WASHING-DAY WISDOM

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 231, 16 September 1935, Page 11

WASHING-DAY WISDOM

When rinsing linen, add some readymade starch to the rinsing water. When ironed the linen will have a lovely gloss and stiffness. Moreover, the article will only take half the washing next time.

A teaspoonful of borax added to the rinsing water when washing hosiery, and drying them in a cool place, will help them to retain there original appearance almost twice as long as plain water and a quick drying. Do not rub woollens, but squeeze them in your hands. When washing babies’ woollies, men’s socks, etc., that have shrunk almost beyond wear, but a piece of common soda, about the size of a walnut, into a gallon of fairly warm water, put the woollies in and wash in the ordinary way until the elasticity returns and then stretch them to the normal size. Now rinse in warm water and shake well before hanging out.

Two tablespoonfuls of fresh lemon juice added to the rinsing water when washing handkerchiefs will help to cure them if they are a bad colour. If linen is in a very bad condition a preliminary soaking in cold water to which two tablespoonfuls of fresh lemon juice is added will help the process of bleaching, especially if the soaking is done overnight prior to washing, and you rinse in at least three changes of water, or until the water comes out quite clear.