Starch things with potato starch. Methods without starch. Features of starching of some fabrics

Today, few people starch clothes at home, but once upon a time, without starched collars, a decent person was ashamed to go out into the street. Let's find out how to starch fabric and why you need to do it at all.

Why starch fabric

The process of starching is that clothes, lace, bed linen or some other things are rinsed in water in which starch is diluted. When things dry, a thin film forms on their surface, penetrating into the structure of the fabric. It makes the fabric denser and slightly crispy. As a result, the clothes keep their shape, do not wrinkle, become more rigid. In addition, the dirt that remains on the fabric during wear is easier to wash off, because the starch does not allow dirt to be absorbed into the fibers.

There is, however, one drawback to this method. If you starch clothes, then it passes air less. For this reason, only some parts of the wardrobe were starched: collars, cuffs, bonnets, chef's and baker's hats, aprons, etc. Curtains and tablecloths were often starched.

Basic principles

In order to be able to starch the fabric, you must first figure out what the solution is prepared from. And it is prepared with just two ingredients: water and directly starch.

In stores, most often starch is sold from potatoes, from rice, wheat and corn. There is a slight difference between them, which cooks know about, but it is not too significant for our procedure. In Russia, for starching, they used and use mainly a potato product. It has a bright white, sometimes even giving blue color and thickens very well. Corn starch, for example, thickens worse.

Before starching any fabric, it should be washed and rinsed well, and then lowered into the solution. You can starch slightly damp linen, or you can dry it, the main thing is that the starch solution soaks the fabric.

soft starching

The weakest solution is prepared for underwear, snow-white blouses and light dresses. We do not need to starch them to a very stiff state, as things will be uncomfortable to use.

Brew the solution as follows:

take starch at the rate of 1 teaspoon per liter;
pour it into a glass and dilute it with cold water. It is necessary to stir until the lumps disappear;
boil the required amount of water, and pour into it, stirring constantly, the dissolved starch.

The result is a mixture in which we will starch the fabric. It must be cooled and the concentration checked. You should get a liquid without lumps, a little denser than water, a little slippery. Rinse bedding or other items that you want to lightly starch in this liquid. You can soak the fabric for a few minutes, so that it is properly soaked, and then wring it out.

It is not necessary to twist the clothes strongly. Wring it out and shake it to straighten out the wrinkles. You can not overdry starched things, because then it will be difficult to iron them.

A weak solution can be poured into a spray bottle. Having sprayed linen from it, you can thus starch it. This is a very convenient and fast method, since the laundry does not need to be completely wetted, then wrung out and dried.

Medium starching

The middle method is used if you want to starch:

table linen (tablecloth, table napkin);
lace;
men's shirt;
covers for furniture.

The solution is prepared in exactly the same way as in the soft method, only they take more starch: a tablespoon without a slide or two teaspoons per liter of water.

The finished liquid will be translucent and homogeneous. It can always be diluted with warm water if you accidentally pour in a lot of starch and the substance is too thick.

hard starching

They resort to a hard method if it is necessary to starch a petticoat, which should hold several skirts on top, or to make a collar with cuffs, some element of decor, especially rigid and resistant.

The solution recipe has changed:

a teaspoon of borax and dilute in a glass of hot water and cool to room temperature;
50 grams of starch (approximately 2 tablespoons without a slide) diluted in a glass of cold water;
boil a liter of water and pour diluted starch into it;
pour borax into the brewed starch solution, mix everything and leave for 2 hours.

If you need to prepare 2, 3 or more liters of solution, then you proportionally increase the amount of borax and starch.

Features of starching of some fabrics

Many are interested in the question of how to starch a fabric called tulle. Ballet tutus and a petticoat for ball gowns are sewn from tulle. Tulle is often used for sewing wedding dresses, carnival costumes, for making decorative bows, artificial flowers and many other accessories.

It can be starched with the weakest or medium solution. After soaking the fabric in the liquid, it is mixed so that there are no untreated areas left. Wring out and dry, carefully straightening every detail. Ironed when wet.

If the lover is made of gauze, then a hard method is applied to it - this is the only way to keep the shape of the fluffy skirt. Just like tulle, gauze is carefully straightened and ironed when wet. If, after hard starching, the fabric dries with at least one crease, then later you will not be able to smooth it out.

In the middle way, you can starch crocheted lace or embroidery. First, the lace is washed, and then slightly squeezed, straightened and ironed through gauze or smooth fabric.

You can wet clean and dry lace with a cloth soaked in a starch solution, and then iron it with a warm iron. The embroidery is moistened and ironed from the wrong side.

Any starched lace retains its shape for a long time and shows the beauty of every detail. Lace braid on a dress or a snow-white napkin on a table looks especially good.

If you do not want to waste time and prepare a starch solution with your own hands, then you can buy a product in the store that is added during the last rinse. In addition, there are aerosols that allow you to give the elements of your wardrobe a stable shape and an elegant look.

Alternative option

In addition to using potato starch, there are alternative ways to shape textiles. Some housewives have adapted to use sugar, gelatin and even PVA glue for this purpose.

Sugar

Pour water into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Take sugar at the rate of 1:1, slowly pour it into the water, stirring, bring the solution to a boil. When the syrup is ready, pour the starch previously dissolved in cold water into it, mixing thoroughly. Immerse the fabric in the resulting viscous liquid, leave for a few minutes, and then remove. Wring out the product and give it the desired shape. With this method, the starched fabric cannot be wetted, so the procedure will have to be repeated after each wash.

PVA glue

With it, needlewomen usually starch knitted products and fabric for embroidery.

To prepare the solution, take PVA glue and water in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, depending on the density of the glue. Thoroughly mix the glue in the water, and then dip the product into the solution. After a minute, remove it, shape it and leave it to dry completely.

Gelatin

This method is also "one time". Pour 1 tbsp. a spoonful of gelatin with a small amount of cold water. When the substance swells, add more water to make 200-250 grams and put the mixture on a slow fire. It must be heated without boiling. Gelatin should dissolve completely in water. When this happens, the solution can be used.

The above methods are rarely used to starch clothes or bedding. They are more suitable for use in the needlework process, for example, to shape knitted flowers.

What fabrics cannot be starched

underwear;
things of black or dark color;
clothing made from synthetic fabrics.

Today, not every young housewife uses the starch method and knows how to starch things at home. Previously, our predecessors from generation to generation passed down the skills of starching things in the same way as preservation recipes. Wearing an unstarched collar of a blouse or cuffs of the sleeves was considered, so to speak, “bauvais ton”. Everything was starched - from clothing items to bed linen. Simple tips on how to properly starch things will help create a strict business look and give a stable shape to your things.

Important! Starch should only be clean things that do not have stains. To get rid of stains on white clothes, rub them with 3% hydrogen peroxide and leave for a few minutes. Wine and tea stains are easily removed in this way.

Why starch fabric?

The principle of starching is based on the fact that clean clothes are rinsed in water, with the addition of starch. As a result of such actions, a protective film is formed on the surface of a shirt or blouse, which has a beneficial effect on matter:

Makes fabric denser.
Holds its shape well.
Prevents material from wrinkling.
Dirt in the process of wearing is not absorbed deep into the clothes.
Yellowed clothes are bleached and take on a fresh look.
Creates an environmentally friendly barrier.

Important! The only drawback can be considered that when treated with starch, the fabric passes air less. Therefore, if you process summer things, starch only their individual parts.

Starching Options

We all know very well that the fabric is different. It differs in density, composition and color. Based on this, you also need to starch things at home in different ways, taking into account the characteristics of a particular material.

Important! Any starch can be used: corn, wheat, rice, potato. The most commonly used for this purpose is potato starch. Compared to cornstarch, it is bright white in color and thickens very well.

Depending on the concentration of the solution used for starching, the following types of this process are distinguished.

soft starching

Bed linen, curtains, light summer fabrics - such as chiffon or cambric, do not require a concentrated solution. Therefore, in order to starch things from these fabrics, you need to prepare the following mixture:

Dissolve 0.5-1 teaspoon of starch in 1 liter of water.
Mix thoroughly so that no lumps remain in the solution.

Medium hard starching

If you decide to starch men's shirts, tablecloths, lace products, flounces, bows or cloth napkins, you should increase the concentration of the solution:

For 1 liter of water, dissolve 1 tablespoon of starch.
Stir until starch is completely dissolved.

Important! Since the use of this method is common among needlewomen, you may also be interested in the following ideas:

hard starching

In this way, collars, shirt cuffs and other parts of clothing that need to be given a rigid, resistant shape can be starched. The petticoats of the dance tutu are also processed in this way.

In addition to starch, borax (sodium boric salt) is added to the solution.

Solution preparation method:

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of starch in 1 liter of water.
Stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
Add borax, after dissolving 1 teaspoon of it in a small amount of hot water.
Thoroughly stir the entire solution until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and leave to brew for at least two hours.

How to starch fabric at home with starch?

To achieve the desired result, follow this procedure:

To begin with, clothes should be washed well.

Important! Inconspicuous stains after starching will disappear, as starch has a bleaching property.

Pour water into the basin and dilute the starch according to the proportion for your type of fabric.
Add hot water to the resulting solution. Ideally, you should get a viscous transparent consistency, without lumps, slippery to the touch.

Important! If a cloudy solution is obtained, it should be boiled for 5 minutes.

In order for the liquid to soak better, add a little more water to your product and lower the shirt into the resulting mixture.
You can remove the product when it is completely wet.
Squeeze out excess liquid, straighten the formed wrinkles and leave to dry at room temperature.

Important! If you leave a starched item to dry on a radiator, it will be difficult to iron it later.

It is best to iron damp, starched clothes.

Important! Repeat the starching process with every wash.

How to starch things in the washing machine?

You can starch things at home not only manually, but also with the help of a washing machine. For this:

The diluted composition of water and starch should be poured into the conditioner compartment of the washing machine.

Important! In this case, you will have to refrain from using the air conditioner.

Turn on the wash cycle that is suitable for the type of fabric of the garment.
At the end of the wash cycle, lay out the finished product to dry.

Important! After completing the process, be sure to wipe the drum and the door of the machine with a clean, dry cloth.

Professional starch products

For those who don't really want to mess around with starch and brew it, there is a lightweight version of the process. To do this, purchase a special starch product in the household chemicals department of a hardware store.

Benefits of special starch products:

Such products are available in the form of a spray, liquid or powder. Thus, you can choose the form of the product with which it will be most easy for you to work.
The tools are convenient and easy to use.
Sprays can be applied to individual parts of clothing (cuffs or collars), which greatly facilitates the process. It is enough to spray part of the clothes during ironing.
For processing large items, special powders with starch are used. In this case, add powder to the washing machine during the washing process.

Important! Follow the instructions for use before using any industrial product for this purpose.

How to starch things from different types of fabric?

As mentioned earlier, each type of fabric requires an individual approach to starching. Consider the main recommendations regarding the processing of a particular type of matter.

Silk

In order to give stiffness to delicate silk, it is starched with silicate glue or gelatin. Thanks to the gelatin treatment, the silk product becomes elastic and acquires a special shine:

Wash clothing and remove stubborn stains if present.
Prepare the solution, taking into account the proportions: dilute 1 teaspoon of glue in 5 liters of water.
Place a blouse in the resulting mixture and leave to soak.
Gently wring out the product.
Hang to dry on a coat hanger, straightening the folds.
It is necessary to iron through a smooth fabric.

tulle

This fabric is very common in the clothing industry. It is used for sewing wedding and dance dresses, ballet tutus, and various items for decorating clothes.

Important! Starch such a fabric should be in a solution of low or medium concentration.

Basic rules on how to starch things at home from such a fabric:

Mixing thoroughly so that there are no untreated areas, dip the product into the solution.
After removing the product from the liquid, straighten the creases on it and leave to dry.
The tulle is ironed when wet, straightening the folds.

Gauze

Gauze is often used to make petticoats for dance or ballroom dresses. In order to keep the shape in a multi-layered dress, the gauze is starched with a hard method. For this:

Dip the gauze product into the solution.
Once the fabric is saturated, remove the item and wring out any remaining liquid.
Ironing should be done when damp, smoothing out wrinkles.

Important! If you dry gauze with folds, it will be problematic to eliminate them in the future.

Lace

Mothers of schoolchildren must know how to starch a school apron. To give a beautiful finished look, a lace apron or crochet products is starched in a medium concentration solution:

Initially, the product must be washed, slightly squeezed out the water and placed in a starch solution for 20 minutes.
After pulling the little thing out of the solution, you should straighten the folds and put it to dry in a horizontal position.
Iron the lace through gauze or a smooth fabric.

How to starch a white school apron:

A dry, washed lace apron must be blotted with a cloth soaked in a starch solution.
After processing, iron the product with a warm iron.

Canvas for embroidery

If the canvas for embroidery is starched, it will become much easier to embroider on it. To do this, follow simple steps:

Dip the canvas in a solution for hard starching for 15-20 minutes.
Squeeze out excess liquid and lay flat to dry.

Starching embroidery

For lovers of cross-stitch or stitch embroidery, information on how to starch an embroidered picture will be useful:

Before lowering the product into a container with starch, you need to wash the embroidery.
Prepare a solution of medium concentration and leave the embroidery in it for 15 minutes.
To dry the product, lay it out on a flat surface, straightening the folds.

Important! Products with embroidery need to be ironed from the wrong side.

Other ways to harden various products

It is possible to give a rigid shape to fabric objects not only with the help of starch. There are alternative means for this procedure. For this, housewives use gelatin, sugar and PVA glue.

Sugar:

Syrup needs to be made from sugar. To do this, use 200 g of sugar for 100 g of water.

Important! Do not overcook the syrup, as this may turn things yellow.

Add starch pre-mixed in cold water to the resulting syrup.
Mix thoroughly so that there are no lumps.
Put the product into the resulting mixture and leave it until it is completely impregnated.
Take out the fabric item and wring it out lightly. Give it the desired shape.

Important! If the fabric is soaked in water, the entire effect will disappear.

PVA glue

Using PVA glue, you can give the desired shape to knitted items and fabrics for needlework:

Dilute PVA glue with water in a ratio of 1: 2.
Put the fabric in the resulting mixture or apply it with a brush to certain parts.
Leave until completely dry.

Gelatin

The gelatin method, as in the case of PVA glue, has a short-term effect:

Soak 1 teaspoon of gelatin in cold water.
When the gelatin swells, add water to it to make a volume of 200-250 ml.
While stirring well, heat the resulting mixture.
Put the product in the resulting solution.
After getting wet, wring out lightly and dry the item.

How to starch shirts at home?

Starched shirts give a particularly elegant look to their wearers. This can be done for both men's and women's wardrobe items. To do it right:

Pour the starch agent into a basin and add warm water to it.
Stir until all lumps are gone.

Important! To remove small lumps, you can strain the solution through cheesecloth.

Put the product in the basin for 10-15 minutes.
After the specified time, remove and squeeze out excess liquid.
To prevent things from deforming, hang to dry on a wide coat hanger.
It is advisable to iron the item of clothing when it is damp. In the process of ironing, an overdried item may turn yellow. Iron the cuffs and collar with particular care to give a stiff stance.

Important! Cuffs and collar are starched separately from the main body of clothing in a hard way. And do not forget that such things should not only be clean, but also tastefully matched with the rest of the clothes. Our following publications will help you in this case:

How to starch bed linen at home?

After a properly performed procedure, your underwear will become very pleasant to the touch, completely unlike a wooden layer.

Important! Starched bed linen keeps a fresh, clean look longer.

Since such objects are voluminous, it is better to act in this way to get a good result:

After normal washing, prepare a medium starch solution.
Put bedding in it and leave for a while so that it is completely saturated with the mixture.
Remove the product and squeeze out excess liquid.
Leave the bedding to dry on a flat surface.
Iron with a warm iron.

How to starch tulle at home?

A beautiful, neat, clean tulle on the window, first of all, shows how good and skillful the hostess is in the house. Therefore, it does not hurt to know how to make the appearance of your window attractive and properly starch such things at home.

It is done like this:

Prepare a soft solution with starch.
Immerse the tulle in it for 30 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, remove the product and squeeze out excess liquid with your hands.
While the tulle is damp, iron it with a warm iron. And then try to diversify the design a little with the help of our ideas,.

How to iron starched things?

Things that have been processed with starch are different from ordinary washed things. Therefore, the ironing process for such fabric items is more delicate. While ironing, follow a few rules:

Wet starched products are easier to iron, so it is strongly recommended to iron them only when wet.
Wet collars and cuffs are ironed first with a warm iron.
Iron things after starching on both sides, starting from the inside. In this case, the iron must be very hot.
Starched clothes lose their properties from water, so do not use steam when working with an iron.
Table salt, if added to a starch solution, will prevent clothes from sticking to the iron. To avoid this effect, you can iron things through gauze.
If the products were starched with a rigid method, it is not advisable to iron until completely dry. Subsequently, yellow stains may appear.

Often, housewives are concerned about the question: is it possible to starch colored things? Almost all products and fabrics are suitable for starching.

To avoid an unexpected situation where starching can affect the quality of the product, do not process the following things:

Underwear. As you know, starched things do not pass air well, so it is unhygienic to subject underwear to such actions.
Dark things. When the product is completely dry, whitish streaks may appear on it.
Clothing or products containing synthetic fibers are practically resistant to starching.

There are several secrets that not all young housewives know. Following these tips in practice will help improve the condition of clothing items and facilitate some processes:

A pinch of salt will add an unusual shine to things. Add it to the starch solution.
To prevent clothes from sticking to the iron during ironing, add a few drops of turpentine to the starch.
Crochet items (lace or napkins) dry in a horizontal position. Fix the edges of the product with needles so that they do not deform.
In no case do not dry starched things in the cold.
A product embroidered with floss threads cannot be starched. From exposure to starch, the threads lose their luster and stick together.

footage

Not every housewife knows how to starch things at home. Our grandmothers received this knowledge from their mothers. After all, wearing a blouse without starched sleeves or a collar was bad form. At the same time, almost all things were starched: starting with certain elements of clothing and ending with sheets. Nowadays, not everyone uses this method. However, a properly starched item allows you to create a more rigorous and businesslike look, as well as give collars and cuffs a stable shape.

Why starch

Before answering the question of how to starch a thing, it is worth considering: what is it for? The principle of the procedure is quite simple. The thing is carefully lowered into water, which contains starch. As a result of such manipulations, a kind of protective film is formed on the clothes, which has a positive effect on the condition of the fabric:

Matter becomes denser.
The thing does not lose its shape.
The fabric practically does not wrinkle.
Dirt does not penetrate too deeply into the structure of matter, but remains on its surface.
Clothes that have turned yellow over time become white and fresh in appearance.
An environmentally friendly barrier is created.

Almost anyone can starch a thing with starch. However, it is worth considering that the fabric after the procedure ceases to pass air well. Therefore, summer things are not recommended to be processed entirely. It is better to starch a certain part of them.

The main methods of starching

How to starch a thing made of a certain matter? It is worth considering that fabrics are different and can only be processed in a certain way. At the moment, there are three main methods of starching. It all depends on the concentration of the solution:

How to starch things

To get the desired result, follow the sequence:

Clothing to be processed must be washed thoroughly to avoid stains.
Pour water into the basin, and then add the remaining components. Their number should correspond to the type of fabric.
Pour hot water into the prepared solution. The result should be a transparent mass without lumps, viscous consistency and slippery to the touch.
The thing should be lowered into the resulting mixture.
When the fabric is completely wet, it can be removed from the solution.
It is recommended to squeeze out excess liquid. The processed product should be dried at room temperature, straightening all the folds.

How to starch a knitted thing? For processing, the same solutions are used as for ordinary fabrics. However, it is recommended to dry such clothes only in a horizontal position. Otherwise, things are deformed.

How to process in a washing machine

As practice shows, you can starch clothes both in the washing machine and manually. In order not to bother with such processing for a long time, many use household appliances. For this:

The prepared starch solution should be poured into the compartment of the washing machine, which is designed for air conditioning.
Turn on the washing mode by selecting the desired program and temperature.
In conclusion, clean and starched products should be removed from the drum and dried.

This method has several features. First of all, in the washing process, you will have to abandon the usual air conditioner. After the procedure, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the door and drum of the unit.

Ironing process

How to iron starched things? First, remember: you should not dry them on the battery, as it will be difficult to get rid of the wrinkle. Secondly, it is best to iron damp processed products on both sides. In this case, it is worth starting from the inside out. The ironing process is very delicate, so you need to follow a few rules:

Since far from everyone can starch a thing, you need to know the features of the process. For example, you should not use this method for processing stained fabric. Things must be clean. To remove a stain from white clothes, you can rub it with 3% hydrogen peroxide and then leave it on for a few minutes. This method allows you to remove traces of tea and wine.

Almost any starch can be used: potato, rice, wheat, corn. However, the first option is used more often than the others. After all, potato starch thickens well and has a bright white color.

After treatment, minor specks may disappear, since the solution has bleaching properties. If after adding hot water the mixture becomes cloudy, it is recommended to boil it for 5 minutes.

Do not dry things after processing in the cold.

Special funds

How and how to starch a thing if you don’t want to mess with starch? In this case, special preparations are suitable. They can be purchased at the household chemicals department. As for the process of processing things, everything should be done in accordance with the instructions, which will necessarily be indicated on the packaging. Among the advantages of such funds it is worth highlighting:

What not to starch

Now you know how to starch a knitted thing (it was crocheted or knitted - it doesn’t matter), a shirt or a tablecloth. However, not everyone knows whether it is possible to process colored products with this method. Any fabric can be starched. To avoid trouble, do not process the following products:

Underwear. Things after processing do not pass air well. Underwear becomes unhygienic.
Dark fabrics. After complete drying, whitish streaks may form on the product.
Products made from synthetic fibers. Such things are practically not amenable to starching.

In addition to the above, it is impossible to process products that are embroidered with floss threads using similar methods. Such material begins to stick together and fade.

Clothing made from modern materials requires less and less effort during personal care. It is easy to wash, stains are removed very simply, it dries and irons quickly, and most importantly, it looks clean and tidy after all these procedures. Some time ago it was fashionable to additionally starch things, but now few people do this.

However, we will still tell you how to starch things for those who are interested in this process and who want to try it at home to see what effect it will give.

Fresh bed linen with embroidery

Basic concepts

You probably already guessed from what word the verb "starch" came from. It means rinsing clothes after washing in water in which starch is diluted. After such rinsing and drying, a thin layer of starch appears on the fabric, which even penetrates into its structure, enveloping the fibers.

The presence of this substance causes the material to become denser, stronger, even slightly crispy, which allows things to keep their shape well, practically not wrinkle, and become dirty for a long time. The protective film allows you to protect the fabric from dirt, since it cannot get into its structure, but only remains on the starch layer.

However, the protective film impairs other characteristics of the fabric by not allowing air to pass through it. Therefore, it is not recommended to completely cover things for everyday wear with starch.

Usually some elements are starched, for example, shirt cuffs and collars, bows and frills. Kitchen workers often starch aprons, chef's hats, tablecloths, towels, and napkins. Housewives use starch processing for curtains, pastels, lace, embroidery.

To properly starch your things, it is enough to prepare the necessary composition of water and starch. Starch can be purchased at any hardware store. There is always a choice of potato, rice, wheat, corn starch, but for rinsing clothes the difference is not fundamental, and you can choose any option.

Starch looks like a white powder

Most often, housewives stop at the potato version, which looks like a white powder, sometimes with a bluish tint. This starch thickens better than anyone else, which is why, by the way, a high-quality paste is prepared from it.

Rinse in starch is the final stage of washing, before which the washing itself and the usual rinse take place, which allows you to remove the remnants of the detergent composition. In principle, you can starch slightly damp and even dry laundry, the main thing is to ensure that the starch solution soaks the fabric.

Depending on the type of thing and its fabric, starching can be divided into three types:

weak;
average;
strong.

Let's look at how to starch fabric in all these ways at home.

Weak processing

Soft starching is used mainly for delicate items made of delicate fabrics (batiste, chiffon), light dresses and blouses, bed linen, materials that do not need special rigidity and density, but need protection from dirt, lack of wrinkling and shape maintenance.

Fresh and clean linens

A weak solution can be properly prepared as follows:

First you need to measure the right amount of starch. In our case, the consistency will be 1 teaspoon of the substance per 1 liter of water.
It is convenient to pour starch into a small container, into which cold water should be added, and then stir the composition until smooth, without lumps.
Now you need to boil the right amount of water in an enameled container, and carefully pour the prepared composition into it, gently mixing the resulting solution.
Then the heating should be stopped, and wait for the resulting composition to cool. If you did everything right, then after cooling you will get a homogeneous solution, slightly slippery to the touch, which will be slightly more dense than water.

The resulting solution can be used to starch bedding, light dresses, fine lace. To do this, it is enough to rinse these things in it after washing. At the same time, the washing method is not particularly important, you can do everything manually or in a washing machine.

In order for the effect to be accurately achieved, it is even permissible to soak the clothes for a while so that the composition properly penetrates into the fabric. Then the clothes should be gently wrung out, without twisting or stretching, shake lightly to even out the material and leave to dry in a horizontal position.

Ironing the material after such processing must be wet, because if you overdry it, it will be extremely difficult to do this, at least you will not be able to smooth out most of the creases.

You can quickly starch your clothes pointwise, in some places. To do this, pour the starch solution into the sprayer, and spray it on the desired place. This method can even be called very convenient, since it is not necessary to starch the entire fabric. Moreover, clothes do not need to be completely rinsed, wrung out and dried.

Air skirt in light color

Now let's look at how to starch fabric using a medium composition.

Medium processing

A slightly stronger starch treatment is used for tablecloths, napkins and towels, men's shirts, lace and skirts, bows, chair covers and other furniture. The technique is fully consistent with the above, only starch will require a little more. For medium level starching, take 1 tablespoon of starch per liter of water.

White men's shirt with cufflinks

Properly prepared rinse composition is more cloudy, translucent, and invariably slippery. If the resulting composition seems too thick to you, it can be further diluted with warm water. In a thick composition, rinsing is inconvenient, and there is nothing to do.

Using this method, you can perfectly starch crocheted items, lace, embroidery at home. First of all, knitwear, lace or, then rinse in the composition, dry and iron from the wrong side using gauze. The result will be excellent, you will protect the delicate fabric and give it the desired shape.

You can not even rinse the lace, but simply moisten it with a cloth soaked in a starch composition. Such processing is acceptable, but the main thing is that the fabric is clean. After that, wet lace should be ironed through cheesecloth from the back. With such processing, you will not only emphasize the beauty of the lace product, but also protect it from the penetration of dirt into the structure of the material.

strong processing

The strongest starch treatment is carried out to create and hold the shape of the fabric. For example, you can process the cuffs and collar of a shirt so that it holds its shape and does not wrinkle, or rinse a petticoat designed to hold several wedding dress skirts at once, or napkins to give them shape when placed on a table. Properly made starch processing will help in fixing the shape necessary for the thing.

Beautiful table setting with napkins

To create this starch solution at home, you need more ingredients:

In the first glass of hot water, we need to dilute 1 teaspoon of borax. After stirring, leave the solution to cool to a temperature of 30-40 ° C degrees.
In the second glass, dilute the starch, use cold water and 2 tablespoons of the powder.
Next, you need to boil the kettle and pour 1 liter of boiling water into the container. We put the starch solution in boiling water, while pouring, stir constantly.
Then add the prepared solution of borax, mix thoroughly, and leave the mixture to infuse for 2-3 hours.

When rinsing things in this composition, they will keep their shape perfectly. If you need more water for rinsing, make the composition, observing the above proportions.

This method is actively used so that it gives maximum splendor to the skirt itself. The main thing here is to iron the wet fabric in time, to prevent complete drying, because if there are folds on the dry fabric, you will not smooth them out.

Alternative Methods

However, it is possible to starch things not only with a composition based on the corresponding substance, alternative methods can also be used. The main components of such methods can be used: gelatin, sugar, PVA glue.

Alternative methods are used mainly for small items, since the consumption of the substances used is significant. For bulky items, it is better to choose the standard method.

The sugar method is as follows:

A sweet syrup is prepared based on 5-6 tablespoons of sugar per 1 liter of water. After mixing the ingredients, they need to be boiled for some time so that the sugar is completely mixed into the liquid.
Things for starching are placed directly into the hot composition, carefully processed in it.
Then the fabric is removed, wrung out and left in a straightened state to dry.

Note that things starched with sugar have a sweet aftertaste, which can attract insects, so this method is best used in winter.

Sugar is certainly not the best option for starching

Starching with gelatin is done as follows:

First of all, it is necessary to soak the gelatin, about 5-6 tablespoons per liter of cold water.
After swelling of the gelatin, you can begin to boil it until it is completely dissolved in water.
In the finished composition, we immerse things for starching, squeeze, dry.

The use of PVA glue for starching occurs in the following way:

To create a solution, you need 500 ml of glue per liter of cold water, the composition should be thoroughly mixed.
That’s all, you don’t need to heat the mixture, you can immediately start processing the fabric.

This method is great for working with napkins, which often need to be given more strength.

Using PVA glue for starching

Subtleties of starching

One of the popular materials that often requires starching is tulle. , costumes for carnivals, ballet supplies, bows, decorative items and much more. It is permissible to starch tulle in a weak and medium way. The clothes are soaked in the prepared composition, rinsed thoroughly so that the fabric is completely wet, then wring out and dry. Without waiting for complete drying, things are ironed, giving them the desired shape.

Recently, a ready-made composition for starching things has appeared in hardware stores. It is very convenient in everyday life, you can quickly dilute it with water and process the fabric. Also very popular are powders and liquids for washing with a starching effect, which are used directly when washing in a washing machine.

For spot and general treatment, sprays of the appropriate action can also be used. They are used while ironing clothes, which is very convenient when you need to process the cuffs and collar of shirts.

As you can see, starching fabric is not at all difficult, so if you have such a need, you can always do it yourself.

Starched linen wrinkles less and does not get dirty so quickly.

Nowadays, it is rare that a hostess bothers herself with starching bed linen after washing. This procedure, which was considered obligatory in the past, has quietly lost its relevance.

This happened partly due to the emergence of universal detergents for washing and rinsing things, partly due to the use of smart household appliances that perform labor-intensive work without human intervention.

However, sleeping on starched, fresh-smelling, creaking clean linen is much more pleasant. And these are not all the advantages that such processing of bedding gives. Let's remember how to starch linen, why do it and what products are needed for the procedure.

Why is linen starched?

The task is to immerse for a few minutes or rinse things in cool water with starch paste dissolved in it. Starch is absorbed into the fibers of the fabric, and after drying and ironing the linen, it forms the thinnest protective film on the surface.

The material impregnated with an adhesive solution acquires greater strength, holds its shape well, and wrinkles less. A protective film of starch retains impurities, preventing them from penetrating deep into the structure of the fabric. As a result Linen stays clean longer and needs to be washed less frequently. The quality of washing is also improved. Upon contact with soapy water, the starch quickly dissolves, taking with it all contaminants.

In addition, thanks to starching, the effect of bleaching and exceptional freshness of the fabric is achieved. No less pleasant trifle - starched linen smells delicious, and when used it makes a pleasant crispy sound.

Starching laundry

Add a little salt to the starch, this will give the linen a special shine.

The standard procedure is carried out in several stages:

Linen is immersed in a container with a barely warm starch solution (30-35 degrees).

Leave to soak for 10-20 minutes or just rinse thoroughly.

Things are lightly squeezed by hand and shaken to straighten the creases and folds in the fabric.

Dry flat.

Starched linen is ironed when it is still slightly damp. The temperature is set to the minimum or below average, so that during the ironing process.

It is not necessary to twist strongly and dry the laundry after starching, since it will be much more difficult to iron it.

If the standard procedure of soaking things in starch water seems too time-consuming, you can do it easier. Shake the prepared weak solution well, pour it into a spray bottle and spray wet or already dried linen from it before ironing. This method is much more convenient and easier, since overall things do not need to be immersed in water, and then squeezed by hand and dried.

How to starch clothes in the washing machine?

Add starch to the washing machine during the last rinse in the conditioner compartment.

There is no problem with this question. The washing machine perfectly copes with the task of starching bed linen, which is performed when switching to the rinse mode:

The starch solution is prepared according to the same rules as in the standard procedure.

Before turning on the unit, the paste diluted with water is poured into the rinse aid (conditioner) compartment.

Turn on the specified washing mode.

After the cycle is completed, the laundry is taken out of the drum, shaken. Air dry.

The detergent container, the drum, the inner surface of the washing machine door are wiped first with a damp, then with a dry cloth.

Leave the unit open for ventilation.

When starching laundry in the washing machine, no other rinse agents should be used.

Another, more simplified option is to use special liquid or powder products with a starching effect for washing clothes in an automatic machine. On the packaging of such preparations there is always a detailed instruction, following which you can starch things without much difficulty.

What is the best product for starching things?

Potato starch can stain laundry.

Paste is made from potato or corn starch. The choice of the type of food product for processing bed linen is not of fundamental importance.

Traditionally used potato starch. It is easy to use, brews well with boiling water, thickens quickly, has a snow-white, sometimes with a pale blue tint, color. The only disadvantage of potato starch is that if used incorrectly, the solution can give the fabric a yellowish tint.

Corn starch copes with the task no worse than potato, without leaving yellow streaks on the linen. However, to prepare a high-quality paste, it must be boiled for 5-7 minutes.

Rice and wheat starch are more expensive, plus, are unusual for residents of the post-Soviet space. For starching things, such products are usually not used.

If you do not want to prepare the solution yourself, you can get by with synthetic starching agents. Preparations for this purpose are sold in the departments of household chemicals and are represented by a wide range in the form of liquid rinses, sprays, aerosols. Liquids with a starching effect are added while rinsing things, aerosols and sprays are used before or during ironing according to the instructions.

Drawing conclusions from the foregoing, it is not difficult to understand that it is not difficult to starch bed linen. It takes a little time, the means are available and inexpensive. But the benefits that the processing of things with starch gives are worth the effort.

How to brew starch? Video tip: