linda--you make me laugh! i started to write you a note about this before i posted and deleted it because i thought "oh here you go asking her some cleaning thing again--don't you know there's a forum for that?" tee hee, tee hee! i think the reasoning behind not too much agitating the metallic stuff is because the threads are more brittle. the linen will last half of forever as long as you aren't pressing creases into the fabric but not those other threads... i ran out of oxiclean last weekend and certainly could get some but figured the borax might do...the shout is good for stain removal and thanx but no, it doesn't contain chlorine. it's surfactants and enzymes but i always worry about anything that is good at removing stains and what it might do to things--just feeling cautious. i think i'll experiment on the metallic piece that already has a significant stain on it as i won't cry if my hoped-for solution isn't a good one.

Magpie...my mother used to use Lemon Juice for those yellow stains... a 'Tip from Heloise' ! I also found some other tips that might be helpful ; Homemade Ways to Eliminate Yellow Stains From Clothing There are probably several products laying around your home that can be used for removing yellow stains from clothing. Homemade products are often as effective as store bought products, however, since homemade products are less controlled it is also easier to cause permanent damage to the clothing. Be sure to test any homemade product on an inconspicuous area before applying directly to the yellow stain. Mixture of Baking Soda, Peroxide, and Water A mixture of baking soda, peroxide, and water applied directly to the yellow stain will remove it. Mix equal parts of baking soda, peroxide, and water in a small container. Apply the mixture to the stain and use a bristle brush to rub the mixture in to the fabric. Allow it to sit for thirty minutes to an hour depending on the severity of the stain and wash as normal. Denture Tablets Denture tablets can brighten yellow stains on light or dark clothing. Dissolve two to four denture tablets in a bucket of water. Set the stained clothing inside the water for eight to twelve hours. Remove the clothing and wash as normal. White Vinegar and Salt Mix a half a cup of white vinegar with half a cup of salt in a bucket of water. Place the clothing inside the mixture and stir for at least thirty minutes. Remove the clothing and wash as normal. Toothpaste Toothpaste can be applied directly to a yellow stain to brighten it. Rub the toothpaste over the entire stained area with a bristle brush until the stain is lifted. Once the stain is removed, wash the clothing to remove the toothpaste. Lemon Juice Lemon juice brightens yellow stains on white and light colored clothing. Apply pure lemon juice to the entire stained area and let the clothing sit in the sun for an entire day. As soon as you bring the clothing inside, wash as normal by hand or in a washing machine to remove the lemon juice Good luck... jane

Deeby, mules eat the same as horses but better a lower protein...like about 10% and less sugar....because too much sweet feed (molasses added to oats and corn, etc.) can make them hyper. I also have 3 donkeys and they eat about the same as the mule...lots of good quality hay and they are all on pasture as well. Mules are different than other equines. The old saying goes (something like)....you tell a horse, ask a donkey and negotiate with a mule. Mules are very smart and they can be easily ruined if badly handled. You really do need to form a bond with a mule....if they like you, they will do so much more for you. Mules are male or female, just like horses...except a boy mule is called a john and a female is called a molly. It is preferable to geld a john mule when they are very young (geld means castrate...neuter, if you prefer). They are a hybrid of a horse and a donkey and they are sterile. Only very, very rarely has one reproduced. Interestingly enough, there is a farm in Florida that raises Gypsy Vanner horses, which are a large breed, supposedly the ones that Gypsies used to pull their caravans. Often paints, sort of like a draft horse....anyway, they do embryo transplants from Gypsy Vanner mares into female mules. The mules carry the little Gypsy Vanners and raise them and are said to make superior mothers. The reason they do that is because Gypsy Vanners are very expensive and they can produce many more foals that way....by having the mare mules carry the babies. Male donkeys are called Jacks and females are Jennies. My donkeys are named Amos, Moses and Hobo. Cherry Fizz, I collect dice too....I have four big jars of dice and also those flat craft marbles....two big jars of those. I have all kinds of things in jars....cookie cutters, scoops, polished stones, little ornaments, weird odds and ends....little bones, teeth. I'm sort of a cross between a pet coon and a magpie.

By the way....a few old-time tips on ironing cotton, including sheets. It is much harder to get good results if the sheet (or other item) has been dried and you rewet it with a mister or use steam. It is best for the item to be uniformly and slightly damp, and then you don't need or want a mister or steam. If your washer spins fast enough to remove most of the water (as most front-loaders now do) you can iron directly from the washer. In the old days washers had a mangle (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine) which would press the excess water out before ironing...eventually some mangles were even heated. If you mist you just won't get the fabric evenly wet enough to iron it easily or well, and a steam setting takes much longer and results are not as good. The old timey way, if not ironed directly from washing, was to wet the fabric before ironing by "sprinkling" with water, which added a lot more water than a mister. Search for "vintage cork sprinkler" on ebay and you'll see what was used! I remember that when my mother didn't have time to iron immediately after washing she would roll up the items while damp and place in the freezer in a plastic bag. When she had time to iron, the items would thaw pretty quickly, and they were uniformly wet. When cotton is uniformly wet, you do want to use the highest setting on the iron, which is usually for cotton and linen. But keep the iron moving of course! And of course a bit of MamaPinky's starch will give an ultra smooth finish!