Or shave 4 ounces of castile or other hard white soap and dissolve in 9 quarts of boiling water. Remove from the fire, and when cold add ounce of saltpeter, stirring until dis solved. Strain through cheese cloth, let the mixture settle, and take off the scum with a skimmer. Now add pint of ammonia and bottle and cork tightly. Keep in an earthenware jug with a tight cork. This is the so-called " Magic Annihilator," which is recom mended to remove grease and oil from all kinds of dress goods and other fabrics without injuring them, and for various other purposes, as scouring floors, cleaning windows, metals, etc. It must not be used on for which purpose it is especially recommended.
Pour this liquid on both sides of the spot or article to be cleaned. Scrub with a stiff brush, sponge, or loof, and rinse with cold water. Re peat if necessary. To clean silverware and other metals mix with whiting.
Chemical Soap.—Shave 1 pound of castile soap, add pint of alcohol, pint of soft water, ounce of aqua fortis, ounce of lampblack, ounce of saltpeter, ounce of potash, ounce of camphor, 1 ounce of pow dered cinnamon. Dissolve the soap in water, stir in the potash and saltpe ter, remove from the fire, add the other ingredients, and stir until cool. Pour into molds and put away in a dry place to season. The longer it is seasoned before using the better.
Or shave 1 ounce of castile soap, cover with 1 pint of Water, and boil until dissolved. Stir in 2 ounces of sal soda, ounce of starch, 4 ounce of borax. Pour into molds to cool and harden. Apply with a rag, sponge, or loof to remove grease, paint, tar, etc.
Or dissolve 1 ounce of castile soap with gentle heat in about twice its own bulk of water. Add enough hot water to make 1 pint; let cool slight ly. Stir in 1 teaspoonful of saltpeter and 2 ounces of aqua ammonia.
Or mix 3 ounces of alcohol, ounce of bay rum, 1 ounce of oil of winter green, 1 ounce of aqua ammonia, ounce of chloroform, and 1 ounce of sulphuric ether. Cork tightly and let stand over night. Add 1 ounce of pulverized borax and 1 gallon of de odorized gasoline. Shake well and cork tightly.
Or mix ounce of borax and ounce of camphor in a quart fruit jar. Pour over them 1 pint of boil ing water. Cork tightly and let stand until cool.' Now add pint of alco hol, shake well, and cork tightly. Use to sponge woolen dress goods, men's clothing, felt hats,' and the like.
Or dissolve 1 ounce of castile soap scraped in 1 quart of boiling water. Let cool and add ounce of glycerin, ounce of alcohol, and ounce of sulphuric ether. Bottle, cork tightly, and keep in a dark place. Use to sponge all sorts of dress goods, and especially to remove grease spots.
Or mix equal parts of turpentine, benzine, and chloroform.
Scouring Mixtures.—Mix 3 pounds of fuller's earth, pound of pipe clay, 2 ounces of powdered French chalk. Mix separately 1 ounce of rectified spirits of turpentine, 1 ounce of alco hol, and 12 ounces of soap jelly. Stir the two mixtures together to a stiff paste and place in tightly covered fruit jars.
Or mix equal parts of fuller's earth and soap jelly. To apply, moisten the cloth with warm water and cover with this mixture, rubbing it well into the goods. Let stand until dry, then scour with a stiff brush and warm water.
Or mix 1 ounce of baking soda, 1 ounce of prepared chalk, 1 ounce of pumice stone, and 1 ounce of sifted wood ashes. Apply this mixture with a piece of raw white potato.
Or moisten 1 ounce of fuller's earth with lemon juice; add ounce of pearlash and 1 ounce of yellow soap melted with as little water as possi ble. Mix the whole and knead into a stiff paste. Roll into balls the size of marbles and put them in the sun to dry. Moisten the spot with warm water and scour with one of these balls; then put in the sun to dry. Afterwards rinse with clear water.
Nature of the Fabric.—The treat ment of spots and stains depends not only upon the kind of stain, but also upon the nature of the fabric. Fab rics are of two principal classes: vege table fibers, which include linen and cotton goods; and animal fibers, which include wool, silk, furs, feathers, and the like. All vegetable fibers contain cellulose, a hard, wooellike substance that offers a strong resistance to the action of chemical agents, and is not easily injured by rubbing. Hence stronger acids and alkalies and more vigorous rubbing can be employed upon cottons and linens than upon wool, silk, or other animal fibers.
In the treatment of wool, caution is necessary from the fact that the fibers of wool have numerous minute hook like projections which, by rubbing the fibers together, or by alternate expan sion and contraction (as when plunged from hot water to cold water, and back again), become interlaced in such a way as to warp fabric in all directions. This is what causes the shrinking of woolen goods, so much dreaded by the laundress. Hence wool should not be rubbed or wrung out in the usual way, nor subjected to either very hot or very cold water. The water should be lukewarm or not too warm to bear the hands com fortably, and all washing and rinsing waters should be kept at a nearly uniform temperature.
A similar caution in handling silk is due to the delicacy of the fabric. Silk, if rubbed or wrung out, tends to crack or to show permanent wrin kles. It should accordingly be han dled with care, and only the finer grades of soap should be employed in cleaning it.