CLEANING WITH BRAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 5

CLEANING WITH BRAN.

The renovation and cleaning of various materials used in the home is a branch glected. Both in the case of clothes and furnishing fabrics much can be done to restore freshness when necessary without incurring the expense of sending the article in need of renovation to the- professional cleaners.

Used dry, bran is a splendid medium for cleaning filrs. The bran should be placed in two tin pans and made thoroughly hot in the oven or on the. top of tho stove. While one pan is in use the other should be kept hot. Sheets of newspaper or a dust-sheet should be spread under the fur garment to be cleaned as bran is very light and easily scattered. A handful of hot bran should be rubbed into the fur and then shaken out again. This process should be repeated until the portion treated is clean. The bran must be kept quite hot to be really effective, and should be gathered up and reheated when a quantity has been used. The results of such bran cleaning are quite astonishing. * The same method of treatment is suitable for rough tweed costumes, suits, etc. Bran is used in liquid form for the renovation of chintz and cretonne and other such washing fabrics which require special treatment. / Bran water for this purpose is prepared by tying half a pint of bran loosely in a square of muslin, leaving plenty of room for the bran to swell. Put this in a saucepan with a quart of cold water, and let it simmer for half an hour, This first bran wat~r should then be poured off and allowed to cowl, while another quart of cold water is added to the saucepan and the bran stewed once more.

The quantities should, of course, be incrajped when there are several pieces; of malarial to be cleaned. The bran water is then added to two tubs of warm, soapy water and the cretonnes, etc., washed by kneading and squeezing, first in one tub and then in the second. The bran brings up the tones of colour in the pattern in a remarkable way. i A final rinsing in clear cold water, to wnich salt has been added clears the fabric, which should then be passed through the wringer, dried in a cool place, starched or not according to its texture and finally ironed. Bran can also be used to renovate a shabby serge skirt in the following manner :—Place a Kandfiil of brail in basin and ponr over it about half a pint of boiling water. Let this cool a little, then dip a clothes brush into tho bowl, and brush the skirt vigorously. Hang in tho air to dry. Any pieces of bran should then be brushed off and the skirt pressed thoroughly on the wrong side with a hot iron. The skirt will be thoroughly renovated with this treatment*