CARE OF IRONING UTENSILS Ironing Utensils. — Various im proved implements and machines have been perfected for ironing, but the old-fashioned flatiron heated on the range is still a well-nigh universal favorite. Mangles, or large heated cylinders revolving under pressure for ironing garments, have bcen in general use in laundries for many years, to gether with polishing machines and similar appliances. But until quite recently there has not been upon the market a satisfactory ironing machine suitable for domestic use. Such ma chines can now be obtained, and they are to be recommended for large fam ilies who can afford them.
The denatured alcohol flatiron is a cheap, practical, and serviceable, device.
The electric flatiron is an ideal utensil in homes that are supplied with electricity.
The patented flatiron which has a removable wooden handle is a great improvement over the old-fashioned solid iron which requires the use of cloth or asbestos holders.
The asbestos flatiron is an imple ment that is especially recommended.
To do fine ironing it is necessary to have several kinds of irons. For shirt bosoms, collars, and cuffs a ribbed or other polishing iron is necessary. Ruf fles will be improved by the use of a fluting iron. The puff iron for fine tucks, puffy sleeves, and other elabo rate work is especially useful. This iron is attached to a standard and the cloth is passed through it. It may be heated at the ordinary range.
Some persons are satisfied with the cold mangle, especially for table lin ens, linen sheets, and other linen pieces, on the theory that heat has a ten dency to deteriorate the linen and also to give it a yellow tinge, but ironing by means of hot irons is still the custom.
A toy flatiron such as is sold for children is not only useful in the hands of a child for ironing dolls' clothes as a lesson in domestic economy, but is also very convenient to the laundress for tucks, fluting, and other difficult parts of dresses and similar garments.
Such an iron may be packed in a trunk and taken on vacation trips. It will be found most useful in hotels, where it can be heated over the gas or by means of a small alcohol lamp, and used for doing up handkerchiefs, laces, ribbons, and other small articles, both as a measure of economy and also 'to prevent their being deteriorated by careless treatment in the laundry.
To Prevent Rust on Irons.—If irons are exposed to moisture or stored away for a time, brush or rub them when warm with a mixture of vaseline and sweet oil. Lard or vaseline alone may be used for this purpose. These substances may be removed by wash ing the iron in good soapsuds when ready for use.
To Keep Flatirons Clean.—In small apartments it is often convenient to store the flatirons on the back of the range. To keep them free from grease and dirt take a common pasteboard shoe box or other box of convenient shape arid size, and cover with sheet asbestos glued on. Keep the irons in this, and they will be clean, dry, and always handy.
Care of Irons.—Care must be taken to prevent the roughening of irons from starch or other sticky substance adhering to them' and burning on. This is especially likely to happen if raw or partly cooked starch is used. To prevent this, tack a piece of very fine sandpaper on the ironing board and rub the iron on it each time be fore returning to the fire.
Or use bath brick, dry salt, or pow dered pumice stone spread on a smooth surface, with or without sand paper.
Or fill a cheese-cloth bag with pow dered pumice stone and rub the iron on this.
Starch may be prevented from stick ing to the iron by the use of beeswax, paraffin, wax paper, or kerosene. To use beeswax, put it in a little bag of cloth or between two pieces of paper, and attach to the ironing board. Rub the iron over this. Save the paraffin on the tops of jars of jelly, melt up, and pour into a mold to cool. Put this in a cloth bag and use the same as beeswax.