476. To Stiffen Silk for Trimmings

476.    To Stiffen Silk for Trimmings. Sponge the surface of the silk with a weak solution of gum arabic, or with equal parts of ale and water, and iron, while damp, on the wrong side. This is excellent when old silk is to be used for trimming, and it is necessary to keep it stiff.

477. To Wash Silk Pocket Handkerchiefs

477.    To Wash Silk Pocket Handkerchiefs. Silk pocket handkerchiefs require to be washed by themselves, and those containing snuff should be put to soak in separate lukewarm water. Two or three hours after, they should be rinsed out and put to soak with the others in cold water for an hour or two. They should then be washed out in lukewarm water, being soaped as they are washed. If all the stains are not out of them, they must be washed through a second water of the same description. When finished, they should be rinsed in cold soft water, in which a handful of common salt has been dissolved. They may be rinsed all together, being thrown, as fast as they are washed, into a dry tub, whence, when all are done, they are transferred to the rinsing tub.

478. To Wash Point Lace

478.    To Wash Point Lace. By following the directions laid down in this receipt, ladies may wash and finish their own point lace as thoroughly as any French laundress. Mix a tea-spoonful powdered borax in a basin of strong white Castile soap-suds. Baste the lace to be washed, very carefully, with fine cotton, upon two thicknesses of flannel. Soak the lace, thus arranged, in the soap-suds mixture for 24 hours, or longer if very dirty, changing the suds two or three times. Then let it lie for 2 or 3 hours in clean water to rinse, changing the water once. Squeeze it out (do not wring it), and, when partially dry, place the flannel with the lace on it, lace downwards, on two thicknesses of dry flannel laid on a table, and smooth it with a hot iron. During the whole process, the lace must remain basted on the flannel; and when it is pressed, must lie sandwiched between the dry and damp flannel, and pressed upon the latter. "When the lace is perfectly dry, rip it off.

479. Twelve tree's Washing Fluid for White Linen and Cotton Articles

479.    Twelve tree's Washing Fluid for White Linen and Cotton Articles. Set aside the flannels and colored things, as they must not be washed in this way, then select from the clothes to be washed, all the coarse and dirtiest pieces from the fine; then put them in separate tubs of soft water to soak over night (the night previous to washing.) Then prepare in a separate vessel, the liquid for a large washing, namely, 1/2 pound of good brown soap, cut in small pieces; 1/2 pound soda, and 3 ounces fresh, unslacked lime, mixed in 1 gallon of boiling soft water. Stir well up, so as to mix the ingredients, and let it stand until morning. Then strain off the liquid, being careful to leave all sediment behind. Having ready about 10 gallons of boiling soft water in the boiler, pour in the prepared liquid (keeping out all settlings that may yet be remaining) then throw in your clothes and boil them twenty minutes or half an hour. Previous to which, put an earthen plate at the bottom of the boiler, to prevent the clothes from burning. After boiling the appointed time, take them out; scald them, blue them, and rinse them in clean soft water, warm or cold, and the clothes will be as clean and white as snow. By this method, the finest linens, laces, cambrics, etc., can be readily and easily cleansed with very little trouble.

Should there be only a small washing, and less than 10 gallons of water required to boil them in, less of the liquid of lime, soap, and soda, can be used in proportion. When there is any difficulty in procuring fresh lime, a quantity of the liquor may be made at once from the lime, which will keep for years, corked in bottles, and ready for use.