How to Wash Lace: Method one

To wash lace successfully, knowing how to wash lace takes plenty of time and great care are necessary. There are instances where hurried work is followed by success, but the chances are against it. A Battenberg doily became soiled in the making, so the maker rubbed white soap on it, thrust it in a basin of hot water, and rubbed it vigorously between her hands, until all trace of soil was gone. She then pulled it out into shape, placed it between two towels, and rolled it up. When nearly dry, she ironed it, still between the towels, and strange to say, that doily showed no bad results from its rough treatment.

A still more remarkable instance was that of a fine point lace handkerchief, made with thread no. 1000. This handkerchief accidentally went with the family linen to the washerwoman. The adventures it went through at her hands will forever remain a mystery, but when it reached home it was white and clean, ironed and folded, and none the worse for its experiences.

But these cases, on how to wash lace, are rare, and are also unfortunate, as they lead to carelessness in accomplishing a work that should receive the most careful treatment. Sometimes all that is necessary how to wash lace, is to clean a piece of lace is to lay it between two sheets of white or blue paper, first sprinkling it well with powdered magnesia.

Then place it between the leaves of a book, and allow it to remain for several days. When the magensia is shaken out, the lace will be found to be very greatly improved. Lace placed between sheets of blue paper will keep white onger than when placed between white paper, or laid away in a box.

When actual washing is necessary, take a glass bottle whose body is as nearly cylindrical as possible. Half fill this with sand or water, to prevent the water when boiling from tossing the bottle about twoo violently in the kettle. Very carefully wind the lace around this bottle, and cover it with a layer of cheesecloth or muslin. How to wash lace a still better way is to baste the lace smoothly and exactly on a piece of cheesecloth, then wind it securely around the bottle, and cover the whole with another layer of the cheesecloth.

Into a granite saucepan put some cold water, a small piece of soap, and, if the lace is very dirty, a pinch of salt. Into this plunge the lace-wound bottle, and let the water come to a boil.As the water gets dirty, pour it off, and replace with some cold water and soap. Continue this treatment until the boiling water remains perfectly clean. Then remove the bottle, and plunge into a basin of clean, cold water, and rinse thoroughly. Allow the lace to remain on the bottle until it is dry, then remove it and separate from the cheesecloth.

When real lace has become stained or greasy from wear, place it in a bath of pure olive oil, and allow it to remain for several hours or even a day or two. This gives to the lace the softness of texture it possessed when new. After this is accomplished, wind the lace on the bottole, and proceed with the boiling, as already described.

When the lace is too large to wind around a bottle, baste it evenly and securely to a piece of cheesecloth, with small stitches in parallel lines across the surface of the lace. Baste another piece of cheesecloth over it, and boil in a series of waters.

After the rinsing, which must be accomplished by pressing and squeezing, but never by wringing, pin the cloth upon which the lace is basted smoothly to a sheet stretched in curtain frames; or, if this is impossible, to a sheet stretched and pinned over a carpet. Allow the lace to dry, and then remove from the sheet and from the two layers of cheesecloth.

If you wish the lace starched, dissolve a sufficient amount of starch in cold water. Boil half of it, and, when partly cool, stir in the uncooked half and add cold water until the mass is of the consistency of cream. Into this dip the lace, and gently squeeze out the extra amount. Lay the lace in a flat mass in the left hand, and spat it thoroughly with the right until the starch is well worked in. Repeat the process if desire, and roll the lace in a towel and leave for some hours.

To color lace a cream shade add a few drops of black coffee to the starch. To make the lace a greenish hue use a little cold tea.

How to wash machine laces are very easy. Just iron directly upon their surfaces. First carefully and smoothly pull all the picots into place and see that the lace is exactly in its original shape; iron until dry. Then pull the lace alongits entire length between the fingers from the footing or engrelure to the opposite edge. Pass the iron again over its length. The pulling relieves the lace of the stiff, starched effect, and makes it as pliable as new lace.

How to wash lace: Ironing.

To iron unstarched lace place it right side down upon a pad or ironing-board covered with several thicknesses of white flannel. Over this spread carefully a damp cloth and press with a hot iron until this cloth is thoroughly dry. This is also the way to press newly made lace, and should be done as soon as the lace is removed from the pattern. A little white sugar added to the water in which this over-cloth is dampened will stiffen the lace, and is in some cases much better than starch.

Note: there is another method on how to wash lace. You can read how to wash lace here.

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