1890 suggestions for cleaning black silk dresses

Vinclothes

Vinclothes

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I always wondered how they cleaned silk dresses in the past. I found this in a 1967 reprint of an 1890 cookbook published by the Idaho Historical Auxiliary, Boise, Idaho. Old cook books often included housekeeping suggestions.

"TO CLEAN BLACK SILK DRESSES: Thoroughly brush and wipe the garment with a cloth. Lay on a board or table and sponge well with hot coffee ... Sponge on the side of garment intended to show, partially dry and iron on the wrong side. The coffee removes particle of grease and restores the brilliance of the silk without imparting to the the shiny appearance or crackly and papery stiffness obtained by using beer, or any other liquid. The silk actually appears thickened by the process and this good effect is permanent! Our readers who will experiment on a cravat will never again try any other method."
Marian
 
I kick myself for not grabbing up fast enough the "Young Wife's Manual" that was full of tips like this for domestic care. I'd heard stories about my grandmother and her sisters cleaning their 30s crepe dresses with gasoline ha ha
 
bycinbyhand said:
I kick myself for not grabbing up fast enough the "Young Wife's Manual" that was full of tips like this for domestic care. I'd heard stories about my grandmother and her sisters cleaning their 30s crepe dresses with gasoline ha ha
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Ack! I just soaked a rayon jersey skirt and it reeked of gasoline! (still does - needs to air out for a bit) I assumed it was old dry cleaning fluids, but - could be actual gasoline!
 
dollsntrolls said:
Ack! I just soaked a rayon jersey skirt and it reeked of gasoline! (still does - needs to air out for a bit) I assumed it was old dry cleaning fluids, but - could be actual gasoline!
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omg... that reminds me of when my husband and I were all brand new. He was working days and nights, not sleeping so much. He took a day off to clean the apartment and do laundry before meeting me at my place. He shows up smelling like gasoline... something weird... turns out he used turpentine instead of fabric softener!! Took MONTHS to wash that smell out of that load of clothes too!
 
Reading this thread, I remembered a book, from 1965, that (I think) my grandmother gave me called, "North Country Cooking." It's more like a booklet - and has two pages about "spot removal" - including how to use "cleaning fluid" and "what causes rings."

(My grandparents had a house in Schroon Lake, N.Y. (in the Adirondack's.) I also have a 1943 falling apart edition of "The Joy of Cooking" . It doesn't have cleaning tips but there are a few household hints.
 
I have these 1920s "how to be a good housewife" books that were published by the Sunlight soap company. Each chapter is a separate booklet that you can collect and put together to make a proper book. It's not clear if they ran some kind of actual "school" or if these booklets were given away with purchase of their products, or if they could be ordered... They cover everything a housewife needs to know, including how to budget your money, what furniture to buy... I have the basic "book" and a supplement that has recipes, how to mend, basic sewing patterns etc. There is at least a third one, but I only saw that once in an online auction and someone outbid me, it went way too high. My two are flea market finds, the second one looks unused.

They have some interesting tips on stain removal, some feature gasoline and/or turpentine as well. For greasy stains on wool or silk, they recommend ethanol, gasoline or ether :BAGUSE:.

My best thing against all sorts of stains (on washable fabrics) is the actual Sunlight soap - I still have a couple of cubes left from the large box that my grandma originally bought in 1945. My mom still has some too. Must have been the best buy grandma ever made!
 
Midge said:
I have these 1920s "how to be a good housewife" books that were published by the Sunlight soap company. Each chapter is a separate booklet that you can collect and put together to make a proper book. It's not clear if they ran some kind of actual "school" or if these booklets were given away with purchase of their products, or if they could be ordered... They cover everything a housewife needs to know, including how to budget your money, what furniture to buy... I have the basic "book" and a supplement that has recipes, how to mend, basic sewing patterns etc. There is at least a third one, but I only saw that once in an online auction and someone outbid me, it went way too high. My two are flea market finds, the second one looks unused.

They have some interesting tips on stain removal, some feature gasoline and/or turpentine as well. For greasy stains on wool or silk, they recommend ethanol, gasoline or ether :BAGUSE:.

My best thing against all sorts of stains (on washable fabrics) is the actual Sunlight soap - I still have a couple of cubes left from the large box that my grandma originally bought in 1945. My mom still has some too. Must have been the best buy grandma ever made!
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Grandmothers know, don't they?! I spent many days with mine when I was really little. She went about her days tending to the house's chores and projects and was a true artist and scientist about it. I remember her buckets of potions on the steps leading to the laundry room... each one was to remove a different stain - and she got everything so clean and fresh!! Wish I remembered more of her tricks.
 
dollsntrolls said:
I wish you did, too! My grandmother could barely burn oatmeal. I am really enjoying the "slow" version of everyday things, like cooking and cleaning (vintage clothes only!). It is quite satisfying.
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I was sooooo little when I hung out with her like this. The cleaning didn't interest me as much as what she did in the kitchen or garden, frankly. Complete 180 to my interests today. I LOVE cleaning now.
 
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