_Steps_ _Method_ 1. Soaking: Wet the clothes; rub the soiled parts with soap and roll each article separately; pack in a tub, placing the clothing most soiled at the bottom; cover with warm soapy water and soak from one hour to over night. The soaking softens and loosens the fibres of fabrics, so that the foreign matter in them can be more easily separated. It also dissolves the soluble impurities in the fabrics. 2. Rubbing: Wring the clothes out of the soaking water, and place them in a tub of clean warm water or soap-suds; rub the soiled parts first on one side and then on the other, using the knuckles, a washboard, or a washing-machine. When each piece is clean, wring it tightly. The rubbing scrapes or rubs out the foreign matter which has been loosened by the soaking. 3. Rinsing: Shake out each piece and put it into a tub of clear water; rub, and move about in the water to get rid of any soiled water that the clothes may contain; wring tightly. 4. Boiling: Shake out each piece and place it in a boiler of cold water with or without soap; bring to boiling heat, and boil briskly for twenty minutes. The boiling kills any germs and assists in whitening the clothes. 5. Rinsing: Lift the clothes from the boiling water by means of a clothes stick and place them in a tub of clear, cold water; proceed as in the first rinsing. 6. Blueing: Open out each piece and place one or two at a time in a tub of blueing water for just a moment; wring tightly, and shake out each piece. The blueing tends to counteract any yellow tinge in the clothes, making them appear whiter. 7. Starching: Dip one piece at a time into the starch mixture until well saturated; then wring. Only certain articles or parts of articles will require this part of the process, to give them body or stiffness and, it may be, glossiness. 8. Hanging: Shake out each piece thoroughly; fasten to a clothes-line or hang on a rack to allow the moisture to evaporate. This should be out-of-doors in the sunlight if possible. REMOVAL OF STAINS Foreign matter which is difficult or impossible to remove by the ordinary washing process is called a _stain_. Such matter is not dissolved by the usual cleansing agents used in laundry work, such as water and soap, but requires some special solvent to act on it. The choice of the agent to be used will depend on the nature of the foreign matter to be removed. In some cases it is difficult to find an agent which will not act also on the colour of the fabric; in other cases to find one which does not injure the fibre of the goods.