hile the others are boiling. The night before, the
collars and wristbands of shirts, the feet of stockings, &c., should
be rubbed well with soap and set to soak. In the morning pour ten
gallons of water into the copper, and having strained the mixture of
lime and soda well, taking great care not to disturb the settlings,
put it, together with the soap, into the water, and make the whole
boil before putting in the clothes.

A plate should be placed at the bottom of the copper, to prevent the
clothes from burning. Boil each lot of clothes from half an hour to an
hour, then rinse them well in cold blue water. When dry they will be
beautifully white. The same water will do for three lots. Wash the
finer things first.

2736. Washing. (_Supremacy of Soapsuds over Lime_).

To save your linen and your labour,--pour on half a pound of soda two
quarts of boiling water, in an earthenware pan; take half a pound of
soap, shred fine; put it into a saucepan with two quarts of cold
water; stand it on a fire till it boils; and when perfectly dissolved
and boiling, add it to the former. Mix it well, and let it stand till
cold, when it will have the appearance of a strong jelly. Let your
linen be soaked in water, the seams and any other soiled part rubbed
in the usual way, and remain till the following morning. Get your
copper ready, and add to the water about a pint basin full; when
_lukewarm_ put in your linen, and allow it to boil for twenty minutes.
Rinse it in the usual way, and that is all which is necessary to get
it clean, and to keep it in good colour. Housekeepers will find the
above receipt invaluable.

[...BUT TO APPEAR SO, WHAT A STRAIN AND MISERY!]

2737. Hard Water.

When water is hard, and will not readily unite with soap, it will
always be proper to boil it before use; which will be found
sufficiently efficacious, if the hardness depends solely upon the
impregnation of lime. Even exposure to the atmosphere will produce
this effect in a great degree upon spring water so impregnated,
leaving it much fitter for lavatory purposes.

In both cases the water ought to be carefully poured off from the
sediment, as the neutralized lime, when freed from its extra quantity
of carbonic acid, falls to the bottom by its own gravity. To
economize the use of soap, put any quantity of pearlash into a large
jar, covered from the dus