|
|
|
|
|
Washing or Cleansing Woolen Blankets.
It is quite as important to have the woolen blankets on our beds clean, as to have our sheets pure and white. For the emination from our bodies are more quickly absorbed by them than by the muslin sheets; and as the women look upon the washing of a pair of blankets as a great undertaking, I will give them the easy way, recommended by the Boston Journal of Chemistry, which is about the same as practiced by my wife, in her lifetime. It is as follows: Put 2 heaping table-spoonfuls of powdered borax and 1 pt. of soft soap (or its equivalent of dissolved bar soap), into a tub of cold soft water. Stir well to dissolve and mix; then put in the blankets, thoroughly wetting, and let them soak over night. Next day rub (the author says pound), and drain them out, and rinse thoroughly in two waters, and hang them to dry. Do not wring them by hand, but press out the water. They may be put through a wringer.
Remarks. —This makes light work of washing blankets. It will not be amiss, however, to say the washing water and the rinsing water should always be as nearly as possible the same temperature, but only to take the chill off, so as to avoid taking cold by having the hands in cold water—no soap should ever be rubbed on the flannels, but sudsing be used; and do not hang out on a very cold day, nor hang close to a hot fire or stove; and iron with a moderately cool iron—not very hot—while damp, and there will be but little, if any shrinkage, after moderate pulling even of skirts or other woolen goods. Under-skirts, etc., of wool can be washed in the fluid water, as above given, otherwise as nearly like blankets are done as you can.
|
|
|
|
|
|
