I just bought myself three beautiful white cotton blouses to wear under suit jackets. How do I keep them looking crisp after washing? I’ve used spray starch on cotton in the past, but it scorches and makes a mess on the bottom of the iron. Can anybody give me advice on using liquid starch? Thanks!
How crisp? Grandma made boiled starch from dry cornstarch & water, boiled it to a thick soup like consistency, dipped fresly washed shirts in it, and wrung out the excess. May have applied more to collars and cuffs with a small sponge if they needed to be STIFF. IIRC Staley Corn Starch had the directions on the box.
The reason your spray starch scorched is that you didn’t smooth it into the fabric. Shake, spray, run hand lightly over sprayed area then iron.
I’ve done it, and no longer scorch.
(Martha Stewart showed it to Connan O’Brien on his show years ago.)
I got that scortching too, when I followed the exact instructions of the spray can: spray then iron immediately. Now I spray all my 5 or 6 shirts in a row and then iron the first one I’ve sprayed, after the starch has soaked in.
I once considered a bottle of liquid starch, and realized I’d be in for a lot of work and a steep learning cuve if I attempted it. However, on the store shelf right next to it, I do recommend the bluing agent to counter bleach-yellowing.
When I went through a brief phase of starching my shirts, I used to buy the stuff that you poured into the fabric softener slot in the washing machine. No muss, no fuss, provided you only washed shirts in that load (otherwise you get nice crisp easily ironed underwear).
Slaphead, that’s exactly what I want to know about! Can you give me instructions? What brand of starch do you recommend? How much to use? Do you iron the shirts while they are still damp, or wait till they dry?
Can’t really help you very much I’m afraid - I only ever used Dylon (because that was what was in the supermarket), I used roughly the amount they recommended on the bottle, and ironed while damp. Letting them dry results in a shirt that basically has baked-in rumples. Too much starch is a bit annoying because you get a shirt that feels like cardboard, while even a little bit of starch helps the ironing, so aim low to start with.
I had the advantage of being able to do a full load of shirts - if you only have three you might find it a bit tricky to get the amount right. But don’t fret about getting it wrong, since if you overdo it you can always pop them back in the washing machine on a short cycle to de-starch slightly and then have another go.
From here
I used to iron my own uniforms as I didn’t like the way the laundries did it. I used spray starch. If it’s sticking to the iron, I’d suggest that your iron is too hot and/or you’re using too much starch. Spray the item lightly and evenly over the area you’re about to press, wait a few seconds and then iron. For stiffer collars and cuffs, you can respray and repress several times, it works much better that using more starch and avoids sticking.
You may also need to clean your iron. One way it to use a white vinegar/water solution, on a clean white cloth, to wipe the bottom of the warm iron.
If you use washing machine starch you must press the garment while still damp, or lightly sprinkle a dry garmet w/ water and let sit for a few minutes before pressing. You can also bundle a few sprinkled items and put them in the fridge for 30 mins. or more, this makes an easier press job and a better finish.
I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to reply here. The information is very helpful and I’m going to try some of the methods suggested, using some of my husband’s old shirts.
If you want to make your own spray starch, use 1 tablespoon of corn starch for one pint of water in a spray bottle. Shake before using.
It’s greener, more versitle, and much, much, much cheaper than the store bought stuff.