This section is from the book "A Manual Of Home-Making", by Martha Van Rensselaer. Also available from Amazon: A Manual of Home-Making.
As far as possible, all utensils that are to come in contact with clothing or to contain material to be used on the clothing, should be non-rustable. Tinware is not good for laundry use because of the ease with which it rusts. The boiler should have a copper bottom at least, and is best made entirely of copper. It then conducts heat better and does not rust.
 
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