Cooking -- Study and teaching (Secondary); Home economics
Coffee, tea and cocoa stain badly; the latter, if neglected, will
resist to the destruction of the fabric. These all contain tannin,
besides various coloring matters, and are "fixed" by soap and water.
Clear boiling water will often remove fresh coffee and tea stains,
although it is safer to sprinkle the stains with borax and soak in
cold water first. An alkaline solution of great use and convenience is
Javelle water. It will remove stains and is a general bleacher. It is
composed of 1 lb. of sal-soda with 1/4 lb. of chloride of lime in 2
quarts of boiling water. When the substances have dissolved as much as
they will, and become cool and settled, pour off the clear liquid and
bottle it for use. Be careful not to allow any of the solid portions
to pass into the bottle. Use the dregs for scouring unpainted
woodwork, or to cleanse waste pipes. When a spot is found on a white
tablecloth place under it an inverted plate. Apply Javelle water with
a soft tooth brush (the use of the brush protects the skin and the
nails). Rub gently till the stain disappears, then rinse in clear
water and finally in ammonia. Blood stains require clear cold or tepid
water; hot water and soap render the red coloring matter less
soluble. When the stain is nearly gone soap and hot water may be used.
Stains from meat juice should be treated in the same way. When blood
is mixed with mucous, as in the case of handkerchiefs, it is well to
soak the stains for some hours in a solution of salt and cold water--2
tablespoonfuls to a quart. Grass stains dissolve in alcohol. If
applied immediately, ammonia and water will sometimes wash them out.
The following methods have proved successful, and may be tried where
colors are likely to be affected by alcohol. Molasses, or a paste of
soap and cooking soda may be spread over the stain and left for some
hours, or the stain may be kept moist in the sunshine until the green
color has changed to brown, when it will wash out in pure water.
Mildew requires different treatment from any previously considered.
Strong soap suds, a layer of soft soap and pulverized chalk, or one of
chalk and salt, are all effective, if in addition the moistened cloth
be subjected to strong sunlight, which kills the plant and bleaches
the fibre. Javelle water may be tried in cases of advanced growth, but
success is not always assured. Some of the animal and vegetable oils
may be taken out by soap and cold water, or dissolved in naphtha,
chloroform, ether, etc. Some of the vegetable oils are soluble in hot
alcohol (care being taken that the temperature be not raised to the
point of igniting). Vaseline stains should be soaked in kerosene
before water and soap touch them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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