Let's COOK UP A WASH

A Recipe For Every Wash

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FABRIC FORMULA WASHING

JESSIE CARTWRIGHT • NORGE HOME ECONOMIST

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FABRIC FORMULA WASHING

With today's modern appliances, it is as easy to do good laundry as it is to bake a good cake. All we have to do is to follow the right recipe, or formula and presto! Clean, fresh clothes and household linens that are a joy to a home maker's heart.

Just a few years ago, we had fewer fabrics and fewer wash day aids. Today, we have a multitude of different fabrics and many choices of detergents, water softeners, bluings, bleaches, fabric softeners-and every day we see new ones. These are all good but in order to use them we must know what they are for and when to put them in the wash. We must also know that each new fabric needs its own recipe.

If we mix every thing together, if we wash our woolens and cottons and nylons together and thrown them all in with soap, detergent, bleach, bluing and anything else we can find, we'll make a "Witches Brew" and ruin the clothes.

Here is a simple classification of laundry aids and what they do. Choose from these for your recipe.

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1. Soaps.

Soap is a cleanser. In today's modern laundry it's use is decreasing. In hard water (about 75% of the U. S. has hard water) soap combines with hardness minerals and makes curds in the washing and on the clothes. When we had a whole river to rinse in, this wasn't too bad, but in today's automatic washer, unless both the wash water and rinse water is soft or softened, soap is not the ideal cleanser to use.

Types of Soap

a. All purpose--for normal or heavily soiled washing

Duz, Rinso, Instant Fels , Super Suds , White King Soap , American Family Soap

b. Mild duty-for washing lightly soiled or fine fabrics, fine woolens or delicate colors.

Ivory Snow, Lux Flakes, Chiffon, Kirkman Flakes

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Remember, if you use soap in your automatic washer you must have soft or softened water in both wash and rinse, for good results.

2. Synthetic Detergents. These are the newer-fashioned cleansers which are used by most women instead of soap. They do the same job as soap but do not combine with the lime or minerals in the water to make curds. They are ideal for all automatic washing machines. There are several types of detergents.

a. All purpose sudsing powdered or granules. TIDE, Felso, Fab, White King D, Rinso Blue, Blue Cheer, Surf, American Family Detergent, Super Suds Detergent.

b. Controlled or low sudsing powdered detergents.

All, Ad, Spin, Dash.

c. All purpose liquid (sudsing), Wisk. A liquid cleanser, if the right type, does excellent cleansing. Because of concentration careful measurement is desirable. See directions on bottle.

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d. Light duty liquids. These are only for washing very lightly soiled or very delicate fabrics. They are, Liquid Vel, Trend, Liquid Lux, Liquid Ivory.

e. Light duty sudsing powdered. For very lightly soiled or delicate fabrics only. Dreft, Swirl, Vel, Trend.

f. Low sudsing all purpose liquids. Hum.

It should be noted that either over-use or under-use of detergents will not give perfect results. For amount consult your washing instruction book and the package of detergents. Amounts may vary according to the amount of soil in the clothes and the hardness of the water.

3. Bleaches.

Bleaching is an essential operation in many phases of good laundering. Chlorine bleaches have the property of brightening and whitening cottons or linens, (and some man made fabrics), which have yellowed.

Chlorine bleach is also an excellent stain remover for many stubborn stains. It requires understanding and proper use to get perfect results.

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Liquid chlorine bleach should be measured and diluted before adding to the tub filled with sufficient water for the load to be washed. Chlorine bleach is not intended for use on silks, woolens, rayons, acetates or very delicate fabrics or non-fast colors. There are also some resin treated cottons such as minimum care cottons, wrinkle resistant and textured cottons which, due to special finishes, should not be bleached.

There are two types of chlorine bleach:

a. Liquid: Purex, Clorox, Linco, White Sail. Measure, dilute with water and add to tub of water unless your washer has a safe way of mixing it with the water and dispensing automatically.

b. Powdered: BEADS O'BLEACH, Purex, Linco. The same general rules apply to powdered as liquid bleaches. Powdered bleaches are safer to handle. In the dry state they are harmless to fabrics. Chlorine is not released until the

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product is dissolved. "Beads O'Bleach", has an added ingredient to protect bleachable fabrics from fiber damage and give a slower release of chlorine in the water.

Rinse Additives.

a. With modern detergents, a water softener is seldom needed in the wash. If the water is hard or the clothes are extremely linty or have old greyness from previous washing, it is wise to soften and condition the rinse water. The products recommended for this are refined non-precipitating softeners. They can be used in very hard water in both wash and rinse but in most water, it is best to use in the first rinse only. To use: Measure and add at the beginning of your rinsing.

Be sure rinsing is complete enough so that conditioner is out by the second or third rinse.

This will leave your clothes white and free from detergent or mineral matters.

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There are other packaged water softeners if the water is extremely hard, you may find they help in the wash. These must be used in the wash, not in the rinse. Most of these are quite alkaline and should be completely rinsed out of the clothes. Do not use with delicate colors or fine fabrics.

1. Precipitating softeners. Climaline, Melo, Sal Soda, Rain Drops. These are seldom used except with soap in hard water or with detergent in extremely hard water.

2. Non-precipitating softeners and conditioners.

Aid, Noctil, Quadrofos, Tex, Calgon, and Phosphotex. With synthetic detergents it is seldom necessary to use these water softeners in the wash. A true water conditioner will give best results in both wash and rinse regardless of water hardness.

Fabric Softeners. STA-PUF and Nu-Soft. Use to

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add softness and fluffiness to fabric. These increasing popular new products also make ironing easier and with man-made fibers such as dacron, or Ion and nylon they reduce the static electricity in the garments so that they do not stick together, crackle and cling to the figure. They should be used in the last minute of rinsing only when everything else is out of the clothes. They should never be mixed with soap, detergent or water softener as they are not designed to work well with these products. Some washers will dispense a fabric softener in the final minute of rinsing, in others you must add the fabric softener by hand at the proper time. Always measure and use as directed on the bottles. These fabric softeners will wash out in the next wash, and not build up in the clothes.

5. Miscellaneous Washing Aids. With the new finishes and fabrics there are only a few articles in most washes that need starch. There is a wide variety of starch from which to choose.

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1. Liquid. Sta-Flo and Linit.

2. Powdered. Linit, Niagara, Staley, Argo,

You may have other good brands in your area. Remember, starching is only done after the washing is completely through. It is economical to pick out the pieces to be starched and to use your starch exactly as directed on either bottle or on box. It is always wise to completely finish washing and rinsing before you attempt to starch.

Bluing. Bluing is not necessary to good washing but many women like to use it. There are two types of bluing.

1. The bluing that goes in the wash which is really a blue detergent. La France and Blu-White are examples. Always use this type in the wash and in the amounts specified on the package. If you intend to bleach, do not use soap bluing as it will completely bleach out the blue and you have wasted the bluing. Bluing is really a cosmetic

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which makes yellowed clothes look white. It does not clean the clothes or remove greyness from improper washing. Over-use of bluing may cause improperly washed clothes to have a grey cast.

2. Liquid or solid bluing. Boy Blue, Mrs. Stewart, Ball. This is for use in the very last minute of rinse. It is a blue dye and gives an effect of whiteness. Use as directed and only after all washing and rinsing is over except last rinse. Never mix with detergent or bleach.

CAUTION -- MEASURE, DON'T DUMP. The dump method is wasteful and often causes bad results. All the above products are good if used with understanding.

If you follow the above directions, regardless of your method of washing, you will find satisfaction with your clothes.

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FIBERS AND FABRICS

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FIBERS AND FABRICS

Fibers are what fabrics are made from. There are two general classifications.

1. NATURAL

Cotton - Strong and long-wearing. Many cottons

today have finishes to make them wrinkle-resistant and easy to iron. Some do not require ironing.

Care: Washes well.. except for special finishes requires no special treatment.

Linen - Strong and long-wearing.. needs no special care in laundering.

Silk - From silk worms.

Care: Most silks should be dry cleaned.

Some blends are machine washable. Check label carefully for instructions.

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Wool - Animal hair or covering.

Care: Great care needed in laundering.. does not stand harsh agitation or strong detergents. If blended with other fibers, still should be handled with care in laundering. Best wash "without shock" - same water temperature for wash and rinse. Preferable "luke warm" water for both wash & rinse.

MAN-MADE FIBERS These are "synthetically" made and not animal or vegetable. They are growing in numbers and in use. Here are some of the more widely known:

Rayon - Oldest of synthetic fibers. Made from cellulose (wood chips and splinters).

Care: If tag says dry-clean, follow instructions. If washable, use care, be sure it is color-fast and treat gently.

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ACETATE

Also cellulose.

Care: Check label. Washes easily but with gentle treatment. Will melt under hot iron.

ACRILAN

Natural gas and air.

Warm. . without weight and often is blended with other fibers.

Care: Washes easily--needs little ironing. Keeps pleats well. Does not stand high heat. Also may be dry cleaned.

ARNEL

Cellulose base.

Resists wrinkles, holds pleats. Can be made shrink and stretch resistant.

Care: Check label. Most arnel garments are machine washable and can be tumble dried.

DACRON

Petroleum products, air and water. Strong - wrinkle resistant. . requires

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minimum care. Spots can be sponged off easily. Blends well with other fibers. Care: Washes easily, dries quickly.

Needs little ironing.

DYNEL - Gas, plus coal, air and salt.

Pleasing wool-like feel.. adds warmth in blends.

Care: Washes easily, dries quickly.

Check tag for ironing instructions.

No high heat.

FIBER-GLASS - Flexible pure glass.

Fire resistant, chemical resistant. Does not deteriorate with age.

Care: Avoid agitation, rubbing or twisting or spinning. Requires no ironing.

NYLON - Coal, air and water.

Tops in strength, wet or dry. Light weight, long wearing. Often blended.

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Care: Washes easily, dries rapidly, little or no ironing required.

Will melt with high heat.

ORLON - Limestone, coal, air and water.

Strong, wet or dry. Gives warmth without weight. Blends well, .keeps pleats and creases.

Care: Washes easily.. dries quickly. Check tag for instructions.

Little or no ironing. Sensitive to high heat.

VICARA - From kernels of corn.

Soft and fluffy... absorbs moisture and is comfortable to wear. Used mostly in blends.

Care: Check tag as washing depends on other fibers in blends.

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A FEW SIMPLE RULES FOR

LAUNDERING MAN - MADE FIBERS.

1. Check label. Most garments marked "hand washable" may be machine washed with care.

2. Whites should be washed only with whites, since they quickly absorb color which may bleed slightly from other garments.

3. Pre-treat heavy soiled spots or areas.

4. Bleaches, if properly used, are safe on whites. EXCEPTION: Chlorine bleach should never be used

on blends or articles containing acetate, wool, silk or cottons with special finishes.

5. Wash man-made fibers in warm water. Cold water rinsing allows less wrinkling.

6. Use fabric softener in final minute of rinsing to reduce static electricity.

7. For best results, tumble in tumble dryer and remove as soon as dryer stops.

8. In laundering blends, check for fiber and treat according to the weakest fiber.

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Following is a chart to use----------Read labels on garments

carefully. There may be variations in method. See preceding pages for detergent, bleach, and other wash aid definitions.

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FABRIC WASH TEMPERATURE WASH TIME WASH SPEED
Hot Warm Cold Normal Short Normal Slow
White cottons, linens. Normal soil. X X X
Dark cottons non fast colored cottons. X X X
Presoak Diapers, Wash X X X X
Woolens X X X
White nylons, orlons, dacrons. X X X
Colored dacrons, orlons, nylons, etc. X X X
*Dacrons, nylons, etc. Delicate construction. X X X
Very lightly soiled nylons, dacrons, etc. X X X
Wrinkle free or treated cottons. X X X
Automatic Wash N Wear. X X X

* If heavily soiled, use normal wash time, slow speed.

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WASH AIDS RINSE TEMP. RINSE AIDS RINSE AIDS SPIN SPEED
Warm Cold Start of rinse Last min. of rinse Norm. Slow
All purpose detergents. Bleach if needed. X Water Conditioner Light starch or fabric softener X
All purpose detergent or mild for delicate colors. X Water Conditioner Light starch or fabric softener X
Borax in cold soak. All purpose or mild detergent in wash. Mild safe all purpose bleach. X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
Mild detergent X Water Condt. Fabric softn. X
All purpose or mild detergent. Safe all purpose bleach. X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
Mild detergent X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
Mild detergent X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
Mild detergent X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
All purpose or mild detergent. X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X
All purpose or mild detergent. X Water Conditioner Fabric Softener X