HOW TO MAKE OLD RIBBONS NEW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7802, 5 September 1903, Page 3

HOW TO MAKE OLD RIBBONS NEW.

Can you wash ribbons? Ask yourself this question ; then ask your friends. You will be surprised to find "liovv many wil} answer " No. I have tried once or twice and failed ; tLoy lade or wrinkle so that , they look worse than before they were washed. Do tell. me how it is done, for I have amy amount of old ribbons, good, ones, but too badly soiled to be used, again." Have you not old ribbons, too? Andl would you not like to know how they cam, j be mad« new? If you ar© one of the mainy, girls who have to economise,, you will value the information higihly, and even if yon aura one of the fortunate ores who 'can buy n ?w ribbons whenever the old ones aire soiled,; you, too, can find mamy other uses for your, ribbon money. To begin with, the ribbons to be washed! must be of good quality. Cheap ribbons fade even before they are washed,, but good ribbons oan be washed many times and still look fresih and new. With g.ood H pure soaip prepare a basinful (a. hand-tjawl will b« large enough) of ■warm suds, and place in, it all the ribbons of one> coolur. When they have soaked for fifteen minutes,, remove and spread them, piece by piece, flat on a smooth sarface. Then, with a soft brush (an old nail brush will do) rub until all the streaks amd spots disappear. A little cooking goda will help to remove the obstinate stains. Rinse out the soap suds in clear, wairm water. Do not wring this ribbons as you would handkerchiefs, Irat fold them smoothly and press them be-i tween the hands until you get cut as much of the water as possible. If yon desire the ribbons to be as stiff as when nww, put a| few drops of vinegar in th© rinsing water. Have the ironing board ready, spread the ribbons between two towels and press with a moderately hot) iron until tharougihly. dry. - This method will be found excellent with satin, taffeta, peaii de soie, gros-girain,, j Liberty satin, miroir velvet and other! ribbons— except silk velvet. Silk velvet ribbons should be merely dampened' — not soaked— and run quickly back amd forth over the surface of a hot iron (silk side metxt to the iron) until dny. With a clothes brush brush up the 1 face of the ribbon gently but thoroughly, and the old velvet ribbon will be restored to its original oondition. Creased silk ribTjons may bo restoired by being laid evenly on a board and dampened with a \exj clean sponge). Then roll tfoera smoothly and tightly on, a ribbon block, of greater breadth than the ribbon, and let them remain until dry. • Ribbons and other silks should be put away for preservation in brown paper ; the chloride of lime used in manufacturing white paper frequently produces discolour-.' ation. WMte satin should be pinned in blue paper, with brown pa{p«r outside,, sawn together at the ed|nes.