Saturday Scrub-Up: Caring for Clothes

Continuing with the theme of dress, today's post focuses on laundering tips (note that these are not actual tips for use, but for amusement. I don't suggest trying them :) ).

When Starching and Wringing Clothes: Instead of burning your hands wringing clothes out of hart starch, put them in one of the tubs, pour the starch over them and run them through the wringer.  When the clothes are dry on the line turn the fine spray of the hose quickly and gently over the ones you want dampened for ironing, roll them up as you take them down and they are all ready for you. 

To Make Gloves Go On Easily: So that doeskin gloves may be put on easily after washing, place a clothespin in each finger and thumb when you hang the gloves to dry.

To Prevent Color From Running: To set the color of a sweater or middy blouses with red collar and cuffs wash carefully and rinse in clear water.  Rinse the garment in a pail of water containing a cupful of white vinegar, hang up carefully and do not fold.  Dampen with a sponge when ironing.  Leaves the color only where it belongs.

Sew Missing Buttons On While Ironing: Keep a needle, thread, and some buttons at the end of your board when you iron. It is so much quicker to sew a missing button on right away than to let heaps of mending stack up. 

Washing Fringed Articles: In washing anything with fringe on, always shake fringe out well before hanging up to dry and you'll find you need not comb it out. 

Bleaching Clothes With Eggshells: Save your eggshells and, when washing your clothes, put eggshells in a white cloth bag and drop into your boiler. This will make and excellent bleach for your clothes.

From: Household Hints Published By The Chicago Daily News, 1930

Saturday Scrub-Up

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It's that time again- Saturday Scrub-Up, where we examine household hints from bygone eras (once again, if you decide to try these methods yourself, you do so at your own risk- these are fun peeks at the past, not suggestions for current use :) ).

Today we'll focus on cleaning in the, *ahem* powder room.

New Uses For Soap: Remove the wrapper from toilet soap and place the soap between your linens. This will enable the soap to dry out and make it last longer when it is ready for use.  At the same time it will perfume your linens, and when your sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc. are ready for use they will have a delightful odor. 

Use For Scrap Soap: Use all scraps of soap. Boil one pint with four quarts of water. This make a soft jellied soap for all cleaning purposes.  

Tub Cleaner From Soap Scraps: Make a small cheesecloth bag 4 by 6 inches.  In it place all pieces of hand soap too small to use, and hang in bathtub.  Good for cleaning the tub. 

To Avoid Medicine Cabinet Shelf Spots: Much hard work and many ugly spots may be prevented by using blotting paper on the shelves of the medicine cabinet.

Kerosene Shines Faucets: When the faucets in your bathroom need polishing take a soft cloth wet in kerosene and it will brighten them instantly without injury. 

Baby Crib Pad For Bath Mat: For bath mat use pad as used for babies' cribs, 18x36 inches.  Bind edges and decorate with appliqued flowers of odds and ends of plain gingham. 

 To Make Washcloths Last: Washcloths last much longer and edges will not fray if they are turned back and stitched on machine when cloth is new.

 From: Household Hints, Published by The Chicago Daily News (1933)

Saturday Scrub-Up

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Looking for new and exciting ways to clean your flooring? Look no further!  Here are some tips from 1933 (please note, I take no responsibility if you actually try them :) ):

•  Kneeling Pads: To prevent the knees from becoming sore and bruised when dusting or washing floors cut a sponge kneeling pad into two pieces about 4 or 5 inches, place on knees with inch wide elastic garters and you can do the work in half the time.

• Carpet Ink Stains: For ink stains on the carpet cover the spot at once with salt, remove it when it turns black and apply another layer. Repeat until the salt no longer changes color.

• To Freshen Carpets: Before sweeping scatter dry salt over the carpet.  It brightens the colors and checks the ravages of moths.

• Attic Floors: When cleaning attic floors all dust will be removed from crevices between boards if a  vacuum cleaner is used.

• Washing Linoleum: If linoleum is washed with starch water to which a little pure soap is added it will look as if it were waxed and keep clean much longer.  Do this on wash-day, using leftover starch.

•  Old Worn Brussels Carpet: An old worn Brussels carpet may be saved for use on the porch by giving the carpet two coats of paint and a coat of waterproof varnish on the wrong side.  A band of black or other color may be painted around the outside to form a contrasting border for the rug.  Occasional revarnishing  preserves the rug indefinitely

• Keeping Rugs Bright: Rugs can be kept bright and new looking by wiping them once a month with a cloth dampened with ammonia water. Two tablespoons ammonia to gallon water will suffice.

From: Household Hints Published by The Chicago Daily News, 1933