,,lace ,,curtain ,,cleaning  ,a         
,,successful ,,home ,,business   ,,by   
,mrs4 ,albert ,leigh   ,,copyrighted    
#aiac     ,how ,i ,started ,a           
,successful ,home ,business   ,in the   
following pages will be found valuable  
instructions to all who have applied for
 them4 ,they are for your own use1 and  
should not be given or loaned to others1
 if you wish to succeed yourself4  ,my  
advice to all is to begin this little   
book at the beginning1 and read it      
carefully to the end1 then begin work in
 earnest--experience is the best        
teacher1 and ,i wish to show you1 from  
my own experience how ,i succeeded in   
building up a successful business right 
here in my own home1 in spare time only4
 ,for the first year my profits were    
over #bjj4jj4  ,there is no royal road  
to success1 nor do ,i know of any in    
which patience and perseverance are more
 requisite than in the ,lace ,curtain   
,laundry ,business1 though the work is  
easy1 pleasant and to all who master    

these instructions and apply them       
persistently1 should not fail to achieve
 the success that ,i have1 and more4    
,illness in my family first inspired me 
with the ambition to help keep our home 
together1 and ,i shall never regret the 
thought which prompted me to start the  
,lace ,curtain ,laundry ,business1 which
 has proved such a success to me4       
,there is no profession where the       
beginner can learn so quickly1 none in  
which the financial returns are so      
liberal1 so ,i1 being inexperienced1    
took courage1 patience and perseverance 
for my motto1 and the result is a nice  
home business built on the inspiration  
of a thought4  ,business enterprises    
that women can successfully engage in   
are very scarce1 but as this business is
 so easily conducted in the home1 any   
woman with a fair amount of ambition1   
who wants to earn her own living1 or who
 desires to assist with family expenses1
 in spare time1 or who wishes to        
increase her spending allowance and does

 not wish to leave home in doing so2    
this business offers the opportunity4   
,make your strike for independence now1 
by following my instructions1 you will  
never regret it2 for in a few months'   
time you will own a business of your    
own--a business that will remain        
permanent for years to come and will    
become more profitable1 the longer you  
operate it4   ,,my ,,method  ,as this   
business requires little or no capital  
to start1 ,i lost no time in making a   
beginning1 having all the necessary     
appliances1 such as ,tubs1 ,boiler1     
,wringer and ,stretchers1 in my own home
 use1 adding two new pair of ,stretchers
 with the first money earned at my      
business1 and taking my parlor for my   
work shop1 ,i was ready to begin4  ,in  
the first place ,i mentioned my         
proposition to a few friends1 who gave  
me every encouragement1 and in a few    
days ,i received a few orders1 which    
netted me #aj clear for the first week4 
,in the evenings1 ,i wrote down fifty   

names and addresses of the best         
residents of our city1 having borrowed  
an old phone book from my next door     
neighbor for this purpose1 then ,i wrote
 each a polite note stating my business1
 and soliciting their patronage1        
promising to give special care and      
attention in ,laundrying without        
tearing1 also guaranteeing points and   
,curtains even4  ,this brought me many  
orders1 as also did a polite note to the
 ,president of our ,civic ,betterment   
,club1 who very kindly read my note to  
the members at one of their meetings4   
,the following week ,i sent a note to   
the ,president of the ,auxiliary of the 
,y4,m4,c4,a41 with like results4  ,at   
this time1 fall cleaning being about    
over1 ,i set to work to form a plan for 
spring work1 which ,i knew would be     
heavy1 as my business increased right   
along as it become known1 so ,i visited 
all the ,hotels1 ,apartment ,houses1    
,clubs and ,dr4 ,offices soliciting     
their patronage also1 and the result is2

 ,i had more work than ,i could do2 now 
,i have to systemize my work by taking  
in only what ,i know ,i can do in a week
 without over-lating myself1 as ,i      
employ no help whatever4   ,,the        
,,secret ,,of ,,my ,,success  ,when the 
curtains first come in ,i look them     
over1 if torn or worn1 my aim is to not 
make them any worse2 ,i measure each    
pair of curtains1 length and width1     
marking it down in a book1 for the      
purpose1 with the owner's name1 how many
 pair and the price charged1 this keeps 
me posted for future reference4  ,most  
people put their ,lace ,curtains in cold
 water over night to extract the dirt2  
,i find this takes out a little of the  
smoked lint1 not the dirt1 to me it     
seems to fasten it in1 it certainly     
takes more time and labor to get it out1
 besides being harder on the hands and  
the curtains also4 ,try this way3 take  
your largest tub1 fill to the top with  
luke warm water take one large cup of my
 excellent soap solution and mix in the 

water thoroughly1 now fold each curtain 
to about a foot square1 put into this   
tub of water until the tub is full1     
leave for half hour1 pressing them down 
occasionally1 you will see the dirt     
fairly drop out1 at the end of half hour
 take one or two out at one time into   
fairly hot water unfolding them a little
 while washing them1 you will find this 
process not only protects the curtains  
but is easier to laundry1 put them      
through your wringer gently1 never wring
 them with the hands as this tears them4
  ,if the curtains are pure white ,i    
boil them a little1 if ,ecru ,i merely  
scald them sometimes they don't even    
require scalding1 but must be rinsed    
thoroughly2 sometimes when the curtains 
are very frail ,i don't put them through
 the wringer1 ,i squeeze them with my   
hands in a ball1 after they are all     
clean4 ,i dry out of doors if possible1 
then if it is wet the next day ,i can   
starch and put them on the stretchers   
indoors1 in a vacant room kept for the  

purpose1 and with a stove in it for cold
 weather1 it dries quickly4 ,i find by  
drying all my curtains first ,i can make
 the starch the right consistency1 that 
is1 most people want them just stiff    
enough to hang pretty1 so ,i try to get 
them about the same weight as when new2 
if the curtain is of a heavy make less  
starch will be required1 but if they are
 of a net or some other flimsy material 
it takes more starch--after doing a few 
pair it is easy to guess just what you  
require for all curtains4  ,the first   
curtain put on the stretcher is always  
the most tedious1 but after that it is  
easy4 ,i never put on more than one pair
 of heavy2 if of light material ,i get  
as many on as the pins will take1       
providing1 of course1 the curtains are  
all of one length2 and ,i always try to 
make the stretcher fit the curtain1 not 
the curtain fit the stretcher4  ,to     
begin with you will need #c pair of     
stretchers1 two of the adjustable pin   
and one of the stationary pin kind1 the 

first named are for the scallop edge    
curtains as they can be placed at       
correct distances apart--this is        
important--the stationary pin stretchers
 are for the straight edge curtain1     
these must be stretched from the four   
corners1 working them on perfectly even 
and straight1 never try to put a scallop
 curtain on these stretchers1 as the    
pins are never the same distance apart4 
,when ,i first commenced my ,laundry    
,business1 ,i found great difficulty1   
and wasted much time in trying to find  
the right figures on the stretchers1 so 
,i invented a scheme which has saved me 
hours of time1 and a great deal of      
patience3 ,i simply went over the       
figures with pen and ink1 now ,i can see
 them at a glance4  ,i often have       
curtains come in which require some     
mending2 if ,i have time ,i do this at  
night1 before starching of course2 ,i   
charge extra for this and according to  
amount of work required1 the ladies are 
more than willing to pay for this1 and  

it adds to your work too2 makes it look 
so much better4  ,when taking the       
curtains off the stretchers1 unscrew    
each corner a little and raise the lower
 bar1 this will bring the curtain off   
easier and without tearing4 ,sometimes  
the edges and joints require pressing1  
,i do this as ,i take them off the      
stretcher1 or at night1 if ,i am short  
of time4 ,i charge #aj;c a curtain extra
 for this1 when ready to send home ,i   
fold them as little as possible1 the    
fewer the creases the better they look4 
,after wrapping them nicely1 ,i write a 
note to each1 in which ,i ask1 should   
the work just returned meet with        
approval1 to kindly hand my enclosed    
card to one of their friends1 this      
invariably brings me a new customer4    
,the card enclosed is simply a plain    
neat card with name and address only1   
this with my note ,i enclose in an      
envelope addressed to my customer and   
fastened to the parcel4  ,most of my    
work is brought to me and called for1   

this saves me a great deal of time and  
trouble1 but the ladies are more than   
willing to do this1 if their curtains   
are done satisfactory4  ,since          
commencing the laundrying of curtains ,i
 have been asked to laundry many other  
articles1 such as shirtwaists1 fancy    
lace dresses1 jabots1 dinner mats1      
doilies1 scarfs1 laces of all kinds1 bed
 spreads and even blankets1 but working 
only in my spare time ,i have confined  
myself to curtains and door panels only 
yet it goes to show that the woman with 
more time at her disposal could do all  
this kind of work1 including the mending
 and make a splendid living1 more       
especially when there are three and four
 in the family4  ,in conclusion ,i must 
say ,i find that politeness1 cleanliness
 and neatness of person in approaching  
the people adds a great part in the     
secret of success in all trades4        
,enclosed with these instructions will  
be found my price list for all curtain  
work and from which ,i never vary4 ,for 

any other information a two cent stamp  
enclosed will bring it to you by return 
mail4  ,for success1  ,i am very        
sincerely yours1  ,,mrs4 ,,albert       
,,leigh1  #cj ,bullett ,ave41 ,s4,e4    
,roanoke1 ,va4   ,,pointers ,,from      
,,instructions ,,at ,a ,,glance   #a4   
,before wetting curtains measure length 
and width4   #b4 ,don't put curtains to 
soak in cold water over night1 one half 
hour in the morning in luke warm water  
will be better4   #c4 ,don't be afraid  
to use the soap solution1 it won't      
injure the curtains or the hands4   #d4 
,don't wring the curtains with your     
hands simply squeeze them or put them   
gently through the wringer4   #e4 ,after
 washing them clean dry thoroughly all  
your curtains1 you will then know just  
what consistency to make your starch2   
make them as near their weight as when  
new1 they hang better4   #f4 ,prepare   
your starch the night before1 this will 
save lots of time1 and you won't have to
 wait till it cools4   #g4 ,make a      

straining bag of one yard of crash      
toweling and strain all your starch     
before using as sometimes it lumps and  
sticks to the curtains4   #h4 ,if any   
mending is required do it before        
starching them and when clean4   #i4    
,don't forget to charge extra for this1 
according to amount of mending required4
  #aj4 ,get the adjustable-pin stretcher
 for scallop curtains1 and stationary   
stretcher for straight edge curtains4   
#aa4 ,go over the figures and lines on  
your stretchers with pen and ink1 you   
will then see them at a glance4  #ab4   
,for narrow curtains and short lengths1 
bore holes in your stretchers to meet   
the requirements4  #ac4 ,when the       
curtains are ready to fold1 don't fold  
them too much1 the fewer the creases the
 better they look4  #ad4 ,don't forget  
to enclose with each parcel your card1  
asking to kindly hand it to a friend4   
#ae4 ,always give a receipt in return   
for payment1 this protects you and your 
customer too4  #af4 ,don't be afraid to 

approach the people1 they are only too  
glad to know of you and that their      
curtains be cared for4  #ag4 ,go to the 
best houses1 to the hotels1 apartment   
houses1 clubs1 doctors' offices and     
anywhere where curtains are used in     
public buildings4  #ah4 ,your clean and 
neat appearance will count for          
everything in this business4  #ai4 ,make
 your prices the same to one and all1   
with no favors1 and terms strictly cash4
  #bj4 ,be polite to all1 even if you   
are annoyed sometimes1 it will pay in   
the end4   ,,my ,,excellent ,,soap      
,,solution  ,three pounds ,fels-,naptha 
,soap1 ,one ,fourth of a pound ,mule    
,team ,borax1 ,one pound of ,sal ,soda1 
,one cup ,turpentine1 ,six quarts of    
rain water--,into the six quarts of     
water add the soap cut into small       
pieces1 boil till thoroughly desolved1  
then add the ,borax and ,sal ,soda1 let 
this desolve also before adding the     
,turpentine1 then boil for #aj minutes1 
altogether1 keep in gallon jars4        

99       99       99       99       99  
,,my ,,price ,,list  ,battenburg        
,curtains                               
#ge;c to #a4jj  ,frilled ,muslin1 ironed
 all over               #ge;c to #a4jj  
,heavy ,aplique                         
#ge;c to #a4jj  ,irish ,point ,net      
,curtains                      #fe;c to 
#ge;c  ,oriental ,curtains1 pressing and
 cleaning      #fe;c to    #ge;c  ,fish 
,net ,curtains1 long                    
#fe;c  ,plain ,nottingham ,lace         
,curtains                          #fe;c
  ,panel ,curtains of all kinds1 each   
#ce;c  ,short ,muslin ,sash ,curtains1  
each                        #be;c  ,door
 ,panels1 cleaned and pressed1 each     
#be;c to #ce;c