How to starch things from different fabrics?

How to starch things and why do you need to do this? During starching, a thin film forms on the surface of the fabric, which makes it denser and better in shape. In addition, due to this film, any impurities are not deeply absorbed into the fabric structure, which means that they are easily washed off. And if it is a light, but slightly yellowed thing over time, then starching slightly whitens it and gives a more fresh look. The only drawback of starched clothing is that it lets air through less, i.e. on a hot day it will not be very comfortable.

Preparation of starch solution

For starching things at home, you can use any starch - corn, wheat, potato. There is no significant difference in the result in this case. Although many housewives note that starch from corn thickens worse than from potatoes.

Depending on the material of clothing or linen, different amounts of starch per liter of water are added to the water.

1. For thin fabrics like chiffon, organza, batista, tulle, half a teaspoon is enough.
2. For bedding, various decorative napkins and clothes usually add a whole teaspoon.
3. For individual items of clothing, which should be especially stiff, collars or cuffs, for example, or a petticoat, two teaspoons of starch are already used.

Starch must be diluted in containers with cool water, mixed thoroughly, and then pour a small amount of hot liquid. The result should be a completely transparent thick paste. If the mixture is not transparent enough, then it can be heated for several minutes.

Tip

If it was not possible to make a starch solution without lumps, then the mixture can be filtered through gauze to get rid of them.

How to starch? This should be done only with clean things without any stains. They can be both dry and slightly moist, it does not matter. You should lower the product into starch liquid, allow it to soak properly, and then remove and squeeze a little to remove excess water. Starchy things at home are dried at room temperature. You should not place them near heating appliances, otherwise they will dry out unevenly, and it will be inconvenient to iron them. Speaking of ironing, it should be done on slightly damp items. But how to starch a bow, which is better not to iron, so as not to melt the fabric? He will have to give shape by hand.

What is not starch?

1. Do not starch or gelatinize underwear, because the procedure makes it airtight, which is bad from a hygienic point of view.
2. Black and simply dark things are not suitable for starches - noticeable white stains remain on them.
3. It makes no sense to starch, sugar or gelatin synthetic clothes - there will not be a special result.

How else can you starch a thing?

Starching “the old fashioned way” is a rather long and laborious process. Now there are much more convenient ways to starch things. You can purchase starch-containing sprays or liquids that are extremely easy to use - they spray a thing during ironing.

To starch large items, such as bedding or long clothes, it is worth buying powders or fabric softeners with the corresponding effect, which are simply added when washing in the machine. In principle, a mixture of starch and water can also be added to the machine.But how to starch the fabric in this way and not spoil the technique? The solution should be poured into the air conditioning compartment (and strictly instead of it, and not with it), and after washing it is necessary to wipe the drum and the door of the machine with a dry, clean cloth to remove the whitish residue from starch residues.

Tip

It is convenient to starch and gel the laundry by pouring a weak solution into the spray bottle. But more saturated mixtures will be difficult to spray due to their density.

Alternatives

In addition to these methods, usual for any housewife, to give things a form and make it tougher, there are other, less popular, but no less effective.

1. Mix sugar with water (about 200 g of sugar per 100 g of water) and heat the mixture until sugar is completely dissolved. The main thing is not to digest the syrup, otherwise it will give things yellow.
2. Dilute PVA in water. It is better to use construction glue, because it is whiter and does not give yellowish stains on light products after they dry. In this way, needlewomen often use in the manufacture of crafts from delicate fabrics, such as tulle.

Instead of starching the laundry to obtain the same result, it can also be gelled. To do this, 3-4 tablespoons of gelatin per liter of water are diluted in cold water, the mixture is heated almost to a boil, but not brought to it, mixed to a homogeneous consistency and complete dissolution of gelatin. Next, the solution should be allowed to cool slightly, so that it is still hot, but no longer burning, and then soak the product in it for several minutes, then squeeze slightly and hang to dry.

Ideal ways to give shape to a specific product and the proportions of the components in the mixtures for processing this or that thing cannot be foreseen in advance, each housewife selects them empirically. But the general rule applies - the thinner the fabric, the less saturated the solution should be, that is, for example, for tulle, much less starch will be needed than for a cotton shirt.