from http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/
These “Household Management” tips are from my copy of The Grand Union Tea Company Cookbook which was published in 1903. Note that times have changed and some modern fabrics or materials may have different reactions advice, so be careful if you decide to try it.
What to do with Wet Shoes: When shoes are soaked, get some oats and stuff the shoes with them until the shape of the foot is preserved. The shoe should be filled above the instep. Then they may be put near the stove or even into a cool oven and will not dry hard or out of shape. The oats may be used two or three times.
To Wash Blankets: Put to boil a large boiler of water, into which you have placed a cake of pure soap cut into small pieces. Pour the water into a tub and let it stand until lukewarm; then add a tbsp. of ammonia. Put the blankets into the water and with a stick turn them over and over. Do not rub them. If very much soiled, use a second tub of water prepared in the same way. Make several passings through a wringer and put linens into shape; then hang in the sun to dry.
To Make Linen White: Use refined borax in the water instead of soda or washing powder. A large handful of powdered borax to ten gallons of boiling water is a proportion. Borax being a natural salt, does not injure in the slightest degree the texture of the linen and will soften the hardest water.
To remove wine stains: Port will remove sherry and sherry will remove port.
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