HOW TO WASH LACE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 11

HOW TO WASH LACE

To wash real lace needs the greatest care; but if it be well done tho result is far more satisfactory then sending it to be cleaned. Beal lace should never be rubbed at all with the hands, as that might tear it, and would most certainly stretch it. For washing it lukewarm water and dissolved soap are needed, and for making the dissolved soap, use a good curd soap, as that is one of the purest kinds obtainable. To make the dissolved soap, shred a quarter of a pound of the curd soap into a quart of water, put it into an enamelled saucepan, and simmer it until the soap is all dissolved: stir this into the warm water until a permanent lather is formed. Should the lace be very dirty, dissolve a teaspoonful of borax in a little boiling water, strain it through muslin, and add it to the warm water and soap lather. Should the borax not be strained there will be a little sediment at tho bottom of the vessel in. which it was dissolved, and this if it got on to the lace might cause tiny specks looking almost like if on moulds, which would, of course, spoil its appearance. I say "might cause” the tiny specks, as nine times perhaps nothing would happen, and the tenth the lace wonld practically be spoilt—therefore strain the borax. There are two general methods in use for washing real lace. For the first method have a wide necked bottle with a stopper. Put the lace into it, half fill with the prepared warm water and soap lather. - Put a piece of clean linen or muslin over the month of the bottle, cork it. and shako it well. As tho water gets dirty pour it away, and put some more into the bottle, and repeat the process until the water pours away quite clean. Then turn the lace into a bowl of warm water, with no soap in it, rinse it well, then rinse it in clean cold water. Squeeze out the water without pulling the lace, then spread it out on a clean sheet of white blotting paper, place another sheet of blotting paper over it, and press well with the hands to get the moisture out of it. Have ready a board covered witi clean flannel, spread the lace out on this, and pin it into shape with baby pins, which must be good opes, or they will rust and mark the lace. Every loop of the pattern must be pinned out without stretching it at all. Having pinned out the lace very carefully, cover it with muslin or a clean light cloth, and leave it until it is quite dry. Then unpin it as carefully as it was pinned out, and if not wanted for_ immediate use roll or fold it in blue tissue paper and put it away. Never put lace away in white tissue paper, as the chloride of lime used iu its preparation might cause injury to the laceFor the second method of washing lace, tack it on to a piece of clean flannel, having each point of the pattern securely fastened. Then tack the flannel round a large bottle or a piece of wood, and wash in two baths of warm water and soap lather. Take the flannel off the bottle, and rinse first in warm water then in cold. Let the lace dry on the flannel, and when nearly dry remove the tacking threads very carefully. Place the lace between two sheets of clean white blotting paper, put' the blotting paper with the lac© between it on some flannel, and press the lace out very carefully with a cool iron, having the blotting paper between it and the iron. Black lace can be treated in exactly the same way as the white, only warm weak tea and soap lather should be used instead of water. Tho tea makes the black lace a good colour. If old lace has become a bad colour, soak it iu warm milk before it is washed.

Never boil lace, as that will quite destroy its colour. . Tho ordinary lace ties and trimmings now so much in use can be washed in two baths of lukewarm water and soap lather. Squeeze the lather through the lace then rinse it first in warm and then in cold water, and whilst wet dip it into some starch prepared as follows: One teaspoonful of starch mixed to a smooth paste with half a pint of cold water. Squeeze tho starch out of the lace, pull it into shape, roll up tightly in a cloth, and after a few minutes iron it (whilst wot) on tho wrong side over a pad of flannel. Be sure that it is ironed quite dry or it will not look well. - . Black lace must never be starched or it will have a glazed look when it is ironed, which would quite spoil it. Should black lace require any stiffening, gum arable ought to be used. Tho light coloured gum is the best to use. Take one ounce and pour half a pint of boiling water over it, stir until all the gum is dissolved; strain through muslin, bottle it, and be sure to keep the bottle well corked. For stiffening black lace use about two tablespoonsful of tho gum water added to half a pint of water. When pressing out black lace place it between two sheets of clean blotting paper or between two sheets of blue tissue paper, so that none of the dye may get on to the ironing sheet.