PRODUCING A GLOSS ON LINEN.
Take carbonate of potash 15 parts, stearic acid 50 parts, glycerine 20 parts, alcohol (56 overproof) 100 parts, water 800 parts.
The stearic acid is fused in a saucer over a slow fire, and a potash solution is made separately in a bottle, but only 150 parts of the water is used, and the remainder of the water heated to boiling-point, is thoroughly mixed with the ingredients, and the whole finally incorporated to a homogeneous mixture, which can then be added to the starch paste in desired quantities. Borax or white beeswax can be mixed singly with the starch-pastes for increasing the gloss.
Finally, it must be added that the pastes are to be kept free from all foreign bodies, as the latter, if they happen to come on the surface of the linen, would not fail to adhere strongly to the iron, and thereby cause certain injury to the article.
Source: HINTS FOR HOUSEHOLDS. (1890, May 9). Port Adelaide News and Lefevre's Peninsula Advertiser (SA : 1883 - 1897), p. 4 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE PORT ADELAIDE NEWS).
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