The Wisdom of Butlers Past

by Steven Ferry

Part 21 – Removing Grease from Clothing

How did butlers remove grease from clothing two centuries ago?

They placed brown paper over the grease spot and applied a hot iron (not so hot that it burned the paper). The grease would transfer to the paper. They repeated with another section of the paper until no more grease came out.

If grease remained, they added “spirits of wine” to a cloth and rubbed the spot while it was still hot from the iron.

End of grease spot, apparently.

Extracted from the 1823 book, The Footman’s Directory and Butler’s Remembrancer, re-published in hardback by Pryor Publications.

You may obtain your discounted copy (with free s&h) by emailing the publisher: Mr. Pryor (alan AT pryor-publications.co.uk).

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.