CLEANING SUMMER FELTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21616, 7 October 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

CLEANING SUMMER FELTS

RENEWING HATS For white or light-coloured soft felts, petrol is the best cleaning agent to use. Rub the hat gently with petrol containing a little dissolved soap, using a pad of soft material or a soft-bristled nail-brush. Rinse in clean petrol, press as much of the petrol out of the hat as possible with a piece of clean, dry flannel. Hang out-of-doors to dry. When quite dry, rub gently with a little French chalk, powdered calcined magnesia or ordinary plain household flour. Remove the powder with a soft brush or pad of material, when the hat will look like new. Drab or fawn-coloured soft folts can be dry-cleaned with hot, dry powdered fuller's earth. Rub the powder in with a soft pad of material, allow it to remain on the hat for some time, then brush thoroughly to remove all the loose powder and dust. If the hat is very dirty, the petrol method can be employed. Another method is to clean the felt with powdered pipe-clav (to match the colour of the hat if possible). Leave the powder on for a few hours, then brush thoroughly. To clean a hard, -white felt, cover it with powdered calcined magnesia, leave for two or three* hours, then rub with a soft white cloth or use a soft clean brush to remove the powder.

For a coloured hard felt, common salt can be used as a cleaning agent. Heat the salt in the oven, and rub it well into the hat with a soft pad; brush well to finish.