p. 14 | His Clothes by A. M. H.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 1, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 27.

His Clothes.

By A. M. H.

A NEAT, personal appearance means everything to every person, and neatness is a good thing for boys as well as girls, and if they do not learn it when they are young, perhaps they never will, and a mother whose money is not plentiful must study economy in order to keep her boy presentable. I often see boys, otherwise well dressed, with grease spots on their clothing.

These spots can be removed from woolen garments quite readily in the following way: Take half a teacupful of warm soft water, and pour one tablespoonful of liquid ammonia into it, then with a small brush scrub the spots with this solution, and before they are quite dry dip the brush into a small quantity of coal-oil and scrub the spots vigorously. If the cleaning is well done, there will be no spots on the cloth when it is perfectly dry.

If their coats and pants are not soiled enough to be washed, they can be cleaned with gasoline, but the only safe place to use it is out-of-doors. Put the garment in a large bowl and pour enough gasoline over it to saturate it thoroly, cover closely and let it stand for two hours, then press the fluid out and hang over the line. In an hour it will be perfectly dry and clean.

If it is necessary to economize closely, it may be worth while to examine the old garments before buying new suits, as an old suit or a woolen dress skirt will often furnish plenty of good material for a small suit. One economical mother fashioned a stylish suit for her small boy from a faded blue cloth suit of her own, but the pieces were first washed clean and then colored a rich dark-blue with diamond dye for wool, and a faded blue straw hat was renewed by dissolving some of the dye in a little alcohol and applying to the hat with a soft brush. When perfectly dry, the hat was given a coat of thin varnish, and with a new lining and a band of ribbon it was as nice as a new straw hat, and this stylish and serviceable outfit cost a very small sum of money.

A. M. H.