This section is from the book "Three Meals A Day", by Maud C. Cooke. Also available from Amazon: Three Meals a Day.
Put in alcohol, churn up and down until the liquid foams. If very dusty repeat the operation; squeeze them out, clap them between the hands, pull out the edges, lay between brown paper, smooth and straight. Leave under a weight until dry.
Wash and rinse in benzine, dry in the open air and press between folds of white paper. Cotton lace and Crepe Lisse ruches may be washed in benzine.
Ribbons Washed in the same way will often look very nicely. " Benzine is very inflammable.
Mix 1 teaspoonful powdered borax in a basin of strong white Castile or other fine soap-suds. Baste the lace very carefully upon two thicknesses of white flannel, catching all the points down. Let soak in this suds twenty-four hours, or longer if very much soiled. Then let lie in clear water for two or three hours, changing once. In the last water dissolve a little pulverized sugar (this will stiffen slightly). Squeeze out, do not wring, place the flannel, lace down, on two thicknesses of dry flannel and smooth with a hot iron. When quite dry rip the lace off. The result is perfect.
Put the lace away in a box with equal parts of magnesia and powdered French chalk sprinkled liberally in its folds. Lace dealers keep fine" lace in this preparation while awaiting sale.
A piece of glue dissolved in skim . milk and water is said to be very effective in restoring old crape. Use very hot and clap dry.
Heat a flat-iron, turn it upside down, put a wet cloth over it, lay upon this the wrong side of the velvet, then, if necessary, rub up the nap rapidly. Ordinarily, the steam alone will do this.
Lisle Thread Gloves and Hose should be dried upon frames to prevent shrinkage. Put the gloves upon the hands.
Rub it gently in soap-suds, and When dry it will shake out perfectly fresh.
It is an excellent plan to wash all such hose before wearing, in a weak solution of salt and water, with about a teaspoonful of sugar of lead. Rinse thoroughly . afterward. Run through a wringer twice, the last time folded in a towel, to remove all the' moisture, then turn wrong side out to dry. This will prevent the color from running on the right side. Dry immediately before a fire, as a long cold drying is sure to make the colors run. Pin them up to dry. Do not lay them over anything. To wash, prepare a clean suds of soap and warm water. Wash, rinse in clear water, and, if the articles are bright colored, throw in a little salt to prevent the colors running. Wring out and dry as above directed.
Black Hose should be washed as above, wringing in the same way, then rolled in a cloth and kept from the air while drying.
 
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