Baking demonstrations and wash-wear tests are all in a single day\u27s work for Lydia Cooley, \u273

Cooley, Lydia

English

Baking demonstrations and wash-wear tests are all in a single day's work for Lydia Cooley, '30</p

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

12 Skirts and Shirts Slacks and Sweaters Jackets and Raincoats Sport Dresses and Vests Sport Shop * Main Floor West WOLF'S DES MOINES Alum Heads Product Testing Pro gram Baking demonstrat ions and ruash-wear tests are all in a single day's work for Lydia Cooley> '30 THE saga of Lydia Cooley since graduation from Iowa State College in 1930 runs from cake to cake. My first position was in the research kitchen of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. From there I went into the meat packing industry and for several years worked in the Martha Logan Test Kitchen of Swift & Company in Chicago. In 1946 I came to Cin-cinnati as Director of Home Economics for Proctor & Gamble and have since been engaged in interpreting the homemaker's point of view with reference to soap and shortening. The old nursery rhyme "this is the way we wash our clothes" is a daily theme song in our Fine Fabrics Laboratory. Here testing techniques are studied for washing silk, nylon, rayon and wool, materials that need spe-cial or careful handling in the home. This daily wash-ing program determines the best washing procedures for these and for new fabrics on the market and also determines performance of our own as well as other laundry products on the market recommended for washing fine fabrics. These tests give actual, typical wear to the clothing tested. For example, in a recent nylon hose wash-wear test nylons were supplied to employees selected to co-operate on the proj ect. It is not difficult to get testers. So our problem is to select them in fairness to all em-ployees. In small but intensive tests such as this, only employees from the Product Service Division, of which the Home Economics Department is a part, are used. DejJartm ent Outlin es T est Procedure Hose are worn according to specifications outlined by the Home Economics Department. Each stocking is numbered. The even numbers are worn on the right leg and the odd numbers on the left leg. The stockings are brought into the laboratory after wear-ing and are washed according to our standard pro-cedures. One stocking is washed with on e test pro-duct and the other with another test product. To ob-tain complete data on such tests it is necessary to in-clude washing in water of various degrees of hardness. Optimum amounts of detergents as determined in preliminary washability tests are used and the color, fit and life of the hose are measured. In a test where THE IowA HoMEMAKER the hose were washed after each wearing and were compared with hose washed after two wearings the ftt of the hose also was observed. Regular washability tests are made on slips worn by women employees selected to cooperate in the test. The slips are brought to the laboratory after two clays of wearing and are washed with varying amounts of detergents in water of measured hardness. To determine the detergency properties of each product used, standard soiled towels are washed with the slip and the detergency measured on the reflectometer. This gives an indication of the degree of cleaning to be expected, but the slips are actually judged by eye ratings after 8 to I 0 washings are completed. All tests in the home economics fine fabrics labora· tory are conducted by following washing procedures normally used in the home. These are standarizecl in so far as possible so that comparisons of performance can be made. Carefully controlled scientific tests are made in the analytical laboratory, but the purpose of the home economics tests is to interpert perform-ance as the products are actually used in the home. From these washability and wash-wear tests come the basic directions or recommendations for washing silk, rayon, nylon or woolen fabrics. If there is any question of the washability of a fabric, a preliminary test for color and shrinkage should be made. This may be done by taking a small, measured piece of the fabric from the inside seam or the end of the belt. ·soak it in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Squeeze out water and press between folds of white cloth. Observe shrinkage by measurement and examine for signs of fading or bleeding in the water. Excessive bleeding would mean that successful washing is ques-tionable, particularly if two or more colors are com-bined. Woolens Require Washing Care In washing wool fibers great care must be taken to avoid matting or felting. This is caused by vigorous rubbing or twisting, by hand or in a machine. The same principles for washing sweaters apply to the other washable woolens fabrics as well. After testing woolens for shrinking or fastness of color and outlining a sweater so that after washing it may be gently re-shaped, these are the three important factors in wash-ing fine fabrics: Lukewarm water (95°-l05°F), mild (neutral) soap, quick, gentle handlinQ". This should be followed by the subsequent treat-ment: Rinse thoroughly, remove moisture quickly. After being rolled in a Turkish towel to remove excess moisture, most fabrics are ready for ironing. Sweaters should be dried completely on the towel or paper on which the sweater outline is drawn. If con-trasting colors are present these should be separated by tissue or cloth to prevent contact stains. In brief, the tests conducted in the Fine Fabrics Laboratory are for the purpose of stu ying product p'erformance, washabi lity of fabrics, wash-wear quality and washing methods for new fabrics. From the data obtained in these tests washability leaflets have been prepared for use in college and high school home economics classes. These pamphlets in-clude information on washing care for stockings, sweaters and dresses. A similar program is carried on in our home eco-nomics kitchen where the performance of shortening and its use in the home kitchen are studied. Manuals designed especially for teaching good techniques in baking and frying have been prepared for use in high school and coiiege home economics classes. jANUARY, 1947 'Chic' is the word for Audrey I I I She keeps her wardrobe spic 'n span ... we do it! HAWKEYE LAUNDRY AMES DRESS CLUB 2810 West Phone 98 She Relies on MILK! All students today are energy con-scious. It is the wise girl that counts on milk to provide her with the necessary essentials of a good diet. In milk, she has a source of vitamins, proteins, cal-cium and phosphorus all needed for healthful living. O'Neil Dairy 13 

Alum Heads Product Testing Program

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3692&amp;context=homemaker

Alum Heads Product Testing Program

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