Textiles Part 33

1. Cloth from the loom is far from being a finished product. It must pa.s.s through several processes before it is finished. These processes are known as _finishing_.

2. What is the feel of this cloth?

3. Hold the cloth to the light and look through it. Note the imperfections and chalk them. What defects did you notice?

4. Place the cloth on the desk, face down. Rub the fingers over the back of the cloth. When the fingers locate a knot, raise it with the dissecting needle to be cut off later.

5. Reverse the cloth. Rub the fingers over the face. When a knot is found, force it through to the back with the dissecting needle. All the knots are on one side now. Clip them off with the scissors. This is called _burling_ and is the first process of finishing.

6. Hold the cloth to the light. Notice where an entire filling thread is missing. This is known as a _full miss pick_. When part of a filling thread is missing it is spoken of as a _half miss pick_. In general what does a miss pick mean?

7. Unravel a filling thread from the lower edge of the cloth. With it thread a needle and replace the missing pick. Follow the weave closely, using a pick gla.s.s as an aid. You are performing the second process of finishing, that of mending.

8. If a warp end is missing replace it.

_Questions_

1. What is meant by _finishing_?

2. What is the first process of finishing? What is burling?

3. What is a full miss pick? a half miss pick?

4. What is the second process of finishing? What is mending? Of what must the mender be careful?

=Experiment 19--Removal of Stains=

Material: Stained fabrics.

Textiles are easily stained, therefore it is necessary to know something about the character of stains and the methods of removal.

Stains may be roughly divided into the following cla.s.ses:

_a._ Stains from foods, such as grease and fruit acids.

_b._ Stains from machinery, as wheel grease and oils.

_c._ Blood stains.

_d._ Inks.

_e._ Chemicals, such as acids, alkalies.

Food stains are usually due either to grease contained in soup, meat, milk, etc., or to sugar contained in candies or preserves, or to fruit acids contained in fresh fruits or sauces.

Wheel grease and lubricant stains are obtained from various parts of machines, like elevators, street cars, etc. After the cloth leaves the loom it often contains spots of grease, oil, or dirt stains due to drippings from the loom or overhead machinery. These are removed by means of liquids called solvents that dissolve the stain. Ether is the princ.i.p.al solvent used in the mill to remove small stains.

Very few people realize that vapors of cooked food and fat, unless carried out of a house, will condense and settle on fabrics in the form of a film which collects a great deal of dust. (A bad grease spot usually has a neglected grease spot for a foundation.) In order to break up this film it is necessary to separate the entangled dust.

This is performed by some mechanical means, such as shaking and brushing.

The most effective method of removing a stain is to place a circle of absorbent material[24] around the spot to take up the excess of liquid. A white cloth should be placed under the fabric to absorb the solvent and show when the goods are clean. Then apply the solvent with a cloth of the same color and texture (satin is excellent as it does not grow linty) and rub from outside the spot to the center to prevent spreading. It is necessary to rub very carefully as excessive rubbing will remove the nap and change the color. One of the great dangers in removing a stain is that you may spoil the fabric. Therefore great care must be exercised.

The princ.i.p.al solvents are ether, chloroform, alcohol, turpentine, benzene, and naphtha. Each solvent may be used to best advantage on certain fabrics.

The commercial grades of the solvents often contain impurities that leave a brown ring after evaporation. This brown ring is very objectionable. Turpentine is used only in removing stains from coa.r.s.e fabrics. Chloroform, benzene, and naphtha are used on ordinary silks and linens. Ether and chloroform are used to best advantage in removing stains from delicate silk, as they seldom affect colors and evaporate very quickly. Of course it must be borne in mind that when a stain is removed from a fabric that portion that contained the stain loses some coloring matter and feels rougher than the other part.

_Grease Spots on Heavy Goods that cannot be Laundered_

It is usually desirable to use the following method in removing grease from a heavy fabric, such as carpets or colored fabrics. In case the grease is fresh, place over the stain a piece of clean blotting paper or a piece of butcher's brown wrapping paper and underneath absorbent paper or oil cloth, and then press the spot with a warm iron. As heat often affects the shades of certain colors such as blues, greens, and reds, it is best to hold a hot iron over the fabric and see if the grease is melted.

Remove a stain from a piece of carpet.

_Removal of Grease and Blood_

_Ordinary Fabrics (wash goods)._ Wash the fabric containing grease or blood stain with tepid water and soap.

_Delicate Fabrics._ As strong soap will spoil some colors and textures it is necessary to apply a solvent when a delicate fabric is stained.

Remove stains from a washable fabric and a delicate fabric.

_Removal of Wheel Grease and Lubricants on Fine Fabrics_

Wheel grease is a mixture of oils and graphite. Apply benzene to the wheel grease spot. This will dissolve the oil, leaving the coloring matter (graphite) on the cloth, and this may be collected on the white cloth on the other side.

Remove a wheel grease stain from a dress fabric.

_Removal of Acids_

Fruit acids and all others, except nitric acid may be removed by putting ammonia on the spot. This will neutralize the acid, forming a salt which may be either brushed or washed off. In the case of nitric acid the fibers of the cloth are actually destroyed and no amount of ammonia will restore the original condition of the fabric.

Remove a stain of orange juice from a dress or shirt waist.

_Removal of Blood_

Blood stains may be removed from a fabric by washing with cold or tepid water. Never use hot water, as hot water coagulates the alb.u.men of the blood. After removing the blood soap and warm water may be used. In case the fabric is a thick cloth, the blood may be removed by applications of moist starch.

Take different samples of fabrics and soil them with fruit acids, soup, wheel grease, ink, and blood and remove them. Exercise great care so as not to leave a mark or remove the coloring.

Remove blood from a fabric.

_Questions_