Special Problems in Laundry Work

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 1, 15 July 1953, Page 89

Special Problems in Laundry Work

THE regular wash day, no matter which day of the week, is usually busy. Besides the inevitable meal preparation and the general tidying up, which, though it need not be so inflexibly accommodated in the day's programme, is almost as inevitable, the family wash has to be sandwiched in. This is the big wash, when the routine articles are done and when the main object is to get the washing on the lines as quickly as possible. This article by Maud B. Strain, Field Officer in Rural Sociology, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, the first part of a two-part article concerned with special problems requiring modification of the usual technique and more time than can conveniently be given to them on the day of the weekly wash, deals with a variety of delicate fabrics. The second part of the article, describing the care required for furnishings, blankets, and other items, will appear in next month's issue of the "Journal". ANY personal clothing or household furnishings requiring extra time and attention or particular weather conditions when being washed may be regarded as presenting a special problem. Some articles require more frequent washing, as for example infants’ clothes; others such as blankets need washing only once a year. Sometimes the colour or construction of the fabric or article may demand special care in laundering or some divergence from the usual practices, or the use of chemicals such as ammonia, acetic acid (white vinegar), and soap substitutes, or dry cleaning. Materials presenting special problems may be grouped as follows: — Delicate or special fabrics such as chiffons, elastic (girdles and the like), fugitive-coloured materials, jersey cloth, lace, lacquered finishes, pile fabric, ribbons, ties, rubberised fabrics, satins, dress shirts, swansdown, ana woollens, including lightweight and angora woollens and Shetland shawls. Felts. Furnishings such ~as bedspreads, blankets, curtains, eiderdowns and sleeping bags, and loose covers. Infants’ clothing. Infected clothing. . Leather goods. Outer personal clothing. Specially stained clothing. Trimmings. Soaps and Detergents For all special washing neutral soap, soapflakes, or synthetic detergents are preferable. The most convenient way to use soap is in the form of soap jelly. Soapflakes dissolve readily, but soap in this form is more expensive. The amount of soap needed for washing depends on various factors, and no definite quantity can be given, but sufficient should be used to produce a permanent 2-inch floating lather. As the suds break down more soap should be added, and when the water becomes heavily soiled fresh water and fresh suds should be prepared. Washing

gently in two lots of suds is always preferable to a vigorous attack in one. A method of making soap jelly is given here. Soap Jelly Cut l|lb. of neutral bar soap into thin slices and stir it into 1 gallon of boiling water. Keep stirring until all the soap has dissolved. A quarter pint of this jelly contains joz. of actual soap. In all washing processes neutral bar soap or soap flakes are satisfactory. Detergents are substitutes for soap. They are not made the same way or out of the same ingredients, yet can be used in place of soap for laundry work, washing dishes, and such like. Some of the synthetic detergents are helpful because they do not form a scum with hard water and are not destroyed by the acid often present in new woollens and silks. Being neutral substances they are less likely to cause colours to run and they are also readily soluble at the lower temperatures necessary for wool fabrics, silks, and fabrics with fugitive colours. They are, however, more expensive than soap. For all washing, whether of routine or special articles, soft water is preferable to hard, and those depending on rainfall for their water supply are fortunate in this respect, rain-water being soft. Some people having another source of supply for general use still collect rain-water into tanks for washing. However, those whose water supply is hard will find instructions for making water suitable for laundry purposes on page 153 of the “Journal” for February 1952. Delicate Fabrics Chiffon, georgette, ninon, and similar fabrics should be treated as silk. They

are washed by squeezing and pressing the water through the fabric rather than by rubbing, and are dried by being rolled in a towel, layers of white cloth being used to prevent any portions of the wet article from touching and so transferring the colours (marking off). If the colours have shown a tendency to run, the fabrics should be treated as fugitive-coloured fabrics. Ironing while still damp will restore them to their original size. Elastic articles: As the rubber in elastic perishes with intense heat, dress shields, girdles, and similar articles should be washed at a low temperature, dried slowly at room temperature, and not ironed. Soiled parts may be cleaned by brushing them with a soft brush, not by rubbing one surface against another. Corsets may be scrubbed with a small brush and a good strong lather to which a little ammonia or borax has been added. After thorough rinsing they should be hung out in the sun to dry and bleach. Fabrics with fugitive colours: The ordinary method of washing in hot soapy water and rinsing in water at the same temperature is not suitable for fabrics with colours that run. Heat, use of alkalis such as ammonia, washing soda, and borax, excessive rubbing, and being left wet too long all have a gart in causing colours to bleed, ynthetic detergents are recommended for this type of washing; being neutral, they are easier on the dyes than an alkaline soap would be and, being readily soluble in cold water, they do not require a warm rinsing water. Gentle squeezing in warm water with the right amount of detergent is all that is necessary. The articles are rinsed in cold or tepid water until all traces of lather are removed, then dried and finished in the usual way. It must be remembered that speed in the

laundering processes is essential to avoid bleeding of colours; too long contact with water alone can cause such bleeding. Coloured Cottons and Linens Though the colours of most cottons and linens are fast 'to washing, for their first washing such materials should be done separately and carefully. The colours may be fast to subsequent washings, but there is often a small amount of excess dye released in the first wash which would stain other materials in the water. Any fabric with colours not entirely fast should never be allowed to become badly soiled because of the impossibility of removing all the soiling without also removing some of the colour. Fugitive colours must be wet for the least possible time, and steeping should be avoided whenever possible. If fabrics have become very soiled, as may happen with curtains and chair covers, steeping for one hour will, by loosening the dirt, cut down the washing time. Steeping is soaking the clothes in cold water; a little detergent added may be helpful but is not essential. All things likely to be needed in the wash should be prepared beforehand; neutral bar soap or soapflakes or synthetic detergent should be used. If starch is required, it also should be ready; also salt and vinegar in case an article begins to lose much colour. The article should be squeezed to force the soapy water, which must be warm only, through the fabric and to carry the dirt with it. Rubbing should be avoided, because though the colour may stand squeezing of the fabric, the harsher rubbing may cause it to mark off. If squeezing alone does not remove the marks, the soiled part should be spread in a single thickness over the hand and rubbed gently with a soft brush; two parts of the fabric should not be rubbed together. The soapy water should be rinsed out in tepid soft water. If the colour appears dulled, it may be brightened by rinsing the material in a weak solution of acetic acid, that is, in water containing one tablespoon of vinegar to one gallon of water. If the colour has shown a tendency to bleed during washing, the rinsing can be done in a salt solution, one tablespoon of salt to a pint of water, but the last rinse must be in plain water. If the article being washed is of light-coloured material attached to dark material, to avoid dye running from the dark to the light parts during wringing the article should be laid on a piece of thick cloth, covered with a similar piece, and put through the wringer without being folded. Other Materials Jersey cloth should be laundered as wool, silk, or rayon, depending on the fibre from which it is made. Coloured rayon jersey must not be washed m hotter than tepid water and must be treated as are fugitive-coloured materials. The length of the garment should be measured before it is washed. In the washing processes the garment must be lifted from the water as little as possible because it may be stretched by its own weight. Heavy garments should be laid flat and shaped to the correct size while they are being dried. Lace may be made from cotton, linen, silk, wool, nylon, rayon, or even

metallic thread; it may be white or coloured and it may be hand-made or machine-made. It may also be of great antiquity, as lace more than any other fabric is handed down from cne generation to the next. Old lace requires very careful handling. If it is frail, it may be tacked on to a strip of old muslin or cheesecloth. This can be wound round a tall, thin bottle filled with sand to keep it steady. The bottle may be stood in a jar with a wide mouth (a confectioner’s sweet jar is suitable). The muslin should be secured to the bottle by a tacking thread drawn tightly or by rubber bands. Soft water is poured into the larger bottle to cover the muslin and lace and left for a day. If the lace is very soiled, the water may be changed and left to stand another day. After this the jar is filled with suds made from pure flaked soap with a small amount of milk added. (The slight acidity of milk dissolves and decolorises the yellowish matter, often seen in old lace.) The smaller bottle is stood in the suds and left overnight, then the lace; still on the bottle, is rinsed by being swilled thoroughly in several lots of water. If the lace is to be stiffened, gum water, 1 teaspoon to 1 pint of water, is preferable to starch, as it gives a softer, more natural finish. (Gum water is made as follows: 4oz. of gum arabic crystals are washed to free them from dirt. A quart of boiling water is poured on to the crystals in a basin, and the crystals are stirred till the gum has melted. The solution is then strained through muslin. A few drops of formalin are added to this stock solution to prevent the growth of mildew.) The lace, still wrapped round the bottle, is immersed in the gum water and soaked well, then taken out, squeezed, and rolled in a towel to remove as much moisture

as possible. The muslin is taken off the bottle and the lace removed. If bleaching is necessary, it can be done after the washing by pinning the lace out on a cloth in strong sunlight and keeping it redamped as it dries. A method of washing suitable for not-so-fragile lace is to place the lace in a wide-necked bottle containing warm soapy water. This is covered over and well shaken, after which the dirty water is poured away and the lace is rinsed by being shaken first in warm and then in cold water. For drying, the lace is pinned out on a piece of board covered with flannel over which is a layer of sheeting, all kept taut with drawing pins at the back. The lace should be placed face downward, smoothed into shape, and pinned round the edges with lace pins as shown in the lower illustration on page 93. If the lace has a straight edge, this should be pinned first, the pins being inserted almost flat along the line of the edge to avoid making points. The other edge is then carefully pinned out to its correct outline and the lace dried in sunlight. Ironing is not usually necessary unless the article is too big to be pinned out, when it may be ironed under a piece of damp muslin. White cotton or linen lace may, if necessary, be bleached with Javelle water. Immerse the article for a few minutes, rinse and rewash thoroughly, then repeat if necessary. This type of lace may, if desired, be blued slightly in very pale blue water. Old hand-made silk lace does not wash very satisfactorily and is better dry cleaned. Valuable lace should be stored in blue tissue paper to prevent discoloration and rare heirloom lace should be kept under glass away from air and dust. Powdered magnesia may

be sprinkled on lace for dry cleaning during storage. If lace is to be retinted to give it an antique colour, this can be done with tea, coffee, cream dye, or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Care must be taken with the two lastnamed, as over-tinting may easily result. A few permanganate of potash crystals are dissolved in water to give a purple colour. A few drops of tnis water, just sufficient to give a tinge of colour, are put in the rinsing water. Pin the lace out and dry it in the shade. Lace yokes, sleeves, and collars attached to frocks may be cleaned without removing them from the frock if care is taken to keep the water from running down on to the dress. A heavy towel should be wrapped round the rest of the frock and the lace part cleaned from where it joins the material down to the neck or to the cuffs. After being rinsed the lace should be dried flat on a towel. Lacquered, cite, and glazed finishes on silks, cellulose rayons, and cottons are made by treating the materials with water-soluble waxes or gums and buffering the surfaces in a hot friction calender to produce the desired effect. These finishes, except that of acetate rayon, are usually soluble in water and materials with them are best entrusted to an experienced dry cleaner, as are fabrics with moire effects. Metallic fabrics, lame brocades, and such like must be regarded solely as high-style fabrics with a very limited period of use. They tarnish readily and crease and wrinkle and nothing much can be done to treat these defects. Brushing with methylated spirit may remove grease and adhering dirt and tarnish. Aluminium thread does not tarnish. Pile fabrics:. Velvets may be brushed and steamed to freshen them and raise the pile. If necessary, they can be dry cleaned and then steamed by allowing

steam to pass through them from the wrong side. A needle board (dressmaker’s velvet board) is most useful for pressing pile fabrics. The fabric is placed, with the pile surface down, on the board, covered with a damp cloth, and pressed lightly. If a steam iron is used, the damp cloth may be dispensed with. The iron should be held, while being used, about fin. above the right side of the velvet. Velvet collars may be cleaned by being brushed with neutral soapsuds, wiped with clean water, and steamed. Velveteen and corduroy may be washed by being moved up and down in warm soapy water, rinsed similarly in several lots of water, and, without being squeezed, hung out dripping wet on a windy, fine day.

Ribbons should be laid flat on a clean board, brushed with neutral soapsuds from selvedge to selvedge, and rinsed while still being kept flat. The water is pressed out by running the hand held flat down the length of the ribbon and wiping the ribbon with a dry cloth. Ties may be better treated by dry cleaning. If washing is preferred, the lining in the wide end must be unstitched and loosened to beyond the knot position. The tie is then washed in the way suitable for the material of which it is made, rolled in a towel to absorb most of the moisture, and pressed on the wrong side. The lining is pulled into shape and ironed and the tie made up as before. A wool tie is treated similarly, except that it is allowed to dry and is then pressed with a damp cloth and warm iron and remade. Rubberised fabrics such as mackintoshes may be cleaned by placing them flat on a table and brushing them with neutral soap solution or a detergent after the colour has first been tested on an inconspicuous part. The garment is then rinsed with clean water and hung on a coat hanger to dry at ordinary temperature. Satin: As both silk and rayon with a satin weave are easily damaged by friction, they must not be rubbed. They should ’be moved up and down in water and squeezed. The surface of satin snags very easily by coming in contact with even the slightest roughness, and this material should be ironed on the wrong side. Shetland shawls need very careful washing. Suds and sufficient rinsing water should be ready before a shawl is wetted. It should be washed by having the suds squeezed and pressed through it, and rubbing should be avoided. When the shawl is being lifted to be passed through the wringer it should be supported with both hands to avoid stretching, and the tension of the rollers should be slackened. The best method of drying is by pinning the shawl out wrong side up on a cloth-covered board as with lace. Dress shirts and stiff collars are starched in cold-water starch. For a successful result it is necessary for the

old starch to be thoroughly removed by washing the fabric so that it is left soft when dry; otherwise the old and new starches do not combine properly and the folds of linen will separate and blisters appear. Also the article must be dry, as the material does not absorb the starch as well when wet. Collars are dipped in the starch, two or three at a time, wrung out by hand, and rubbed with a fine muslin cloth to press the starch into, and distribute it evenly through, the fabric. This process is repeated two or three times; then the collars are stretched evenly on a clean towel, rolled up tightly, and left for a time till the towel absorbs some of the moisture. They will then be easier to iron. They must not be allowed to dry before being ironed, since redamping produces a patchy surface and blisters in fabrics of more than one thickness. In articles such as dress shirts where only parts such as neck bands, fronts, and cuffs are starched the starch can be prevented from spreading by damping the unstarched portion of the garment where it joins the starched part and twisting it tightly before immersing up to the join the part to be starched. The garment is then untwisted and the starched part rubbed with a cloth as for collars. In ironing raw-starched articles a hot iron is necessary to gelatinise the starch in the linen, and heavy pressure is needed to stick the folds together. The surface starch is rubbed off with a soft, dry cloth and the article is stretched to shape (the stitching sometimes contracts and if not stretched may cause folds to be formed). Too hot an iron will cook the starch grains too quickly on the surface and may cause singeing; too cool an iron will not burst the starch grains and a limp collar will result. A method of making cold-water starch is given below. Cold-water Starch (for dress shirts and stiff collars) ■loz. of rice starch J level teaspoon of 3 or 4 drops of powdered borax turpentine J pint of cold water

(This quantity is sufficient for about five collars.) The borax is dissolved in a little boiling water in a j-pint measure and cold . water is added to make up J pint. This cold liquid is poured on to the starch and turpentine in a basin. After thorough mixing it is strained through muslin and is ready for use. Borax is added to give increased stiffness and to prevent the articles from readily becoming limp in a damp atmosphere. Turpentine helps an iron to glide over the surface and decreases the tendency to stick. Swansdown should be shaken in warm soapy water till it is clean, rinsed in warm water, rolled in a towel to lose moisture, and hung in a warm place and shaken frequently while drying. Angora wool articles are usually mixtures of wool and hair from the angora rabbit. They are liable to shrinkage and must be treated carefully. They should be washed similarly to Shetland shawls and folded in a towel to pass through the wringer. They should be dried flat on a towel in a warm place and shaken frequently to fluff them up. Sometimes after being rinsed angora wool articles are dipped in a weak coldwater starch, pressed in a towel to take out as much moisture as possible, and dried in a warm place, being shaken occasionally. As they dry the starch falls out, leaving the wool fluffy. Lightweight woollens: Those made with the aid of alginate fibres should be dry cleaned, except for such things as head scarves, which may be washed with the usual care given to coloured woollens. Felts are more suitable for dry cleaning, with the exception of table mats, bags, and slippers, which may be sponged with neutral soap lather or detergent and afterward sponged with clean water. Spots on felt hats which are not generally soiled may be removed by sponging the affected part with carbon

tetrachloride (or some proprietary preparation of this). The grease is removed with adhering dirt, which is absorbed by a cloth. The method is as follows: The fabric is spread right side downward on a pad of clean blotting paper or rag. The solvent is applied with a piece of clean absorbent material or sponge, first to the fabric surrounding the mark until this is well saturated, the cleaning liquid being spread unevenly round the stain until there is no definite edge, then to the mark itself, the liquid being worked gradually from the edges of the mark toward the centre. The treated part should be rubbed and blown on lightly and patted with a dry cloth to make it dry quickly. This procedure should be followed when any spots are being removed. ; If a water ring is left after the part is sponged with water, it may be removed by shaking in the steam from a briskly boiling kettle, brushing the cloth with a stiff brush, and rubbing it between the hands. Another method of cleaning and freshening felts, furs, feathers, and similar articles is by using such powders as magnesia, french chalk, and fuller’s earth, or bran and oatmeal. This method is not as efficient as ordinary dry cleaning, but may be of some use where other methods are not practicable. If sufficient time (24 hours or more) is given and the powder is lightly rubbed in or sprinkled over the whole surface, grease and dirt are drawn from the article into the cleaning agent. The action is helped if the powder or meal is slightly warmed, which softens the grease. The article is then shaken or brushed well. This treatment may be preceded by sponging badly soiled parts with solvent. White powders like magnesia and french chalk are used on white or light-coloured felts, and bran, oatmeal, and such like on dark colours. Great care must be taken to brush out the powder thoroughly; otherwise difficulties will arise with water spotting in rain. All photographs by Campbell.