he family, should also be
fixed. The flooring should be York stone, laid on brick piers, with good
drainage, or asphalte, sloping gently towards a gutter connected with
the drain.

2374. Adjoining the bleaching-house, a second room, about the same size,
is required for ironing, drying, and mangling. The contents of this room
should comprise an ironing-board, opposite to the light; a strong white
deal table, about twelve or fourteen feet long, and about three and a
half feet broad, with drawers for ironing-blankets; a mangle in one
corner, and clothes-horses for drying and airing; cupboards for holding
the various irons, starch, and other articles used in ironing; a
hot-plate built in the chimney, with furnace beneath it for heating the
irons; sometimes arranged with a flue for carrying the hot air round the
room for drying. Where this is the case, however, there should be a
funnel in the ceiling for ventilation and carrying off steam; but a
better arrangement is to have a hot-air closet adjoining, heated by
hot-air pipes, and lined with iron, with proper arrangements for
carrying off steam, and clothes-horses on castors running in grooves, to
run into it for drying purposes. This leaves the laundry free from
unwholesome vapour.

2375. The laundry-maid should commence her labours on Monday morning by
a careful examination of the articles committed to her care, and enter
them in the washing-book; separating the white linen and collars, sheets
and body-linen, into one heap, fine muslins into another, coloured
cotton and linen fabrics into a third, woollens into a fourth, and the
coarser kitchen and other greasy cloths into a fifth. Every article
should be examined for ink- or grease-spots, or for fruit- or
wine-stains. Ink-spots are removed by dipping the part into hot water,
and then spreading it smoothly on the hand or on the back of a spoon,
pouring a few drops of oxalic acid or salts of sorel over the ink-spot,
rubbing and rinsing it in cold water till removed; grease-spots, by
rubbing over with yellow soap, and rinsing in hot water; fruit- and
wine-spots, by dipping in a solution of sal ammonia or spirits of wine,
and rinsing.

2376. Every article having been examined and assorted, the sheets and
fine linen should be placed in one of the tubs and just covered with
lukewarm water, in which a little soda has been dissolved and mixed, and
left there to soak till the morning. The greasy cloths and dirtier
things shoul