1931
Laundering and Dry Cleaning
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences,
by Mary Brooks Picken
HOME LAUNDERING
Need for Cleaning Knowledge
1. The laundering of fabrics is a problem that every homemaker has to meet, and every woman who has ever met this problem will admit that it is not easy to solve. The scope of the laundry question is far more comprehensive than would at first be imagined. It deals not only with the processes that go to make up washing and wash-day, but also with the details of removing the many different kinds of stains, the equipment necessary for all processes, and the value of the various cleaning agents. An understanding of the nature and uses of the fabrics upon which one works is essential, too, for wool differs in its make-up from cotton, linen, and silk, which in turn differ from one another, and the soil on table linens differs from that on body linens. Consequently, in order that all fabrics may be cleansed according to their need and in the most economical and effective way, the proper choice of methods for the different circumstances must be made.
2. There are two methods of cleaning garments; laundering or cleansing with soap and water, and dry or French cleaning, which consists in using certain solvents and absorbents to cleanse fabrics. Both methods are usable on some fabrics, but generally one is more feasible than the other. The style of the garment, as well as its material and purpose, has its influence on the choice of a cleaning agent. Soap and water sometimes affect the fit or fashion, as well as the color and texture of clothing, so certain articles cannot be entrusted to the tub; but the majority of materials in ordinary use in the household, as well as warm-weather clothing, children's garments, and body linens, are made to stand tubbing.
3. In most homes, the laundering is done at home by the woman herself, the maid, or the laundress. Some women prefer to send the clothes to a convenient laundry, but even in this plan there are certain articles that require special attention; so the homemaker invariably finds a supply of laundering materials and an understanding of laundering necessary to keep the garments and linens in good condition and to prolong their length of service.
If only part of the family washing is done at home, it can be done at odd moments, but if all is done at home, then special thought must be expended to handle it efficiently. In this connection, a regular program, if decided on and followed, will save much time and energy.
4. Since time immemorial it seems that wash-day has meant Monday and more often than not, "Blue Monday"; but of late years Tuesday has been growing in popularity as wash-day. This plan leaves Monday as a day in which the housewife can replenish her larder and put her house in order after the Sunday's rest or entertaining. Also, it gives her time to look over her wash, mend the holes or tears that might become larger in the laundering, remove the stains that should have attention, prepare food with a view to having something for the next day, and in the evening place the washing apparatus and piles of clothes in readiness without infringing on the pleasures or quiet of Sunday. Then when Tuesday morning comes, no time need be lost because of the disorganization that so often reigns in the house on Monday mornings. Such a program, regularly followed, will be found helpful in carrying out the laundering processes.
