put their Lace Curtains in cold water over night to extract
the dirt; I find this takes out a little of the smoked lint, not the
dirt, to me it seems to fasten it in, it certainly takes more time and
labor to get it out, besides being harder on the hands and the curtains
also. Try this way: take your largest tub, fill to the top with luke
warm water take one large cup of my excellent soap solution and mix in
the water thoroughly, now fold each curtain to about a foot square, put
into this tub of water until the tub is full, leave for half hour,
pressing them down occasionally, you will see the dirt fairly drop out,
at the end of half hour take one or two out at one time into fairly hot
water unfolding them a little while washing them, you will find this
process not only protects the curtains but is easier to laundry, put
them through your wringer gently, never wring them with the hands as
this tears them.

If the curtains are pure white I boil them a little, if Ecru I merely
scald them sometimes they don't even require scalding, but must be
rinsed thoroughly; sometimes when the curtains are very frail I don't
put them through the wringer, I squeeze them with my hands in a ball,
after they are all clean. I dry out of doors if possible, then if it is
wet the next day I can starch and put them on the stretchers indoors,
in a vacant room kept for the purpose, and with a stove in it for cold
weather, it dries quickly. I find by drying all my curtains first I can
make the starch the right consistency, that is, most people want them
just stiff enough to hang pretty, so I try to get them about the same
weight as when new; if the curtain is of a heavy make less starch will
be required, but if they are of a net or some other flimsy material it
takes more starch--after doing a few pair it is easy to guess just what
you require for all curtains.

The first curtain put on the stretcher is always the most tedious, but
after that it is easy. I never put on more than one pair of heavy; if
of light material I get as many on as the pins will take, providing, of
course, the curtains are all of one length; and I always try to make
the stretcher fit the curtain, not the curtain fit the stretcher.

To begin with you will need 3 pair of stretchers, two of the adjustable
pin and one of the stationary pin kind, the first named are for the
scallop edge curtains as they can be placed at correct distances
apart--this is important--the stationary