CLEANING AND SCOURING OF CLOTH.--The common method of cleaning cloth
is by beating and brushing, unless when very dirty, when it undergoes
the operation of scouring. This is best done on the small scale, as
for articles of wearing apparel, etc., by dissolving a little curd
soap in water, and after mixing it with a little ox-gall, to touch
over all the spots of grease, dirt, etc., with it, and to rub them
well with a stiff brush, until they are removed, after which the
article may be well rubbed all over with a brush or sponge dipped
into some warm water, to which the previous mixture and a little more
ox-gall has been added. When this has been properly done, it only
remains to thoroughly rinse the article in clean water until the
latter passes off uncolored, when it must be hung up to dry. For dark,
colored cloths the common practice is to add some Fuller's-earth to
the mixture of soap and gall. When nearly dry the nap should be
laid right and the article carefully pressed, after which a brush,
moistened with a drop or two of olive oil, is passed several times
over it, which will give it a superior finish.
Cloth may also be cleaned in the dry way, as follows: First remove the
spots, as above, and when the parts have dried, strew clean, damp sand
over it, and beat it in with a brush, after which brush the article
with a hard brush when the sand will readily come out, and bring the
dirt with it. Black cloth which is very rusty should receive a coat of
reviver after drying, and be hung up until the next day, when it
may be pressed and finished off as before.
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