172. _To wash Cotton Bed-furniture, and printed Calicoes in general._--1. Get rid of as much dirt as possible, by brushing and shaking. 2. Do not let the dirty things lie about in a damp wash-house, or in any way become damp before they are fairly wetted. 3. On no account use a particle of soda, pearl-ash, or any thing of the kind. 4. Allow plenty of water, and plenty of room in the tub. 5. Use soft water, no hotter than would be pleasant for washing the hands. 6. Rub with soap in the ordinary way. Mottled soap is preferable to yellow. If a general wash is about, the liquor in which flannels have been washed the second time, does very well for the first washing of colored things; or that in which muslins have been washed a second time, provided no soda or anything else of the kind was used. 7. When the first washing is completed, have ready another tub with water of the same degree of warmth, into which put each piece immediately on wringing it out of the first liquor. 8. Repeat the process of washing in the second liquor, carefully observing that every part is clean. 9. On wringing out of the second liquor, immediately plunge each piece into cold _spring_ water for rinsing. 10. On wringing each piece out of the rinsing water, immediately hang it out, and let it dry as quickly as possible. 11. In hanging up, put any thick double parts next the line, letting the thinner part hang down and blow about. When these are dry, the positions may be changed, and the thick parts hung downwards. 12. If, through unfavorable weather, or any other circumstance, the drying cannot proceed at once, the things had better remain all night in the rinsing water, than be laid about damp. If they are half-dry out-of-doors, when taken in for the night let them be hung or spread in a room, and again hung out early next day. If there is no chance of favorable drying abroad, they should be quickly dried before a fire, or round a stove. 13. If starching is required, a sufficient quantity of made starch may be stirred into the rinsing water.