little trouble, and keeps the flannels as white as new. Wash
the colored flannels, and hose, after the white, adding more hot water.
Some persons dry woollen hose on stocking-boards, shaped like a foot and
leg, with strings to tie them on the line. This keeps them from
shrinking, and makes them look better than if ironed. It is also less
work, than to iron them properly.

Bedding should be washed in long days, and in hot weather. Pound
blankets in two different tubs or barrels of hot suds, first well mixing
the soap and water. Rinse in hot suds; and, after wringing, let two
persons shake them thoroughly, and then hang them out. If not dry, at
night, fold them, and hang them out the next morning. Bedquilts should
be pounded in warm suds; and, after rinsing, be wrung as dry as
possible. Bolsters and pillows can be pounded in hot suds, without
taking out the feathers, rinsing them in fair water. It is usually best,
however, for nice feathers, to take them out, wash them, and dry them on
a garret floor. Cotton comforters should have the cases taken off and
washed. Wash bedticks, after the feathers are removed, like other
things. Empty straw beds once a year.

The following cautions, in regard to calicoes, are useful. Never wash
them in very warm water; and change the water, when it appears dingy, or
the light parts will look dirty. Never rub on soap; but remove grease
with French chalk, starch, magnesia, or Wilmington clay. Make starch for
them, with coffee-water, to prevent any whitish appearance. Glue is good
for stiffening calicoes. When laid aside, not to be used, all stiffening
should be washed out, or they will often be injured. Never let calicoes
freeze, in drying. Some persons use bran-water, (four quarts of
wheat-bran to two pails of water,) and no soap, for calicoes; washing
and rinsing in the bran-water. Potato-water is equally good. Take eight
peeled and grated potatoes to one gallon of water.

_Soda-Washing._

A very great saving in labor is secured, by _soda-washing_. There have
been mistakes made in receipts, and in modes of doing it, which have
caused a prejudice against it; but if the soap be rightly made, and
rightly used, _it certainly saves one half the labor and time of
ordinary washing_.

_Receipt for Soda-Soap._

Take eight pounds of bar-soap, eight pounds of coarse soda, (the
sub-carbonate,) ten gallons of soft water, boiled two hours, stirring it
often. This is to be cooled, and set away