1001. Folding and Mangling.—Before you begin to fold the clothes, let the board be quite clean and dry, and a clean linen cloth placed upon it. Separate those things which are to be mangled, and those which are for rough-drying. Turn shirts, shifts, night-gowns, pillow-cases, petticoats, &c., the right side outwards; fold them very smoothly, and sprinkle them to a proper dampness for ironing. If the collars, wristbands, and frills, or pleated front of a shirt, be dipped in a little starch, then into water, and rolled up without squeezing, it will bring the whole of the shirt to a proper dampness, when it has lain for some time.
The articles usually mangled are, sheets, towels, table-linen, pillow-cases, and other straight things; but if there be any folds, they will not look well when mangled. Pearl-buttons will break in the mangle, and cut the cloth, therefore, all things with buttons, and even pillow-cases, if they have buttons, should not be mangled.
1002. Of Ironing.—The ironing-blanket should be made of a thick kind of flannel, called swan's-skin, and a coarse cloth should be spread between it and the board. When you are ironing, be careful to try your iron first upon some coarse article, or one of little value, for fear of its soiling or singeing the better clothes. Let the heat be in proportion to the article you are about to iron, and be sure to make every part perfectly smooth.
After they are ironed, the things should be hung upon the horse to air. The cookmaid is now done with the washing, as it is the housemaid's business to air them, and to place them in the drawers, when aired; but in many families, the putting of them away is done by the mistress of the house, or by some of the young ladies.
In ironing the skirts of dresses, it is best and most proper to have a board about thirteen inches wide and four feet long, on which fasten, with tapes, an ironing-blanket; place one end of it on a table, and the other end on the dresser, or something that is firm, of the same height as the table. In using this board, pass it through the skirt, taking care that the wet part of the dress falls into a clothes-basket, or a cloth, which you must first put on the floor, under the middle of the board, to save the skirt from being soiled; and turn the skirt of the dress round the board, as you iron it.
1003. Save the Rags.—All rags of cotton or linen should be saved by the cookmaid; they should never be thrown away because they are not clean. Mop-rags, lamp-rags, all should be washed, dried and put in the rag-bag. There is no need of expending soap on them; just boil them out in the suds after you have done washing.
Linen rags should be carefully saved; for they are extremely useful in sickness. If they have become dirty and worn by cleaning silver, &c., wash them, and scrape them into lint.