Laundry Day

 "Washing the laundry is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it"  Aunt Middle Mary  

I bought a new (new to me) book yesterday at Half Price Books and it is just full of homekeeping tips.  The book is Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice
It is available by following the link to amazon
, as well.  I will be sharing some of these tips on future posts but today I want to share some for my Monday Laundry Tips post.  I hope you find these useful.

Today's tip will focus on starching.  I like to starch David's work shits, they just look crisper and nicer when wearing.

"Starching is an effort to replace the original finish which the textile manufacturer gave to the fabric, and which, in most cases, is removed when the garment is washed.  Miss Sallie Anne's recipe for starch gives clothes a beautiful finish, leaving the fabric smooth and pliable and giving it a certain 'feel' which makes it attractive.  there is nothing quiet like a the feeling of putting on a freshly laundered and starched garment that Miss Sallie Anne has tended to." page 59.

Miss Sallie Anne's Superior Recipe for Starch

2-6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
1 quart boiling water
1.2 teaspoon lard, paraffin, or any white wax

Mix the starch and part of the cold water, and stir into the boiling water in a double boiler.  Ise the remaining waterto rinse out the adhering starch.  Add the lard or white wax, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.  Strain if lumps are found.  This paste can be thinned with hot water until it gives the stiffness desired to the fabric.
For white clothes, use the starch as hot as the hands can stand.  Hot starch penetrates better and more evenly, and does not leave glazed spots when ironed.  Keep the bulk of the starch hot and use only a part of it at a time, replacing it frequently when it becomes cold and thin.  More satisfactory results are obtained by having two pans od starch, besides the reserve supply.  Dilute one with enough ater to make a good paste for the thinner garments, and keep the starch in the other pan sufficiently thick for the heavier fabrics.
Starch first those garments which are to be the stiffest.  Garments wrung very dry before starching will be stiffer than wetter ones.

Happy Homemaking...

Tiffany
this post is linked to Penny Worthy Project