Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1912 — HOT WATER WILL RUIN LACE [ARTICLE]

HOT WATER WILL RUIN LACE

Should Nat Bo Moro Than Tepid, and the Delicate Fabric Must |levor Be Rubbed. Persons who know nothing of the care of fine laces are often driven to distraction when they try to find out, owing to the conflicting character of the rules laid down. Here are some words of wisdom from the mouth of a woman who has inherited a lot of old lace, which she launders herself when necesary. “Boiling water, which I saw recommended in a recent article on the subject, should never be used,” she says emphatically. “It would ruin anything but Imitation lace, and even that would shrink to a string if subjected to such treatment Boiling water also sets the dirt in a delicate fabric. If lace is to be made clean without injury to itself, tepid water must be used, and the soap must never be rubbed directly upon It. A suds of pure soap and tepid water Is what agrees with it best and in that the lace should soak all night No rubbing is one of the rules. “In the morning the lace should be lifted into a new hair sieve and lukewarm water poured over it until it runs clear. If it still looks soiled, soak it again in suds and pinch gently with a sideways motion and soaped fingers the >spot where the dirt or stain is. When all the dirt is soaked out, rinse in bluing water unless a very creamy tint is desired, in which case very warm, but not boiling water, to which a little clear tea or coffee has been added, should be used for the final rinsing. “Some persons prefer the tea tint to that given by coffee, and, in addition, there is no odor. It is best to try a piece of linen in the tinted water before putting in the lace, for as the wet linen is colored so will the lace be when it is dry. “Before drying the lace wrap it in a piece of Qld cotton cloth and squeeze hard, otherwise when it is hung to dry the color will be deepest at the edge where it drips. The best way to dry it, however, is to pin it fiat on an old counterpane and lay it on a table, so that it may be smoothed by hand from time to time.”