HOME SCIENCE CHAPTER 15: LAUNDERING Class: X Answer the following questions. 1 What is laundering? OR Define laundering Ans Laundering includes not only washing the clothes with soap or detergent and rinsing with water to remove dirt, grease, stains etc. but also restoring the freshness, original colour and crispness. 2 What are the three steps included in laundering? Ans Laundering consists of three steps: i) Regular washing of fabric to remove dirt. ii)finishing the fabric iii) Storing the fabric by ironing and folding it. 3 Name the basis on which clothes can be sorted? Ans Clothes can be sorted on the basis of: i)fibre or texture- cottons together, silks separately. ii)size- big articles like bed linen separated from smaller articles of personal use. iii)colour- coloured clothes separated from white ones. iv) Degree of dirt- heavily soiled clothes separated from lightly soiled ones. 4 What is the benefit of using washing soda while soaking clothes? Ans Washing soda used while steeping heavily soiled clothes saves on time and labour and gives better results. 5 State the advantages of soaking clothes. Ans Soaking clothes helps to economise on time, labour and soap. Loose and soluble dirt is removed by action and impact of water particles. The clothes get thoroughly wet which helps in the removal of fixed dirt. Stains soluble in water are removed and the starch from previous laundering is removed. 6 Ironing and pressing are terms that are often used interchangeably. How are they different? Ans Ironing is by spreading the cloth that needs to be ironed on a flat and hard but lightly padded surface. Hot iron is moved back and forth over it along the length of the fabric with pressure. This method is used for cotton, linen, silk and synthetics. Pressing is done by placing a hot iron over a spread out fabric at one place, lifting it vertically up from the place after a few seconds and again placing it over another area. Pressing is done on clothes which have great elasticity like woolens, lace, net etc. 7 Synthetic garments need little or no maintenance. Give the benefits of using synthetic fabrics. Ans Synthetic fabrics are easy to wash. They need not be soaked if not very dirty. Tap water can be ( 1 )
used to soak these fabrics. These fabrics can be washed with any soap or detergent. Since, they are strong fabrics, methods of friction can be used to remove dirt. Synthetic fibres absorb very less quantity of water, hence they can be easily rinsed off. They dry quickly. Synthetic fabrics are wrinkle resistant and even less wrinkles appear if drip dried, they require little or no ironing. 8 Why should knitted woolens have their outlines traced before they are washed? Ans Wool has high elasticity which further increases when it is wet. so the knitted woolen fabrics within invariably lose their shape. Tracing helps to restore the garment to its original shape as they are put the outline and left to dry. 9 What should you keep in mind while blueing garments. Ans The blue is tied up in a muslin cloth and squeezed into the water till a required depth is obtained. Coloured clothes are not blued. Blues are advised for white cottons and linen only. Fabrics should not be dipped in blue water left standing for 5 minutes or more. The water containing the blue should be stirred well before the clothes are put in to prevent the blue from settling down as this may cause streaks and patches. Fabrics should not be left standing in the blue water as there will be patches of blue otherwise. The water should be sufficient to cover the garment fully. The garment should be squeezed well inside the water for the thorough penetration of blue into the garments. Blued fabrics should be dried in the sun for better results. 10 We need to use neutral soaps for woolens. Give reason. Ans Wool is a protein fibre and is highly sensitive to alkalies. Washing it with even mild soaps may harm it. Hence, only a neutral soap or reetha can be used for washing woolens. 11 Explain the process of laundering and ironing a silk garment. examine the garments for tears, holes, stains and treat accordingly. of silks is avoided due to its weak nature when it is wet. If the garments are much soiled, steeping can be done in lukewarm or water for a maximum of 10-15 minutes. Use only a neutral soap for washing silks. silks should be washed with gentle handling, using kneading and squeezing method. For. much soiled areas like neckline, elbow and cuffs gentle rubbing with flat hand can be done. Extra soap water can be removed by gentle squeezing should be done in clear, soft tap water till all the soap is removed from the garments. Last rinse should be done by adding vinegar for increasing the luster of the garment. Stiffening: since silk is very soft and pliable, it requires a treatment of gum water to give it stiffness, proper shape, body and luster. coloured silks should be dried in the shade and white silks in the sunlight. Ironing: all the silk garments should be properly ironed before they are completely dried. Ironing temperature for silk is 100 F. Silk clothes should not be sprinkled with water for proper ironing as it leaves stains on the fabric. 12 Application of pressure is done in accordance with the type of fabric to be washed. Elaborate this ( 2 )
Ans statement. The application of pressure can be done in 4 ways. i)the application of friction may be applied by hand rubbing or by equipment like brushes, sticks When friction is applied by hand there is less strain on the clothes. Application of friction by hand is possible only for small articles and lightly soaked clothes. Scrubbing by brushes is possible only on strong fabrics and for heavily soiled clothes. It is advisable to scrub the clothes in the direction away from the worker. Friction may also be applied by lightly beating the clothes with a clothes stick or by beating the cloth against a hard floor or board. ii)the application of light pressure renders itself well in case of washing of fine textures, coloured and delicate clothes. The process consists of kneading and squeezing of the articles by hand in the soap solution.the pressure applied is light and hence it is a safe process. The kneading is continued till there is some lather left as the disappearance of lather indicates the presence of dirt. The heavily soiled portions can be brushed with a soft brush and clothes rinsed clean. iii) The suction method is suitable for all kinds of clothes. It is time and labour saving. The clothes are steeped in soap solution and then the suction washer is worked up and down to remove all the dirt. iv) The washing machine cleans clothes by agitating the clothes in a soap solution by revolving or moving by special arrangements. 13 Mention the points to be remembered while storing garments. Ans Some points to be remembered while storing garments: i) Dirty clothes should never be stored. ii) Clothes to be stored must be fully dry. Moisture left in clothes will promote mildew and moths. Just before storing, expose the clothes to strong sun. iii) Closet or boxes where clothes are to be stored should be exposed to sun rays for some time. iv) Closet or boxes where clothes are to be stored should be moisture free. v) Some protective devices should be used to repel insects like a- use of newspapers b- use of dry neem leaves c- use of naphthalene balls 14. Explain the kneading and squeezing method of washing. In this method, light pressure is applied on the clothes by kneading and squeezing action of hands. This method is most suitable for cleaning weak and delicate fabrics like wool, silk, rayon, lace and net. The clothes washed by this method should be squeezed not wrung to remove the extra soap water and rinsed with enough quantity of water. After rinsing too, extra water should be removed by gentle squeezing. 15. Explain the steps involved in the laundering of a synthetic /polyester blouse. Examine the clothes for tears, holes, stains or any particles that may stain it and treat it accordingly. Synthetic fabrics (nylon, polyester and their blends) are very easy to wash and need not be soaked if not very dirty. Tap water is generally used for soaking these fabrics. For dirty clothes, lukewarm water is recommended. Hot water is avoided as it gives the fabrics many wrinkles. These fabrics can be washed with any soap or detergent. As they are strong fabrics, methods of friction can be used to remove dirt and cleaning them. ( 3 )
Synthetics absorb less water, hence can be rinsed off easily. Rinsing should be done with clear tap water. Though being strong fabrics, they should not be wrung to remove excess water as wrinkles appear on synthetic fabrics on wringing them. Wrinkles can be avoided if clothes are left to drain away the water and then put for drying. Synthetic fabrics should be allowed to drip dry. They dry quite quickly. Coloured synthetics can also be dried in the sun without their colour fading out. Ironing: Synthetic fabrics are wrinkle resistant and wrinkle even less if allowed to drip dry. They require little or no ironing. 16. Explain the process of laundering a woolen garment. Examine the clothes for tears, holes, stains or any particles and treat it accordingly. Trace the outline of the garment on a brown paper before washing it. (Wool is highly elastic and its elasticity increases when wet. Tracing helps to restore the woolen garment to its original shape.) Steeping is generally avoided as it is a weak and elastic fabric. If required, it should not be soaked for more than 5-10 mins in cold water. Lukewarm water too is harmful for woolens. Wool being a protein fibre is highly sensitive to alkalis. Even mild soaps may harm it. Only neutral soaps should be used for washing woolens. Extra soap should be gently squeezed out from the woolen garment by pressing it between flat palms and rinsing it off several times in a lot of water. Being a highly absorbent fibre, it retains a lot of water and becomes heavy. As it is a weak fibre, it cannot be wrung tightly to remove excess water. It should be tightly rolled in a towel and squeezed so that the extra water is absorbed by the towel. It should then be spread flat within the outline traced on the brown paper and allowed to dry in the shade. Pressing: As knitted woolens are highly elastic, they tend to lose their shape so they are pressed never ironed. A moist muslin cloth is spread over the woolen cloth and pressed with a hot iron at 100ºF. When the area under the muslin cloth is pressed, it gets dried and absorbs moisture from the woolen cloth beneath. The muslin cloth is re-moistened and the process repeated. 17. Explain the process of laundering a cotton or linen. Examine the clothes for tears, holes, stains or any particles and treat it accordingly. Sort out white and coloured garments. Colourfast and non- colourfast garments should be sorted. If much soiled white cottons and linens can be soaked overnight. If less dirty, they can be soaked for an hour. White cottons and linen can also be soaked in either boiling or hot water if much soiled. ( 4 )
Coloured cottons and linens should preferably not be soaked. If required they should be soaked in tap water for not more than 15 mins to half an hour. Cottons and linens are strong fabrics that become stronger when wet. Friction or rubbing or scrubbing method can clean them quickly and conveniently. Heavily soiled clothes can be washed on a scrubbing board. Rough clothes like aprons, towels and dusters can be washed using a brush. They can be rinsed 2-3 times in clean, tap water. They should be rinsed till we get soapless water in the last rinse. Bleeding of cotton and linen is prevented by boiling them in salt water. Starching and blueing: These two operations should be done together to save time, energy and materials. Salwars and pyjamas should be spread full width. Shirts and kurtas should be dried on hangers. Sarees and bedsheets should be hung after straightening their edges. Trousers should be hung folded on the clothes line for drying. Ironing: Cotton and linen clothes should be ironed when they are damp. If they are fully dried, sprinkle water on them to moisten them and get good results of ironing. Starched clothes should be ironed when still damp. Temperature for cottons- 400ºF and for linens is 450ºF. ******************************************************************************** ( 5 )