171. To wash Cotton Stockings.—Lay them in cold water at night; next day boil them in a copper with some soda and soap; stir them well about, and they will become quite clean without any rubbing; rinse them well in cold water, and bleach them; when nearly dry, draw them smooth, folding them straight over the instep. Place them under a heavy weight, or iron them.
172. To wash Cotton Bed-furniture, and printed Calicoes in general.—1. Get rid of as much dirt as possible, by brushing and shaking.
2. Do not let the dirty things lie about in a damp wash-house, or in any way become damp before they are fairly wetted.
3. On no account use a particle of soda, pearl-ash, or any thing of the kind.
4. Allow plenty of water, and plenty of room in the tub.
5. Use soft water, no hotter than would be pleasant for washing the hands.
6. Rub with soap in the ordinary way. Mottled soap is preferable to yellow. If a general wash is about, the liquor in which flannels have been washed the second time, does very well for the first washing of colored things; or that in which muslins have been washed a second time, provided no soda or anything else of the kind was used.
7. When the first washing is completed, have ready another tub with water of the same degree of warmth, into which put each piece immediately on wringing it out of the first liquor.