Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1919 — ECONOMY CORNER [ARTICLE]

ECONOMY CORNER

Simple Methods of Cleaning Laces. Styles for spring, in blouses and sheer frocks, show a return to handsewing fcnown. as "real” lace—anil thus distinguished from machine made laces. Some machine made laces do not suffer by comparison with the hand made article and both varieties are worth caring for. Ordinary laundering is out of the question for them; they must be handled carefully. Now that the touch of real lace is a mark of style' and of distinction In dress for spring, valuable heirlooms will either have to be sent to the cleaner or at home, in order to reappear in milady’s outfit for the new season.' Lace should be soaked before it is washed. Prepare the water for this soaking by adding a teaspoonful J)t borax to every two cupfuls of boiling water' used. When the soiled lace has soaked a few hours or overnight in this water it will wash easily. Make a lather of hot water and any good soap. Take the lace from the water in which it has been soaked and place it in the soapy water, squeezing It, as if it were a sponge, until it is 1 clean. If the water becomes very dirty prepare a fresh supply and squeeze the lace in it. Then rinse in clean cold water until all the soap is removed. If after thisf process the lace still has a grimy Took it may be boiled. To boil lace put it in a jar and cover It Tfrlth cold water and pour into this water a little melted white soap. Stand the Jar in a saucepan' with water enough to half cover the jar, put the lid on the pan and boil for two hours. Lingerie laces may be ironed by pressing them under a thin clean muslin and finally pulling them out with the fingers. They, must be thoroughly dried by ironing or they will roughen up afterward. Ironing will serve for the heavier and sturdier laces but some fine and fragile varieties are washed and dried by the follovring process J „ . Wind the soiled lace round a good sized bottle, und.lhen cover the bottle with thin musUnl tacking it on.. Fill a kettle with cold watch shaving into it a good-sized piece of whitfe ■ soap and pines the bottle in the kettle. 801 l for ah hour. Pour off the soiled water Mjod add fresh, repeating the. process until the water remains clear. Re-

move the bottle and rinse In several clear cold waters. Take off the muslin and let the lace dry on the bottle. If a little stiffness in thg lace is desirable, dip. It In skimmed milk. Then fold the lace in a damp cloth until ready to pin out. Lace may be pinned out on an ironing board or on a wooden drum which is first covered with cotton wadding and over that with white muslin. Pin the lace along its straight edge, setting the pins close together and at distances apart. Then pin out each plcot separately. If the lace dries before it is all pinned down, dampen it slightly. Use non-rustable pins, choosing fine ones for tiny picots and larger ones for heavier laces. When lace is old or fragile, or very much soiled, it should be soaked for several hours in pure olive oil before washing.