The Care of Irons

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 12, 1916

The Care of Irons

FIRST of all, the irons must be immaculately clean and suited to the article to be ironed. Irons come now in all sizes, for all purposes. Heat the irons slowly, but have them very hot before starting, even if they must be cooled later. Try them on a soft, clean cloth.

The ironing sheet also must be clean. For fine lingerie, cover the ordinary ironing sheet with thin material; for embroidery and lace, use a Turkish towel, pinned tightly around the board. To stiffen articles slightly without starch, rub them on the wrong side with warm water and borax.

To clean the irons, if starch sticks, rub them over fine emery paper, then with a little paraffin wrapped in muslin. If an iron becomes rusty, scrub it with hot water and soap, then rub it very lightly with lard. Wipe it carefully with absorbent cotton to remove all traces of the grease.

Never allow irons to get red hot, as it takes the temper out. Do not put a hot iron in water to cool it; stand it on one side for a few minutes.

It is unwise to put irons directly over the gas flame, as it spoils the iron. In the absence of a special device for holding them, use an asbestos mat.

When possible, colored goods should be ironed on the wrong side, then pressed on the right. This brings out the coloring. No wool underwear ought to be ironed, as ironing causes it to shrink.—New York Sun.