES. 
The following mode I have had practiced in 
my family for the last 30 years. It has proven 
equally successful in washing colored goods of 
the most delicate colors and finest material as 
well as those part wool and part cotton. For 
washing clothing of this kind, we use a starch 
water. I suppose every one knows how to 
make starch from flour, but as I like, when 
reading how to do wo b, to have the directions 
given plainly and fully, I shall endeavor to 
do so with mine. 
Put a kettle on the stove with six quarts of 
water in it. While the water is coming to a 
boiling heat, put three pints of flour in a pan, 
with cold water enough to make a paste, stir 
until it is tree from lumps; pour into hot 
water and stir until it boils again. Pour half 
of this starch into a tub, add soft, warm water 
sufficient for tbe quantity to be washed. 
Where the clothes are much soiled, rub some 
of the thick starch in place of soap. Allow 
them to remaiu in the water only long enough 
to wash; rinse, and starch as speedily as 
possible. Wring them dry and turn the 
wrong side out. In summer dry in the shade, 
and in winter where they will not freeze. 
For clothes of fine material and with a white 
ground or for delicate colors, I use laundry 
starch slightly blued. For blue prints, ging¬ 
hams or any goods the colors of which are 
fast, we use a good quality of hard soap, but 
we never use soft soap on any of our colored 
cottons. Put salt into the water in which black 
and white goods are rinsed, as it prevents the 
colors from running. After sprinkling, allow 
them to lie only long enough to dampen 
through. We use Mrs. Potts’s sad-irons. Iron 
the clothes on the wrong side, as that makes 
them look more like new, being careful that 
the irons are not too hot, as that injures the 
colors. Rub and press until the articles are 
perfectly dry. 
FROM MRS. N. D. M. 
For delicate colors, I make it a rule to wash 
quickly, with as little soap as possible, aud 
that dissolved in tho water, not rubbed upon 
tbe clothes. I never wash prints and ging¬ 
hams in the suds after white clothes, as that 
makes them look dingy. For any garment 
reasonably soiled washing in one suds is suf¬ 
ficient. I rub as lightly as may be on the 
board,after rubbing between my bauds, as in 
too close an acquaintance with the wash¬ 
board dainty tiuts and patterns are lively to 
suffer. Rinse thoroughly, turn each garment 
inside out, starch—not veiy stiff—and dry 
quickly. 
FROM J. L. K. 
The weekly washing must be done, and 
done with th’ assurance drear, that ’twill be 
repeated 53 times every year, for, like Tenny¬ 
son’s brook, 
“ Men may come and men may go 
But wc go on forever,” 
or, in other words, we are forever washing, 
ironing, baking, etc. Nothing is denied to 
well directed labor, and nothing is ever to be 
obtained without it. There is complete satis¬ 
faction in contemplating the weekly washing 
after it is hung on the line, especially if it was 
our labor that produced this immaculate 
cleanliness. It should therefore be our con 
stant study and aim to bring forth the best of 
results, with the least labor, so that we may 
have more time to spend in our favorite pur¬ 
suits. 
To wash colored cotton goods so as to pre¬ 
vent fading, I make suds of Jaxon” soap, 
rub them in this, wring and put them in a 
tub of clean, warm water, turn each garment 
and rub again through this; then, if I wish 
them to avoid thatstiff, shiny, fresh-from-tbe- 
laundry look, I put cooked starch in the blu¬ 
ing water; then hang on the line, wrong side 
out, and those garments which are the most 
liable to fade, should be hung in the shade. 
For black cotton, or those goods which are 
bound to fade any way, a little salt thrown in 
the water will help to keep the color in the 
fabric. I think one secret of success is this: 
not to let the garment* remain in the suds, 
and not to rub soap on them. Colored cotton 
should be always ironedfon the wrong side; 
but our blue morning gowns, red table-clotbs, 
and a few other things will look almost as 
well, and certainly do their duty as well, if 
they never feel tbe hot breath from a sad-iron, 
and tbe time that we would spend over the 
ironing-board, can be profitably spent making 
the acquaintance of the last new magazines 
and papers,or practicing our neglected music. 
Oh! farmers’ wives! let us trust in the good 
time coming, when we shall have co-operative 
laundries and creameries; then the wife and 
mother will not lose all of her attractive 
charms by unremitting drudgery and toiL 
ren’s dresses to plain ginghams which I know 
will not fade. I have been successful in 
washing delicate colors, in this way:— 
I have three tubs rea«ly with water just 
pleasantly warm, and boil a little soap before¬ 
hand, which I use in the first two waters just 
enough to make the water soft. I wash the 
garments quickly and rinse in cold water and 
hang them out at once. I have never found 
any benefit from the use of salt water to set 
the colors. I iron all colored clothes on the 
wrong side; for I know positively that a hot 
iron used on the right side will fade the colors 
more than poor washing. If the garment 
must have a gloss, one can use a much cooler 
iron for the purpose after first ironing on the 
wrong side. I do not like starched clothes, 
and unless the colors are very light, the goods, 
in my opinion, look much better without 
starch. 
The “ guid'mon” thinks no one can wash 
his flannels like “the wife.” I put them into 
water as hot as I can bear my hands in and 
“ sudsy,” the last water being clear with a 
little bluing in it, and hotter, if anything, than 
tbe first. I wash out one piece at a time, 
shake thoroughly and hang out, getting it dry 
as quickly as possible and ^pressing on the 
wrong side with a cool iron. Washed in this 
way, the flannel is soft and woolly, and never 
shrinks. 
FROM JULIA S. INGERSOLL. 
lumps, and it a little black dye be added, the 
color of black goods will be better and longer 
preserved. 
FROM MRS. A. J. GREENE. 
If my white clothes are out of their scalding 
water, I like to use that for rubbing my 
colored cotton garments. If not, I take clean 
quite warm water and make good suds, being 
sure that the soap is dissolved. Then I put 
the finest, lightest-colored articles into the 
water and rub them out as quickly as possible, 
putting each into very warm water for 
rinsing, adding a small handful of salt. 
Thoroughly rinse, wring out, turning them 
wrong side out, starch and hang on 
the line where they will dry as quickly as 
possible. I use flour starch, except for mus¬ 
lins, cambrics and like goods. For them 1 use 
lump starch cooked, and am governed by the 
texture of the goods as regards its thickness. 
Then, taking the next lighter-colored goods I 
proceed as before until all are rubbed and on 
the line wrong side out. 
For dark blue, or other dark goods making 
the starch very blue prevents it from showing 
when the goods are! ironed. As soon as they 
are dry, they are brought into the bouse, 
sprinkled at night and rolled, unless I am 
suspicious that the colors will run; such are 
left until morning. All articles except plain 
dark goods I iron on the right side with a 
pretty hot iron. 
FROM MRS. E. D. CORY. 
My method of washing colored cotton goods 
is to wash them through the suds after the 
white clothes have been rubbed through and 
put over to boil. They are then laid aside 
for a little while, until the white clothes are 
sudsed and rinsed, when they are again rub 
bed, if necessary, through the suds water, 
rinsed, starched in good flour starch, turned 
wrong side out, and immediately hung up to 
dry. I prefer a shady, but airy place for 
drying colored cotton goods. I think that to 
allow the fabrics to remain wet a long time 
isTnjurious to most colors, consequently I 
never hang colored clothes out in freezing 
weather; but dry them around the fire. I 
think that if black calico or goods of particu 
larly delicate colors are washed in starch 
water without any soap, they will retain 
their colors much longer. The starch water 
is made simply by making enough flour starch 
so that, after diluting it with water, there will 
be sufficient in which to rub the garment, 
afterward rinsing it in weak starch water. 
If a small quantity of salt be added to the 
starch when cooking, it will help to set the 
color and prevent sticking when ironed. 
When thoroughly dampened, I iron the goods 
on the right side with a medium-hot flat, as I 
donotlike the rough, wrinkled looks of clothes 
ironed on the wrong side. 
My custom has been this: for dark|cambric 
and percales I take warm soft water, and for 
two pails dissolve one-half tea-cupful of salt. 
I make moderately strong suds with good 
hard soap, and for the most soiled places ap¬ 
ply the soap a little at a time, and immediate¬ 
ly rub, or the color is apt to come out if the 
soap is left on many minutes. Wash one 
piece at a time, and immerse in rinsing water 
with salt added. Wring out and starch im¬ 
mediately with Kingsford’s or any other 
brand of starch, on the wrong side, and dry 
quickly in an airy place, in the shade if pos¬ 
sible. Iron on the wrong side and the goods 
will look almost like new. I sprinkle over¬ 
night or at least three hours before ironing, 
that the dampness may be evenly distributed. 
I have had very dainty medium blue French 
print that I washed in bran^water with good 
results. I take one quart of bran (wheat), tie 
it in a salt-bag, quite loosely, or with room in 
the bag for twice the amount of bran. Soak 
in a pail of warm water for an hour or two, 
put bag and bran water into a tub of two 
pails of warm water, and wash the goods 
without soap, unless they are badly soiled. 
Rinse in clean water with some of the re¬ 
served bran water added. Dry in the shade, 
and iron on the wrong side, or spread a thin 
cloth over the waist and those places which 
will not iron smoothly on the wrong side, to 
prevent that shiny look which is caused by 
the starch and hot irons. Dark prints must 
be washed and rinsed in water which has not 
been used for white clothes,as the lint from the 
white garments is sure to show on dark cotton; 
for light ones it will do'no harm. For ordinary 
fast^ginghams and prints I use hard soap and 
clean water for washing and riusing, and 
starch with flour or fine starch, according to 
the quality of the garments. Sprinkle and fold 
over-night or three hours before ironing. 
Iron on the right side, if the colors are quite 
light. The bran water doesn’t seem to fade 
the colors, for whenever I nave tried it they 
come out bright and fresh, and one would 
hardly think they had been washed. 
FROM F. A. BROWN. 
I have hired my washing done for a number 
of years, and havejet to find a laundress who 
can wash a colored ootton dress without spoil¬ 
ing^, so that long ago I reduced the child- 
FROM GERALDINE GERMANE. 
In washing colored lawns, ginghams and 
calicoes I do not put;them into hot water, or 
in strong suds, neither do I rub soap on them, 
nor leave them in the tub to soak. I use 
water just comfortably warm to the hands, in 
which enough hard soap has been dissolved 
to make weak suds. Rub through this quick¬ 
ly, wring and throw into a generous quantity 
of clear, cold water, turn wrong side out, 
rinse, dip into starch that has been cooked 
and has cooled, wring out and immediately 
hang in the shade to dry. Remove the gar¬ 
ments from the line as soon as they are 
thoroughly dry, sprinkle with cold water and 
roll tightly two or three hours before ironing. 
Use moderately heated irons, and iron on the 
wrong side when possible. Plain brown 
lawns and calicoes will keep their color bet¬ 
ter if two or three table-spoonfuls of cold cof¬ 
fee are added to the starch. 
Black cotton goods and goods that fade 
should never be washed with soap, but in 
lukewarm water in which a table-spoonful of 
salt and a'tea-spoonful of soda have been dis¬ 
solved to’ each quart. If there are badly 
soiled spots they should be cleansed oy rub¬ 
bing in beef’s gall or the yelks of eggs. Such 
goods should be immediately rinsed in clear, 
cold water, wrung as dry as possible and 
starched tu cool starch that is free from 
FROM MRS. ALICE P. SHEFFER. 
Before putting colored clothes into water, 
it is best to look them carefully over, and if 
there are any grease spots, they should be 
washed out first, as they cannot be seen after 
the articles are wet. Do not wash in very 
hot water. Warm water does as good work 
and is not as trying on colors; that is, it will 
not extract the color so much. Rub immedi¬ 
ately, not allowing them to soak long. Soft 
soap should never be used for any colored 
clothes except for the various shades of yellow 
calicoes, for which it is preferred. Rinse such 
garments always in soft water; while for the 
other colors hard water is preferable, and 
rinse them out as soon Its they are washed, 
hang in the shade. A little salt in the rinsing 
water serves to brighten and set the colors of 
black, green, and blue calicoes. Alum dissolv¬ 
ed in the rinsing water is excellent for green 
colors, while vinegar added to the rinse will 
brighten red and pink cottons as if they were 
new. 
For several days before the general wash¬ 
day, save up the water in which potatoes 
have been boiled, and use this for black cali¬ 
coes, dark lawns, and linen. It can be heated 
to the right temperature, using no soap. Tho 
goods will need no other starching, as the po¬ 
tato water will stiffen them, and also preserve 
the color. Never starch black cotton with 
wheat flour. Another method much used by 
my grandmother for garments inclined to 
fade, was to wash them in lukewaim water, 
adding a beef’s gall in the proportions of one- 
half pint to three or four gallons of water, 
rinsing in hard water. Do not use soap un¬ 
less absolutely necessary. Most women make 
flour starch by mixing up the flour with 
water until the mixture is free from lumps,and 
then pouring boiling water over it, until it is of 
the proper consistence. I think a better way 
is to pour the prepared flour-water free from 
lumps, slowly into a pot of boiling water, 
stirring it until it has cooked four or five 
minutes. Strain it through a bag made of 
two thicknesses of dairy cloth and then thin 
it with cold water. If the starch is made in 
this way the clothes will have a better look. 
Do not iron calicoes with irons too hot, as the 
hot irons will change the colors very ma¬ 
terially, especially those that are red. Gar¬ 
ments that have been starched, should 
not be put away for several weeks or 
months where the air cannot circulate freely, 
as starch has a tendency to make the fiber 
tender when the goods are not exposed to air. 
FROM M. E. S. 
For the farmer’s wife, I think colored 
clothes the m ,st troublesome part of the wash¬ 
ing. New colored cottons I usually put into 
a tub of clean, warm water in which 1 have 
dissolved a handful of salt. After they have 
soaked five or 10 minutes, they are washed 
clean with some good hard soap. I prefer 
ivory. They are rinsed well, wrung dry and 
hung in the shade if possible. If one has not 
a shady place, she should be sure that the 
wrong side is the one exposed to the sun. For 
starching dark cottous, weak gum-arabic or 
glue-water gives the desired stiffuess without 
the troublesome white specks flour starch 
sometimes leaves. A tea-spoonful of borax in 
the starch will prevent it from sticking to the 
irons. 
Sprinkle the goods an hour or so before 
