TO DRY-CLEAN MEN'S GARMENTS To Clean Men's Clothes.—Hang the garments on a line, beat them with a carriage whip or piece of rubber hose, and brush them thoroughly with a stiff brush. To remove spots, place several thicknesses of soft cloth, like an old towel, under the spot, moisten it with water, and scour with any good cleanser, or moisten the spot thoroughly with a liquid cleanser and rub it hard. Use for this purpose a loof, a stiff, fibrous sponge, cost ing about ten cents. This is rough enough to scrub with vigor if the goods will stand it, or it can be used more gently on delicate goods. It leaves no lint as cloth does, but is stiffer than a sponge and can be easily washed and dried after being used. Or use one or more small scrubbing brushes of varying degrees of stiff ness.
To Remove Spots.—First hold the garment up to the light to see if there is any surface dirt; if there is, scrape off with a sharp knife what can be removed (taking care not to injure the weave of the garment) be fore wetting the spot in water, cleans ing fluid, or any sort of chemical. Next apply the cleanser and rub well, so that the dirt when dissolved may be forced through into the pad bel neath. Rub with a piece of woolen cloth folded into a tight pad. Use plenty of " elbow grease." The secret of success lies in hard rubbing.
To Press Men's Clothes.—Spread the garment right side up on an iron ing board, lay over it a cotton cloth wrung out of warm water containing about 1 tablespoonful of aqua am monia to 3 pints of water, and iron the wet cloth until both the cloth and the garment are perfectly dry. This prevents the garment from having a shiny appearance.
Black Dye for Renovating.—Put 8 ounces of logwood chips in a porce lain kettle, cover with 2 quarts of soft water, and let stand over night. Bo'.1 30 minutes, strain through cheese cloth, and add 6 grains of prussiate of potash and le grains of bichromate of potash previously dissolved in as little boiling water as possible. Pour this mixture into a black glass bottle, cork tightly, and store in a dark place. This is a good black dye. To apply, first sponge or otherwise cleanse the garments, stretch them out smooth, and go over them with this dye by means of a soft brush. Let dry thoroughly before pressing.
To Clean a Mackintosh.—To clean a mackintosh, scrub both sides with soap and water, and afterwards rinse it in clear water until the soap is re moved. Hang up to dry without wringing. Care must be taken not to sponge a mackintosh with alcohol, chloroform, benzine, gasoline, turpen tine, or any of the chemicals which are used in sponging other fabrics, as they have the property of dissolving rubber and will injure the texture of many waterproof garments. Am monia may be applied freely.
To Renovate Woolen Goods. After woolen dress goods have been sponged or washed, to restore the original gloss rub the cloth with a brush dipped in a thin solution of gum arabic, cover with a dry cotton cloth, and dry under a weight. This method is useful to remove the spot caused by sponging out stains. To raise the nap on a rough woolen gar ment, wet it, lay it on a smooth sur face, and roughen it gently with a common prickly thistle, or what is known as a teasel brush. Afterwards
brush with a stiff clothes brush the way of the nap.
To Clean Men's Woolen Clothes.— Boil for half an hour 2 ounces of soap bark in 1 quart of water, and let stand all night on the dregs. Strain through cheese cloth, and use alone or combined with an equal amount of gasoline.
Or use 1 part of oxgall to 16 parts of water. Or use 1 tablespoon ful of oxgall and 1 teaspoonful of cooking soda to a quart of water. Or mix 6 ounces of soap jelly or good soft soap with 4 ounces of honey, the white of 1 egg, and 1 tablespoonful of brandy or alcohol. Or mix 1 ounce of sulphuric ether, 1 ounce of aqua ammonia, and 6 ounces of water.
The most convenient way to clean men's garments is to remove the cover from an ironing board, or use some other smooth, clean, narrow board or plank, arranged to admit of laying the coat smoothly over it, or insert the board into the trousers legs. A smooth, hard, narrow board is also desirable for coat sleeves. Arrange the garment on this board and with a stiff brush apply any of the cleans ers you prefer. A bristle nailbrush or horsehair brush, such as is used in the stable for smoothing the coats of horses, is a most useful implement for this purpose. Rub with, rather than against, the nap of the cloth, wetting the brush frequently.
Scrub especially spots of grease and, if much soiled by perspiration, the collar and cuffs. When the grease and dirt are thoroughly loosened, sponge with clear water until quite clean. Trousers and waistcoats may be rinsed by immersing in water and sousing up and down, but it is better not to immerse coats and jackets, as it is difficult, on account of the padded linings, to press them into shape.
To Renovate Men's Clothes.—Boil 8 ounces of logwood chips in 2 gal lons of water down to 1 gallon. Strain and add 2 ounces of gum arabic, dis solVed in a little hot water. Bottle for future use.
After dark, solid-colored garments, as blacks, blues, or browns, have been scrubbed and sponged, dilute this mix ture to the shade of the garment, and go over it lightly with a sponge. Do not expose to direct sunshine or the heat of a stove while drying.
Or moisten a soft brush with olive oil and carefully go over the gar ment.
To Press Men's Clothes. — After sponging the garments, stretch them to their proper shape, lay them right side up over the ironing board, and press through linen or cotton cloth previously wrung out of clear cold water. A tablespoonful each of ox gall and salt added to every gallon of water will tend to brighten the colors. Press with a hot iron until the garment is dry.
Care must be taken that all the liquid preparations used for cleaning woolen goods be kept at the same temperature, which should be about as warm as the hands will bear com fortably.
After the garments have been pressed, brush with the nap while the steam is still rising from the cloth, and hang on suitable clothes hangers or over chairs to dry. Do not wear them for twenty-four hours or more after pressing, or until they are thor oughly dry.