WHEN WASHING PILLOWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17410, 12 December 1924, Page 11

WHEN WASHING PILLOWS.

Choose a. bright, sunny day for washing pillows and cushions. Iu the case of the latter, the day beforehand the covers should be all taken off and washed separately if they are soiled. On pillow-washing morning prepare a large bath of warm lather made with 'lnked soap or soap jelly. Add to this a little borax or ammonia. Either of these softens the water, and will remove any grease that may have accumulated in the feathers. Have ready a large bag of thin muslin. Butter muslin is cheap, and does very well. Unpick one end of the pillow' ticking, and empty the feathers into the muslin bag ; it should be large enough to hold all the leathers from several pillows. If you are washing down cushions, do not mix the down with the,, feathers. Either have a second hag to hold it, or use the one containing the feathers after all the feathers have been washed.

Tack the hag very firmly together at the top, so that none of the contents can escape, and plunge it into the hath of suds. Move the bag round and round in the water, kneading and r 3 squeezing it with the hands, until all 0 the dirt is removed from the feathers Rinse very thoroughly in warm water (this is best dore directly under 9 rhe tap. to get the flow), then put 1 the hag carefully through the wringer s and hang it out to dry. At short intervals it must be shaken and the feath' - ers pulled apart, so that they do not dry stuck together. While drying is going on. wash and ‘ iron the ticking covers of the pillows. When the feathers are perfectly dry. beat the hag containing them for some minutes with a light stick or cane. | Under this treatment they will fluff up and look exactly like new. Then divide vp the feathers proportionately among the clean ticking | cases, and sew up the cases. Remember > that the clean pillow- must be very well . aired indeed out of doors before thev are used