This section is from the book "The Progress Meatless Cook Book", by Carlotta Lake. Also available from Amazon: The Progress Meatless Cook Book.
Brush black taffeta with a piece of velveteen, pin it smoothly to the ironing board and sponge with one tablespoonful of ammonia in two quarts of strong black coffee. Sponge both sides and rub dry with a clean soft cloth. An old soft stocking makes a good sponging cloth. Equal parts of ox gall and boiling water are also good for sponging black silk.
Another sponging liquid is one teaspoonful of ammonia in a cupful of strong tea.
Put the spotted places between clean white blotting paper, and press with a quite warm iron, changing the blotters as the wax is absorbed.
Grease spots are often removed in the same manner.
Wash in lukewarm Ivory soap suds, rinse in warm water, hang on the line and let drip dry, and press on the wrong side without dampening. Pongee sometimes shrinks when wet.
Spread a cloth wrung from cold water on top of a not too hot range, or over an inverted flat iron, spread the velvet over it and brush lightly with a whisk broom. Velvet can be made to look like new.
 
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