Laundry Instructions

Since these instructions are quite lengthy, I’m summarizing them here – hop over to the original to read the complete text.

Dictionarium Domesticum (1736) offers instructions on the following matters:
Bleaching raw Silk.
Bleaching or Whitening Linnen.
Soap, is made in the following manner.
To waſh muſlins.
To rinſe your Muslins before you Starch them.
To make the Starch for the Heads and Muſlins.
Spots, to take out of Linnen, Woollen, Wilk, &c.
To take all Sorts of Spots out of Clothes.
To take a Spot of Oil out of Sattin, &c. To take Spots out of white Silk, or Velvet dy’d in Grain.
To take Spots out of Scarlet, either Silk or Woollen, without loſing the Colour.
To take out Spots of Greaſe or Fat.
To take Spots of Ink or Wine out of Linnen or Woollen.

Smegmatalogia, or the Art of Making Potashes and Soap, and Bleaching of Linen by which the Industrious Farmer is taught to Bleach and Wash his Cloath with the Produce of our Own Country (1736)

Madam Johnson’s Preſent (1770) divides up its laundry-related advice into two sections:

The Chamber-Maid: “As the waſhing and cleaning of her Miſtreſs’s Apparel are part of her Buſineſs, ſhe will find the following Receipts uſeful.”
To take Dirt from any Silk.
To keep Silks from ſtaining in waſhing.
How to take out Spots of Oil, or any greaſy Spots, in Silk.
To take Spots out of thin Silks.
To take Pitch, Tar, or Paint out of Silks.
To clean all Sorts of plain Silks.
To clean Satins and Damaſsks.
To clean flowered Silks.
How to reſtore the Colour to Silks of a Dark Brown or Iron-Grey, &c., Colours, ſpotted with Lemons, &c.
A quick Way to take Greaſe out of Woollen-Cloth.
How to take all Kinds of Spots out of Cloth, Stuffs, Silk, &c.
To take Iron-Moulds, and all Sorts of Spots and Stains out of Linen.
To take Paint out of Linen.
To clean Gold and Silver Stuffs.
To clean Gold and Silver Lace.
To waſh Cambricks, Muſlins, and Laces.
How to make Starch for ſmall Linen.
To waſh Silk Stockings or Handkerchiefs.
To clean caſt Ribbands.

The Laundry-Maid. “As this is not wrote for the accomplſshed Laundreſs, but only for young Beginners, and thoſe who undertake all Sorts of Work, I ſhall not treat on the practical Parts of her Buſineſs, but only give a few general Remarks, together with ſome of the neweſt and moſt approved Receipts neceſſary to be known.”
[Some remarks on the use of soft water, and methods of softening water for laundry.]
[A method for servants to soak soiled clothing overnight.]
[A method for washing chintz and fine printed cottons, and how to avoid having the colors run.]
To waſh Thread and Cotton Stockings.
To waſh Worſted Stockings.

Der sichere Nothhelfer für Städtebewohner und Landleute (1794)

Every Woman her own House-Keeper (1796)

Clear-Starching. “This we conceive to be an article of ſo much uſe in female œconomy, as to deſerve very particular attention.”
[To wash muslins.]
To rinſe Muslins before you ſtarch them.
To make ſtarch for Muſlins.
[To starch cambricks and lawns.]
[To starch aprons and handkerchiefs.]

Laundry-Maid. “Some remarks not leſs uſeful to this particular ſervant, than to families in general.”
[A copper for the purpoſe of washing.]
[Clear water is neceſſary.]
[The Laundry-Maid ought to be very correct in counting, and ſetting down the various articles ſhe receives, and to return whatever has been delivered to her.]
[Iron moulds.]
To take out Stains of Oil.
[Linen stained with claret or other red wine.]
[Spots of Ink on linen.]
[When linen has been ſcorched.]
[The beſt method of getting up Lace.]
[To do lace as it is done in Holland; a very excellent way to do fringes.]