BLEACHING AT HOME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 31 October 1925, Page 19

BLEACHING AT HOME.

hints for the housewife. There are many occasions when a know edge of bleaching is or grea t value. W ithout knowing the possibilities oi home bleaching, one might, for instance, refrain from p,eking up a bargain in unbeached linen, or other material, and -yet these are known for their strength and durability. Then there is the rather discoloured natural silk that comes from abroad, which can be very satisfactorily bleached at home before being made up.

Faded cretonne curtains or covers can he bleached so that no pattern is left, and they can then be redyed. Even dark stockings can be dealt with in the same way,* and made the more fashionable light colours. Bleaching .is one of the o'idest processes known to man, and in the old days the only way of doing it was by washing, followed by repented wetting and exposure to the sun. This process is, however, too slow for modern times, so we have brought chemicals to our aid.. These, however, must be used with care and discrimination or harm will be done.

Silk and wool, need much .more care than linen and cotton. It is always most Important to rinse out all traces of any chemical used, otherwise you may find you have ruined some precious article. It is wiser and safer to soak the article for a short time on'y, then rinse and soak again, until the bleaching is complete, than to leave it for a long time in the chemical. Bleaching powder is a very cheap agent for cotton and linen materials, but must not be used for silk or wool. A suitable solution is obtained by mixing one ounce with, one gallon of water. It should be .allowed tot stand and be strained before use. It is a good plan t'o add a few drops of vinegar. After bleaching, the articles should at once he carefully rinsed, washed, and boiled in the ordinary way. A little ammonia in the rinsing water before the final cold water rinse is a help. If these directions are carefully carried out bleaching powdej- gives good results, but carelessness or inattention to these instructions are likely’to cause rotting to any material. For bleaching silk and woollen articles, hydrogen peroxide is the thing to use. It is sold in various volume solutions, but ten-volume solution is the best for household purposes. . For all delicate materials such as silks, woollens, sponges, and bristles of hair brushes, use one part to ten parts of water. The disadvantage of hydrogen peroxide is that its action is slow, hut the addition of a little ammonia hurries matters somewhat. The articles to be bleached should soak in the solution for about half an hour., and then be dried slowly, if possible,' in the sun The process should he repeated several times if necessary.