BUYING BLANKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 58, 9 March 1935, Page 16

BUYING BLANKETS.

POINTS TO REMEMBER.

It is at this time of the year that most housewives, eager to take advantage of the sales, set about adding to thoir stock of blankets in readiness for the cold weather months ahead. But it is not always a wise policy to be too intent on securing a bargain when blankets must be bought; if they are to be expected to give good service for

several years many more points than the proportionate cuts shown on the price ticket must tie carerully considered. First of all, there is the matter of weight to be taken into account. How often do you hear a particular brand or quality of blanket praised because it is "such a good, heavy one"? But that is all wrong. Because a blanket is heavy doca not mean it is good quality—often quite the reverse. Probably it will mean that cotton has been allied with wool in the manufacture of the blanket to give it extra —and utterly useless — weight. For it is the blankets of moderate density that arc the warmest and most satisfactory from the health point of view; though it seems a curious anomaly, they arc far cosier than blankets which are very closely woven and dense. And too much weight causes sleeplessness.

So the first rule on blanket buying is to steer clear of heavy cloths. The second is to stick to wool. Wool and cotton mixtures seem cheaper on the face of it, but they are often a false economy, for they have not the same warmth—and therefore more pairs will be needed—and they do not give the same service.

The border offers an excellent menus of testing the quality of a blanket. Gay coloured borders are often taken to register quality, but that is another fallacy. They do not. The test is the evenness of the stitching and the smoothness and firmness of the hems. Always examine the borders closely, especially the corners and the extreme edges. If the stitching is even and the corners neat and strong, you can almost certainly count on the blankets being good buying.

Another point to beware of is extreme fhlffluess. Those very fluffy blankets often to be seen at surprisingly low prices are best loft alone. For they are artificially raised in the mills to give them this attractive appearance to the unsuspecting. Actually, the fluflhiess is an indication of a coarse ground. Then, too, see that the blankets arc free from black—or semi-black —hairs before you buy them. And avoid very coarse, irregular weaves.

Washing New Blankets. In districts badly infested with flies it is often necessary to wash the new blankets before putting them on the beds. For some reason—probably the trace of greasiness remaining in the new wool—blowflies will attack' brand new blankets, though they will not touch them once they have been washed. The best way to wash these new blankets is to soak them first of all in cold salted water. A good soaking in this way is a cure for greasiness. Afterwards the blanket should be given a proper washing, in tepid water this time. Make a lather of good mild soap, shredding it and melting with hot water to which a little ammonia has been added. And add some borax to the washing waters; this is an excellent cleansing agent, and will help to keep tho blankets a good colour. Rinse thoroughly—this is most important, for the wool will cling tenaciously to the soap, and if it is left in the blankets will become stiff and hard, and an ugly soiled yellow. After the final rinsing, wring out as well as possible, fold the blanket in half, and peg the two edges' about four inches over a taut clothes line to ensure its drying in shape. It should be hung where it •will catch a breeze if possible, and should be shaken and turned from time to time while. it is drying. Afterwards it can be beaten with a clean carpet beater to bring up the soft, fluffy pile again.