Ink stains

Ink stains were obviously a bit of a problem because most books of household hints include several methods of removing them. The advice to soak them in mustard, however improbable it sounds, was either pretty effective or a very persistent urban myth, because it appears at least twice in print. As well as the 1948 Grocer’s United Stores Christmas Cookbook, the Laurel Recipe Book and Household Guide includes it in its page of household hints.

If it turns out that the mustard doesn’t sponge right out after being left an hour, both Aunt Daisy’s New Book of Handy Hints and the Modern Household Encyclopedia suggest this:

Mustard stains. To remove from linen, boil article in water to which 1 teaspoon washing soda per quart has been added. Boil until spot disappears and rinse thoroughly.