EX TENSION BULLETIN .l4.} APRIL, 1~.}~

EFFICIENT LAUNDRY

METHODS • • • EFFICIENT LAUNDRY METHODS · By Esther Pond Extension Econom~st in Home Management State College ·of Washington

The ambition of every woman who does the family washing is to produce clean, white clothes without becoming tired. The satisfaction of having clean clothes without fatigue, is the result of management. If a homemaker will study herself, her methods and her equipment and undertake to achieve efficiency, she will find that the whole laundry process can be interesting and scien­ tific. The woman who finishes the task fatigued and who, for a medium-sized family, has spent more than three hours at it, is not taking advantage of .the things which are hers for the plan­ ning.

Planning for the Wash Day Each woman must decide which day of the week is best for her wash day. For some, Tuesday seems better than Monday for it gives an opportunity on the day before to get ready some of the things which clutter up the wash day. For others, there may be a better day of the week, which fits in with other things to be done. The important thing·is to keep the same day of each week for wash day, unless something else of more importance necessitates a change in days. Other household tasks must be planned around the washing, too. Bed linens should be changed on cleaning day or the day before wash day rather than on the day. itself. The idea of putting the bed linen back on the beds after washing may appeal to many but it is not efficient. Just to think of making up beds for . the family after having put out the wash is fatiguing enough! The breakfast dishes should be "cleaned-up" before starting the laundry. Wash-day meals should be of the oven variety rather than warmed up. After exerting energy, nour~shing and appetizing foods are needed to refresh one. Oven foods can be prepared in advance and require little watching while the washing is being done. 2 Small children often present problems on wash day. One can­ not work efficiently with them underfoot or demanding attention. If the weather is bad, so that they cannot play outdoors; a play pen or a place in an adjoining room with something to keep them busy for several hours is satisfactory. Often they like to watch mother, or she wishes to keep an eye on them. A foldjng gate at the door is a handy thing to keep the children from being: tempted into the wash room.

To Avoid Fatigue Fatigue from laundry work often comes from other things than the actual washing: (1) Clothing, inclpding undergarments, should fit comfortably with no tendency for anything · to annoy. Shoulder strar>s can be kept from slipping by putting them through a safety-pin whicn is pinned to the s.houlder seam of the dress. A waterproof apron will make it possible for one to wear a clean, attractive dress, and there­ by better .enjoy working. Shoes, too, should be comfortable and need to be prote'cted with rubbers if there is water on the floor. (2) Food gives the body energy. A good breakfast and a mid­ morning lunch of milk, fruit, or a sandwich will help keep fatigue from developing when heavy work is being done. (3) Poor posture caused from stooping to a tub, a clothes ·basket or an ironing board which is too low results in many a back­ ache. Take steps first to stop all stooping. (4) The lightness, or rather the darkness, of a room may be the reason for fatigue. If plenty of daylight cannot be provided on all working surfaces, the artificial light must be arranged to prevent shadows. Where electricity is available, a 100-watt bulb, covered with a diffused light globe should be on the ceiling in the center of the room. · (5) Lifting heavy tubs and buckets of water is unnecessary and fatiguing. A rubber hose should be used to convey all water from faucet or pump to tubs and to empty the tubs. (6) Extra steps while washing will be saved if the equipment is grouped together. (7) Noise from anything such as a squeaky machine, annoyance from hair hanging in eyes; iri fact, all of the things which cause 3 fatigue should· be carefully corrected. Time and te'mper will be saved if something is done about such things before the washing is started. The Laundry Room The ideal laundry room is on the ground floor, adjoining the kitchen. Such a room saves many steps to the outdoor clothes lines and' to the kitchen. With linoleum on the floor. and curtains

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at the windows, it can be made a more comfortable and attractive work shop and often serves as a place to do many of the things which need to be done on a farm. In such a room, the men can wash, the separating can be done, the separator and milk utensils can be washed and drained, vegetables can be cleaned for canning, everyday coats and boots can be stored and play equipment, wash­ ing equipment and soaps can be kept. In addition to the actual washing, drying, and ironing, the laundry room provides facilities for sorting and sprinkling the clothes. The plan for the laundry room shown above may be adapted to a laundry on first floor or to a laundry in the kitchen or base­ ment. In each case, any equipment which is not needed may be 4 omitted without interfering with the general plan. If the laundry is in the basement, better light will fall on the tubs if they are placed at right angles to the windows, rather than directly under them. The washing machine and clothes basket should be placed on the side nearest the indoor clothes line.

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The More Efficient Laundry Every efficient laundry should have. this equipment. ( 1) A power washing machine with a spinner or a wnnger which is adjustable to four positions. (2) Laundry tubs. Stationary, if possible, otherwise tubs on legs with casters. Tubs with rounded bottoms are easiest to clean. (3) Machine and tubs raised to proper height to save stooping. ( 4) A platform on casters for the tub for soaking and for the clothes basket, to provide correct working height and to make them .~, movable. (5) A platform on wheels for moving the clothes basket under the outdoor clothes line at the proper. height to prevent stooping. (6) A laundry basket lined with oil cloth. (7) A sorting table for sorting clothes, stacking in piles and for sprinkling clothes after they are dry. (8) Hose used for filling Oil Cloth Lining for Clothes machine and tubs. Basket. (9) Hose used' for draining tubs -and machine. (10) Indoor-clothes lines. ( 11) Good light for the room. (12) A clothes-pin bag to slide on the line. (13) A clothes sprinkler. (14) A stain removal kit.

Steps in Washing As in all tasks, there are three distinct steps in the process of washing. These steps need to be observed if good management results: 1. Get Ready· A. Collect clothes B~ Sort clothes C. Remove stains b. Put first load of clothes to soak E. Prepare wash water in machine 1. Use hose to fill tubs 2. Remove rust from water if necessary 3. Soften water if necessary 4. Use right temperature water-140° to 150• 5. Have sufficient suds-about three inches for each load 6 II. Do it A. Remove first load from soak water and put 1n machine B. Put second load to soak C. Clean clothes lines D. Prepare rinse waters E. Remove first load from machine to first rinse. F. Remove second load from soak water and put in machine G. Put third load to soak H. Rinse first load at least twice I. Hang on line J. Remove second load from machine to rinse K. Proceed in same manner as with first load, adding the next load to the machine as soon as each is removed. III. Clean Up A. Drain and wash out machine and tubs. B. Clean up equipment and put it away. C. Clean floor, if necessary. The following is a more complete discussion of the procedure for some of these steps : I. Collect clothes from clothes chute, hamper, or laundry bags. II. Sort clothes according to the amount of dirtiness, generally in the following order. (It is easier to wash many slightly soiled clothes than a few dirty ones.) a. Table linens e. Undergarments b. Bed linen f . . Light colored clothes c. Dish towels g. Dark colored clothes d. Bath towels and. white h. Dust cloths, mop,s, etc. shirts In small families some of these items which are the same color a~d have the same amount of soil, ·may be put into a load to­ gether, while in large families some items such as sheets need to be divided into several loads. A load is t'he amount the machine will carry according to its capacity. Some machines can handle the weight of six sheets, while others should have only the weight of three sheets. 7 I -

IlL Put first load of clothes to soak in slightly .warm, sudsy, soft water. Soaking clothes 10 to 15 minutes loosens dirt, albumin­ ous material and starch and often prevents the setting of stains as well as dirt on neckbands of shirts. IV. Prepare wash water in machine. For best results the water should be: A. Free of rust and other minerals. These clearing methods may be used: 1. Filter tank-in which the water passes through some such material as sand, salt or absorbent cotton, or 2. Settling tank-in \vhich water is allowed to stand until the foreign material settles, then the water is drawn off above it. B. Soft, because soap plus hard water forms curd. ·To soften hard water: 1. Install a chemical tank through which the water runs, or 2. Experiment with various softening agents to find what is best for the water used: Water softeners should be added to hot water and sho.uld stand five to 10 minutes before using so as to form the desired t:eaction on the water. If a curd forms, remove it by skimming. a. Kinds-Tri-sodium phosphate, washing soda, commercial softeners. In some water a com­ bination of two parts of tri-sodium phosphate to one part of washing soda is satisfactory. b. Amounts to Use- Slightly hard water: Use )4 level tablespoon­ ful softener to each gallon of warm water. Moderately hard water: Use Yz level table­ spoonful softener to each gallon of warm water. Very hard water: Use one level tablespoonful softener to each gallon of warm water. 8 C. Correct water level. With either a full load or a partial load, the washing machine will give satisfactory results only _when it is filled to the water level marked on the machine. D. Right temperature. If the clothes have been soaked in lukewarm water, they may be put into water of 140 to 150 degrees. Use ather­ mometer to measure this temperature. The sudsy water should not be hotter than the hand can bear. If the clothes are not soaked, the first water sho1:1-ld not be over 120 degrees as hotter water sets the dirt and stains, as is often noticed on men's shirt collars. Keep the correct temperature during the entire washing by removing a little water from the machine and adding some hot water between every two or three loads., E. Covered with sufficient suds. Use soap enough to produce two to three inches of suds on top of the watet:. When adding the soap, whether flakes, chips, or soap jelly, run the washing machine a few minutes to help soap dis­ solve and to produce the suds. Keep this much suds until the last load is run through. To do this, it may be necessary to add more soap after the first two or three loads. If the water be­ comes dirty it will be best to empty at least a ' part of the machine and start with fresh water and soap. Dirty water will never make clean clothes.

Keep Three Inches of Suds on Each Load. IV. The actual washing. Add the first load to the mach,ine when the water and soap have been properly prepared. The time required for running each load in the machine will depend on the 9 amount of dirt in the clothes and the kind of washing machine. MQst modern machines require from five to 15 minutes for soiled clothes. Ten minutes is sufficient for the average load. Slightly soiled clothes may need only five minutes. Silk and rayon underwear may be put into the machine for about three minutes. Leaving them in longer than that will ruin them. A. While the first load is washing: 1. Put second load in the soaking tub. 2. Clean the clothes line using a damp cloth. Kerosene on the cloth keeps it from freezing to the line and removes soot. Telephone wire makes the best clothes line. 3. Prepare rinse water. The first rinse water should be hot-at least 120 degrees. It is necessary to have it hot (except for silks) to remove the soap. It is also important that this first rinse be soft water. Sof~en as described above. B. Remove first load from machine into first rinse. Transfer second load from soaking water into machine, and put . third load to soak. C. Agitate the clothes in the rinse water to free the soap. A hand vacuum funnel is good for this. · D. The second rinse water may be only slightly warm. If this water becomes soapy, change it often or prepare a third rinse. E. Bluing is not necessary, unless clothes have become yel­ lowed. Some bluing causes rust spots if it combines with soap which was not rinsed out. To bleach yellowish clothes, give them an extra rinsing and hang in the sun­ shine. F. Starching may be used for men's shir~ collars and cuffs and a very thin solution for house dresses, aprons and children's clothes, if desired. Boil the starch 10 to t"S minutes. To prevent glazed spots when the garments are ironed, use the starch as hot as the hands can stand. This makes it necessary to keep the bulk supply hot, adding it to the thinned solution as often as ne.eded. , 10 G. When hanging the clothes on the line, much energy can be saved and fatigue avoided if the basket is placed on a high platform which is 0n wheels. This means the basket can be moved along under the line and clothes lifted with­ out stooping. Hang the clothes-pin bag on the line within reach. If it is fitted onto a coat hanger, bend the · hook of the hanger as shown in the illustration, so that it will fit over the line tigb.t enough to keep the wind from blowing the bag away. In hanging clothes, put things of a . kind together. For ex­ ample: put the sheets together, towels together, shirts together. Many motions will be saved if things · of a kind are piled to- gether in the basket as they go through the wringer. Hang any large article, such as a sheet, which may whip in the wind with the two hemmed edges together and folded. over the line about 12 inches. If all straight-line articles are folded over the line in this way there will be no "ears" to iron out. Dish towels take up less room if folded together once and the narrow end hung over the line. If one works efficiently, each load should be rinsed and put on the line while another one is washing. Care should be taken, however, not to run a load over 15 minutes as it is hard on the clothes. V. The washing is not completed until the machine and tubs are emptied, washed, and wiped out and the other equipment used is put away. If the floor has become wet or soiled, it will need to be cleaned.

Fabrics Requiring Special Care in Laundering Silks, rayons and woolens cannot be washed in the same water ;as cottons and linens. They require a milder temperature in wash-

11 ing and rinsing, and greater care in handling. Hot water makes both silk and wool harsh and wool shrinks in either hot or cold water. Hot water also makes white silk and wool garments bec,ome yellow. The temperature to use for washing and rinsing is 100 degrees. Use a white, neutral soap which is thoroughly dissolved and a two to three-inch suds formed on the water before the garment is put in. Never rub the soap on the fabric. The water must be soft. Dip the garment up and down in the suds, squeezing lightly but handling carefully. It may be washed in the machine fo,r not longer than three minutes. It is better to wash through two or three suds than to rub or wash longer in the machine. To remove the water, rather than wringing the garment, squeeze it gently. Rinse through several clear waters which are soft and the same tempert:tture as the suds. Dry in a place where the temperature is moderate. A void the use of clothes pins. Silks and rayons should be rolled in a towel to absorb the moisture or at least taken from the line before they are thoroughly dry and rolled up. White silk should be rolled in a towel as soon as it is washed as the sun and air cause it to turn yellow. These gar­ ments should be ironed with a moderately hot iron while they are slightly damp. Never iron silk hosiery. As soon as they are remoYed from the feet rinse in lukewarm water. If they are dirty or if there is exces­ sive perspiration, use a mild soap in the water. Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water. Never rub or wring hose.

Knitted Garments Before washing a knitted garment lay it flat on a piece of wrapping paper and draw around it. After it has been washed, lay the garment on the paper again, stretch it back to its original shape and let it dry on the flat surface. Forms are available for stretching infant's stockings and clothes.

Stretching Knit Sweater to Right Shape. 12 Blankets and Pillows Blankets should be washed before they become very dirty. Choose a clear, breezy but not windy day so the blankets will dry quickly. Follow the directions as for silks and woolens in regard to preparing the soft water, the temperature of the water and the two to three-inch suds. Wash one blanket at a time. Shake it out as it is inserted in the water. Operate the washing machine about three minutes. Watch blanket to prevent its wrapping and pulling. If it was badly soiled it may be necessary to put it through a second suds. Rinse two or three times in the same temperature of water, until the water remains clear. If rinsed in the machine, run only one minute for each rinsing. Comforts can be washed by this same method except that instead of being wrung through the wringer between each rinsing they will need to be placed over a narrow board laid across the top of the tub and allowed to drip well before being handled. To make the blankets fluffy, shake them occasionally as they hang on the line. Also mqve the fold to prevent a crease where they hang on the line. Pillows can be washed in the same way as blankets. It is ad­ visable to divide them into two flour sacks before washing. To do this rip a six-inch opening in one end of the pillow. Make a similar opening in a flour sack and sew the two openings together. The feathers can be shaken from one container to the ·other without losing any. For washing, choose a dear, breezy day when the temperature is not too hot. While drying, shake and .beat from time to time to get the air through them. When they are thoroughly dry, empty them back into the washed pillow tick in the same way they were taken from it.

The Ironing While ironing is a separate task from washing, it is so closely associated with washing that it seems wise to discuss it under Efficient Laundering Methods. All that was said about planning for the wash day, should be considered for ironing day. Much of one's good management results from such planning.

13 The ironing job, too, divides itself in three parts: I. Get Ready A. As clothes are removed from line they should be sorted into three plies in the basket: 1. Those to be ironed. 2. Those not to be ironed. 3. Colored to be ironed. To prevent wrinkles and to save motions in refolding, the clothes should be folded in the same way in which they are to be ironed or put away. D. Clothes to ·be ironed should be sprinkled at least three hours before ironing. Use the sorting table in the laundry for the sprinkling job. · Warm water is more effeCtive than cold water. For an efficient sprinkler, punch about 10 tiny holes in the lid of a fruit jar, with a tack. Put a rubber on the jar and then the lid and you have a wide­ mouthed sprinkler. The size of the jar will depend on the size of one's hand and the strength in one's wrists. C. The ironing board should be sturdy and well-padded. If nothing else is available, two thicknesses of table pad­ ding are excellent. Tack the padding on tightly and cover with muslin. This covering s,hould be protected and kept clean by having slip covers made of old sheets or un­ bleached sheeting to slip OV'er. These covers are ·easily made by laying the material on the board and cutting two inches larger than the shape of the board. At the shaped end, cut a piece to fit, making it slightly smaller than the board. Stitch this to the shaped end of the larger piece, thereby forming a pocket which will fit snug­ ly when pulled over the ironing board. Attach tape to op­ posite sides of t~e cover and tie it tightly under the board. Hem the unfinished edges. Such a cover is easily re­ movable for laundering. II. Do It-Ironing. Sit to iron when you can. The ironing board and chair or stool must be properly adjusted in height to give you good posture with the forearm at a 135 degree angle to the upper arm. Poor posture causes most of the backache 14 and fatigue in ironing. A foot rest is helpful. An ironing machine is a great time and energy saver. particularly if there are many flat pieces to be ironed. Iron slowly, with the thread of the goods. Save as many motions ~s possible. Iron those parts first which will hang off the board while ironing the rest of the garment. For ef{ample, use this order for a man's shirt: Inside of cuff, outside of cuff, front side of sleeve, back side of sleeve; same order for other sleeve; button side of front of shirt, back of shirt, plait side of front, wrong side of collar and right side of collar. To save motions, hang on _. a coat -hanger in the closet instead of folding. Sheets, table cloths, and long articles are folded length­ wise first, then crosswise. Towels and pillow cases are folded lengthwise in thirds or fourths, depending on the width of the article. To fold dinner napkins correctly, follow this procedure: Laying the hemmed edges parallel with ironing board, iron the wrong side of the napkin. Fold hemmed edges together, keeping hems next to you. Bring folded edge over to hemmed edge. Bring selvage edges together, fold­ ing from right to left. Make another fold from right to left to make the napkin square. Turn the napkin over to iron the top side. When placed on the table, the hemmed side will be parallel to the edge of the table and the selvage will be parallel with the fork. III. Putting away the ironing equipment and the clothes is the last part of the job. If a portable ironing board is used, many people like to move it about the house to iron where things are put away; for example, aprons, tea towels in t,h.e kitchen or shirts and dresses in a bedroom. To save time, most garments are hung on coat hangers in the closet instead of being folded.

15 Published and distributed in furtherance of the Act of May 8, 191•, by the State Collece of Washington, .Extension Service, F. F;. Balmer, Director, and U. S. Department of Agriculture cooperatinc.