Keeping the Gloss Oil Chintz

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

Keeping the Gloss Oil Chintz

In washing -.chintz covers we avoid soap altogether. Even if it does remove the dirt, it is ten to one it spoils the sheen of the material—just what one is out to avoid. To wash chintz covers without loss of gloss, boil about 21b. of good quality rice in two gallons of water, then leave it for five or six hours to cool. Next day boil up the solution again—rice and water that is—and allow it to cool on until you can just bear your hands in it. Then plunge the chintz into the mixture, rubbing it with the rice water until the dirt falls out and the material is clean all over. A sponge or very soft nail-brush helps considerably, especially if the covers are much soiled. When the material is as clean as new, boil a similar quantity of rice again in the same amount of fresh water and, when cool, strain off the liquid this time. This is the rinsing water which gives to the material its look of newness when dry and ready for wear again. , After the covers are thoroughly rinsed, endeavour to dry them as flat as possible by laying them on several thicknesses of newspaper on the floor. Not only does this keep the covers a good shape, but they dry more quickly, since the absorbent quality of the paper soaks up the, superfluous moisture, and undue shrinkage in any particular part is avoided. In the actual ironing, use a medium-heated iron in preference to a hot one. This is important, for it imparts the requisite gloss.