Grease spots in cloth may be removed by using soap and water with a tooth or nail brush, and afterwards wiping off the lather with the wet corner of a towel. Essence of lemon, or pure spirit of turpentine, will remove pitch from cloth, &c.
In woollen cloth, an easier method is to scrape off the hard tallow with the edge of a tea-spoon, then rub the part briskly with a clean woollen rag, shifting the rag as the part becomes dirty; or, place some blotting paper on the spot, and press it with a hot iron, occasionally moving the paper.
213. _To clean Silks or Merinoes, &c._--Grate two or three large potatoes, add to them a pint of cold water, let them stand a short time, and pour off the liquid clear, or strain it through a sieve, when it will be fit for use. Lay the silk on a flat surface, and apply the liquid with a clean sponge, till the dirt is well separated, dip each piece in a pail of clean water, and hang up to dry without wringing. Iron whilst damp on the wrong side. Should the silk be of more than one color, it is desirable to wet a small piece first, lest the dress should be spoiled, by moisture causing the colors to run; but for self-colored silks, the direction is an excellent one; and satinettes, even of light colors, if not greased or stained, make up again nearly equal to new.
214. _To clean Silks._--If of any other color than black, wash them in a hot lather of soft soap and water, and rinse them in plain warm water, to which a small quantity of dye may be added, according to the color: a few drops of vitriol added to the water will freshen crimson, scarlet, maroon, or bright yellow; lemon-juice for pink, rose, or carnation; pearlash for blue and purple; and for olive-green, a pinch of verdigris; but acid must not be used for fawn, brown, or orange. Then squeeze the liquid from the silk, roll it in a coarse sheet, and wring it: spread it out, and rub it on the wrong side with gum-water, with a little pearlash in it; dry it in a warm room, and finish with calendering or mangling it.
Black silk should be sponged with hot ox-gall on both sides, then rinsed, and dried smooth on a board. Or, spread black plain silks upon a board, soap the dirty place, and brush the silk on both sides with a fine soap lather; put it into hot water, rinse it through cold water, and, having squeezed and dried it, smooth it on the right side with an iron, moderately heated.