SILKS AND SATIN To Launder Silks.—To wash silk dresses and other garments, ribbons, handkerchiefs, stockings, and the like, first rip apart made-up garments, shake, and brush thoroughly to free them from dust. Prepare soap jelly by cutting castile or other good white hard soap into shavings, pour over it about double its own bulk of water, and dissolve by gentle heat. Have ready two or three tubs or pans and fill these partly full of hot water. Thus the washing and rinsing waters will cool alike and always be of ex actly the same temperature. This is the great point to observe in washing all animal fibers, as silks or woolens.
In the first receptacle dissolve enough soap jelly to make good suds, and let stand until the hands can be comfortably borne in the water. Wash each piece separately in the suds by sousing it up and down, raising it in one hand and stripping it through the fingers with the other. Continue this process until clean, but without creasing, wringing, or squeezing it. When washed clean, strip through the fingers to remove suds. If soiled spots do not come out, rub on a little soap jelly and immediately dip again into the suds. Change the suds if neces sary. Rinse in dear water, following the same process as in washing, strip out the water between the fingers, or shake out the pieces without wring ing, and iron at once without hanging up to dry.
Or mix 6 ounces of strained honey with 4 ounces of soft-soap jelly made of castile or other hard white soap, and add 1 pint of whisky. Rip apart made-up articles, spread the pieces flat on a smooth surface, and apply this mixture with a brush, rubbing lightly with the grain of the silk. Rinse in two or three clear waters, not too hot to bear the hands com fortably, and without wringing, creas ing, or folding the silk. Add a little sugar or a tablespoonful of honey to the last rinsing water. Iron at once.
Or for delicate fabrics, as China silk, pongee, and similar dress goods, for each article, as a waist or sum mer gown, put 1 pints of bran in a bag of white muslin, and pour over it sufficient boiling water to wash the garment. When the hands can be borne in it comfortably, squeeze the bag in the water to extract the solu tion of bran. Add I or 2 teaspoon
fuls of powdered borax, wash, rinse in clear water, and iron at once. Use no starch, as the bran gives sufficient stiffness.
To Wash Colored Silks.—The same cautions must be observed in washing colored silks as in the case of other colored goods, with the additional cau tion that they must not be crushed, squeezed, or wrung when wet, or wrinkles may be formed which will not iron out. prepare suds for silk by dissolving hard white soap in boil ing water, and add oxgall or alum to set the colors. Allow the suds to cool until they will bear the hands, and immerse the silk in them. Lay the washboard across the tub, spread an old towel or piece of flannel over it, lay the silk flat on this, and apply .the suds by rubbing gently with a soft cloth or a sponge, or a toothbrush or nailbrush having medium hard bris tles. When the silk is clean apply cold water with the brush and after wards souse in cold water containing salt. If the silk is of solid color, dis solve a little dye the color of the silk in the rinsing water. If the color has faded this will restore it. Silk gar ments rinsed in diluted dye water will come out nearly as fresh as new.
To Wash White Silk.—Prepare suds as for other delicate white goods by using hard white soap, but no soda or washing compounds containing free alkali. Cleanse the silks by applying the soapsuds with a soft cloth or brush, rinse in cold water, partially dry in the sun, and while still damp iron between two cloths on the wrong side.
To Wash Satin. — Satins may be washed in the same manner as silks, or sponge the way of the grain with a weak solution of borax.
To Wash Silk Stockings.—Prepare a lather and wash as other silk goods. For white stockings add a little blu ing to the last rinsing water. For other tints add a little dye of the re quired color. Stretch the stockings to their proper shape, and pin or baste them between two thicknesses of a clean linen towel. Stretch this tent fashion, and the stockings will dry in their natural shape without ironing.
Or wash in bran water.