Kerosene is volatile and its vapor is explosive. Only the best oils — from 150 degrees fire test up to 175 degrees— should be used. The oil does not explode. An oil may even extinguish a burning match when thrown into it, and yet be highly dangerous to be used as a burning fluid. It is the vapor of these oils mixed with air that is dangerous, as far as explosion is concerned. While a partly filled lamp has the portion above the oil filled with a mixture of vapor and air, it may explode. When a lamp is filled while lighted, the mixture of air and vapor in the can or filler explodes upon coming in contact with the flame ; the oil itself does not explode, though it does serious injury when scattered by the explosion. Test for Kerosene.— Dr. Nichols, the well-known chemist and writer on chem- CONTRIBUTIONS FROJI FKIENDS ON HOUSEIIOLU ECONOMY. 299 ical science, advises the following test for kerosene : Fill a pint bowl two-thirds full of boiling water, and into it put a common metallic thermometer. The temperature will run up to over 200 degrees. B}' gradually adding cold water, bring down the tempera- ture of the water to 100 degrees, and then pour into the bowl a spoonful of the kero- sene, and apply a lighted match. If it takes fire, the article should be rejected as dangerous; if not, it may be used with a confident feeling of its safety. XII. The Laundry— Some Helps in Washing'. The Germans, and especially' the Belgians and Hollanders, are noted for their fine washing. Their method, which does away with the use of soda, is as follows: Dissolve two pounds of soap in about three gallons of water as hot as the hand can bear, and add to this one tablespoonful of turpentine and three of liquid ammonia; the mixture must then be Avell stirred, and the linen steeped in it for two or three hours, taking care to cover up the vessel containing them as nearly hermetically as possible. The clothes are afterwards washed out and rinsed in the usual way. The soap and water may be re-heated, and used a second time, but in that case half a tablespoonful of turpentine and a tablespoonful of ammonia must be added. The process will cause a great economy of time, labor and fuel. The linen scarcely suffers at all, as there is little necessity for rubbing, and its cleanliness and color are perfect. The ammonia and turpentine, although their detersive action is great, have no injurious effect upon the linen ; and while the former evaporates immediately, the smell of the latter will disappear entirely in drjn'ng the clothes Washing Stunraer Suits, etc. — Summer suits are nearly all made of white or buff linen, pique, cambric or muslin. "Whatever the material, common washerwomen spoil everything with soda, and nothing is nn)re frequent than to see the delicate tints of linens and percales turned into dark blotches and nuiddy streaks by the ignorance and vandalism of a laundress. It is worth while for ladies to pay attention to this, and insist upon having their summer dresses washed according to the directions which they should be prepared to give their laundresses themselves. In the first place the water should be tepid, the soa}) should not be allowed to touch the fabric; it should be washed and rinsed quickly, turned upon the wrong side, and hung in the shade to dry, and when starched (in thin boiled but not boiling starch) should be folded in sheets or towels, and ironed upon the wrong side as soon as possible. But hnen should be washed in water in which hay or a quart bag of bran has been boiled. This last will be found to answer for starch as well, and is excellent for print dresses of all kinds ; but a handful of salt is very useful to set the color of light cambrics and dotted lawns; and a little ox gall will not only set but brighten yellow and purple tints, and has a good effect upon green. — Adele.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Kerosene is volatile and its vapor is explosive. Only the best oils — from 150 degrees fire test up to 175 degrees— should be used. The oil does not explode. An oil may even extinguish a burning match when thrown into it, and yet be highly dangerous to be used as a burning fluid. It is the vapor of these oils mixed with air that is dangerous, as far as explosion is concerned. While a partly filled lamp has the portion above the oil filled with a mixture of vapor and air, it may explode. When a lamp is filled while lighted, the mixture of air and vapor in the can or filler explodes upon coming in contact with the flame ; the oil itself does not explode, though it does serious injury when scattered by the explosion. Test for Kerosene.— Dr. Nichols, the well-known chemist and writer on chemical science, advises the following test for kerosene : Fill a pint bowl two-thirds full of boiling water, and into it put a common metallic thermometer. The temperature will run up to over 200 degrees. By gradually adding cold water, bring down the temperature of the water to 100 degrees, and then pour into the bowl a spoonful of the kerosene, and apply a lighted match. If it takes fire, the article should be rejected as dangerous; if not, it may be used with a confident feeling of its safety. XII. The Laundry— Some Helps in Washing. The Germans, and especially the Belgians and Hollanders, are noted for their fine washing. Their method, which does away with the use of soda, is as follows: Dissolve two pounds of soap in about three gallons of water as hot as the hand can bear, and add to this one tablespoonful of turpentine and three of liquid ammonia; the mixture must then be well stirred, and the linen steeped in it for two or three hours, taking care to cover up the vessel containing them as nearly hermetically as possible. The clothes are afterwards washed out and rinsed in the usual way. The soap and water may be re-heated, and used a second time, but in that case half a tablespoonful of turpentine and a tablespoonful of ammonia must be added. The process will cause a great economy of time, labor and fuel. The linen scarcely suffers at all, as there is little necessity for rubbing, and its cleanliness and color are perfect. The ammonia and turpentine, although their detersive action is great, have no injurious effect upon the linen ; and while the former evaporates immediately, the smell of the latter will disappear entirely in drying the clothes Washing Stunraer Suits, etc. — Summer suits are nearly all made of white or buff linen, pique, cambric or muslin. "Whatever the material, common washerwomen spoil everything with soda, and nothing is more frequent than to see the delicate tints of linens and percales turned into dark blotches and muddy streaks by the ignorance and vandalism of a laundress. It is worth while for ladies to pay attention to this, and insist upon having their summer dresses washed according to the directions which they should be prepared to give their laundresses themselves. In the first place the water should be tepid, the soa}) should not be allowed to touch the fabric; it should be washed and rinsed quickly, turned upon the wrong side, and hung in the shade to dry, and when starched (in thin boiled but not boiling starch) should be folded in sheets or towels, and ironed upon the wrong side as soon as possible. But hnen should be washed in water in which hay or a quart bag of bran has been boiled. This last will be found to answer for starch as well, and is excellent for print dresses of all kinds ; but a handful of salt is very useful to set the color of light cambrics and dotted lawns; and a little ox gall will not only set but brighten yellow and purple tints, and has a good effect upon green. — Adele.

Twentieth century home cook book