Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/106

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ANY a young housekeeper has felt at her wit’s end when left without a servant. The young wife, perhaps, looks ruefully at the clothes to be washed, and wonders “how on earth” Mary Ann ever got through them, and how she is going to.

Well, first sort out the fine from the coarse clothes, put handkerchiefs, collars, frilled pillow cases, table linen, muslin wrappers, and aprons together in one heap, then under linen, shirts, sheets, plain pillow cases, &amp;c.; in another, towels, singlets, &amp;c. Now, if you have enough tubs, soak these in separate tubs; if not, you must put the two first lots together and the last two.

To prepare your water—boil it with soap and soda. Say you put on a large boilerful, and when it is boiling put one bucket to two of cold into your tubs and soak the things in that. Shred your soap very fine before putting it into the boiler, and do not put too much soda or your clothes will be yellow. About two tablespoonsful to a large boiler is enough. Soak the clothes in overnight rubbing a little extra soap on any stains. Many young housewives rub their own knuckles instead of the clothes and use about three times too much soap, half a bar of soap is enough to use for a very big wash, say, 12 dozen white things, and the best way to manage it is to cut the half bar into three pieces, two large and the other small, use your own judgment at first and after the first wash experience will teach you. The smaller piece can be again cut in two and the one half will be enough to shred for the soaking in, and the other half is to be shred for the boiler you mean to boil the clothes in. Having soaked your clothes you