BLUING AND SPRINKLING Bluing.—It is very difficult to rinse clothes quite free from all traces of soap or other washing compounds. The minute quantities of alkali left in the fabrics tend to give white arti cles a dingy or yellow tinge. The ob ject of bluing is to correct this. Hence it is customary to add bluing to the last rinsing water for white articles or colored goods that have a white background. For dark colored goods it is also customary to add a liberal supply of bluing to the starch. Some laundresses do not wring from the bluing water table linens and simi lar articles which they desire to have a fine, clear white, but hang them up dripping in order to deepen their luster.
To Make Bluing.—In addition to the various kinds of commercial blu ing upon the market, the following recipes are recommended: Dissolve 1 ounce of the best soluble Prussian blue powder and ounce of powdered oxalic acid in 1 quart of soft water.
Or dissolve 1 package of blue dia mond dye for cotton in 1 quart of soft water. To prevent lumps, pre pare this as you would starch. Rub the dry powder into a paste with a little water, add a little more cold water, then add the rest of the water boiling hot. Cool and bottle for use.
Sprinkling.—The object of sprin kling is to give the garments a uniform dampness, to soften wrinkles, and to prevent the iron from scorching. Hence the clothes should be sprinkled slightly and afterwards rolled up and allowed to lie until the moisture has uniformly penetrated all parts of the fabric. Delicate colored goods, flan nels and other woolens, and fine linens will have a better appearance if ironed on the same day that they were washed than if allowed to become entirely dry before ironing. Colored goods es pecially should not be sprinkled if it can be avoided.
Utensils for Sprinkling.—An ordi nary brush broom, a child's sprinkling can, tt tin baking-powder can or glass fruit jar with metal top perforated by holes made with a hammer and small nails, are all convenient utensils for sprinkling. A small fine-grain sponge and a basin of water should be at hand when ironing. If small spots of sheer goods become dry they should be dampened before ironing, or if a smudge or patch of starch ap pears it can be thus removed without affecting the rest of the garment.