Silk and Crepe de Chine Blouses to Wash.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 11, 17 March 1909, Page 58

Silk and Crepe de Chine Blouses to Wash.

I should advise the use of paraffin in washing silk blouses. To wash them, prepare a lather of tepid water and soap jelly, and squeeze the silk well in this, working it up and down in the water, using if neeessary two or three soapy waters until the silk is quite clean. Then rinse thoroughly, first in

tepid and then in cold water, letting the water from the tap run on to it, or allowing it to lie in perfectly clean cold water for a little, to ensure all the soap being out of it; otherwise it will look thick and feel hard when ironed and add a little blue to the last rinsing water if the blouse is pure white. After rinsing, put the silk into cold , water with methylated spirits in it, allowing one dessertspoonful of the methylated to the half pint of water, and using sufficient water- to soak the silk thoroughly, then squeeze it well out. Be careful when wringing it not to twist it in any way, but simply squeeze it between your hands, then shake it out, fold it evenly, and place it between the folds of a towel or piece of muslin, and afterward beat it between your hands, or pass it once or twice through a wringing machine. The silk may then be left rolled up in a towel for a little, but it must not get too dry before being ironed. If this should happen it must be put right into water again, or damped all over with a wet rubber. To iron spread it out well on the table, cover with an old handkerchief or piece of muslin, and iron with a moderately hot iron. When slightly dry remove the covering, and iron with the bare iron first

on one side and then on the other, to give it a. gloss. If it sould feel at all hard, shake it and rub it between the hands, and iron again. Too hot water must not be used, and never rub soap straight on to white silk, for this discolours it. -