WASHING IN SALT WATER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10574, 27 January 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

WASHING IN SALT WATER.

. o ;o LAUNDRY WORK ON OCEAN-GOING

LINERS.

The washerwoman, or, man, has hitherto been a person for whom there hag been no place on shipboard. lhe reason ior this does not lie m the fact that sailors, either m the naval or merchaut service, have no clothes that need washing* but is due to the fact that it has been practically impossible to wash linen satisfactorily m sea water. Many inventors have endeavored to solve tihe problem, and many patents — one dating as far back as "1771 — have heen taken out, but still the difficulty remained.

At last, however, a new soap has been introduced, for which it is claimed that linen, washed with its aid even m sea water may be starched and "got up" m the best style, "Ocean-going ships," feaid the manager of Sapon, Limited, the firm responsible for the new soap, "carry from 50,000 to 100,000 pieces of bed. and table linen simply because they have to take enough to last during the entile voyage. Passengers, too, have also to take with them linen sufficient for the voyage. ' "But with this new Eoap the washerwoman will be kept busy on liners, and expense, time and space will ht/ saved.. "The iuvention has already beeu investigated by two representatives of the Admiralty, for the use oJ such a soap on warships would be Of very great value. At present all used linen has to be gent ashore for washing."