How to do It: Stiff Starch Grandma's Way

[HadleyH]

Thank you for this thread scotrace! I may try this myself sometime. (...but I don't know in my case how everything will turn out, still, now I feel like doing it too )

 

[Jovan]

That shirt is standing on its own?

 

[Feng_Li]

Would a mechanical (roller) wringer or a spin cycle be less harsh on the shirts than twisting them?

 

[tonyb]

Would a mechanical (roller) wringer or a spin cycle be less harsh on the shirts than twisting them?

I don't know about that, but I gotta believe that one way or another a person can wash and starch and iron his shirts without beating the hell out of them. I usually wash shirts in warm (or even cold) water on the gentle cycle. That's more than adequate for getting them clean, seeing how they rarely get truly dirty. (I used to hand wash shirts in the kitchen sink, back when I lived in a place without a washer on premises.) And I tend not to dry them in the dryer, either, especially if I plan on starching them. That spares them a bit of torture as well. I apply the starch when they're still damp from the wash and let 'em air dry.
What effect does the starch itself and the heat and steam from the iron have on the fabric? I dunno. Probably not good, but I score most of my shirts at a charity thrift store, where I routinely find high quality stuff in very good shape at dirt-cheap prices (like three or four bucks per item, on half-price days), so I don't get too darned concerned about the expense. Still, I'd rather they last a good long while, and they generally do.

 

[J.B.]

Good Grief! What a terrific D-I-Y tutorial, scotrace!

Thanks!

 

[Miss Sis]

When I stiff starch the BFs shirts, formal waistcoat etc, I use the dip method then spin them in the washing machine. Hang out till nearly dry then iron.

Saves lots of time waiting for them to drip dry to ironing point.

 

[KittyT]

great thread, i totally want more!

like, i really need to learn how to polish my shoes.

 

[mysterygal]

Wow, I'm impressed!:eusa_clap Great job scotrace!
btw; how long did it take you to do this whole process? (from the starching to the being done ironing?)

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Mr. Scott

Hey !! Skinny nice job.... :eusa_clap

 

[jamespowers]

Yep, that is my style. Stiff as a board with creases that could slice tomatoes. :eusa_clap
Believe it or not, my grandmother could iron a dozen shirts like this faster than you can believe. Her hands moved over the shirt lightening fast. A matter of minutes passed before she was done with each. I would imagine it gets easier with lots of practice. I'll ask my dry cleaner.

Regards,

J

 

[Feng_Li]

I don't know about that, but I gotta believe that one way or another a person can wash and starch and iron his shirts without beating the hell out of them. I usually wash shirts in warm (or even cold) water on the gentle cycle. That's more than adequate for getting them clean, seeing how they rarely get truly dirty. (I used to hand wash shirts in the kitchen sink, back when I lived in a place without a washer on premises.) And I tend not to dry them in the dryer, either, especially if I plan on starching them. That spares them a bit of torture as well. I apply the starch when they're still damp from the wash and let 'em air dry.
What effect does the starch itself and the heat and steam from the iron have on the fabric? I dunno. Probably not good, but I score most of my shirts at a charity thrift store, where I routinely find high quality stuff in very good shape at dirt-cheap prices (like three or four bucks per item, on half-price days), so I don't get too darned concerned about the expense. Still, I'd rather they last a good long while, and they generally do.

That was my thinking as well...when I lived in Germany I did all my laundry by hand. I would imagine that the dryer does far more damage to clothing than wringing and twisting would. Same for the iron; a shirt spends much less time under the iron than being abraded in the dryer.

 

[tonyb]

That was my thinking as well...when I lived in Germany I did all my laundry by hand. I would imagine that the dryer does far more damage to clothing than wringing and twisting would. Same for the iron; a shirt spends much less time under the iron than being abraded in the dryer.

Yeah, that's about it, I'd guess. Getting tossed around in that heated drum just has to be hard on fabric. This is not to say that I'll give up on the dryer. Another of my former residences had a washing machine but not an electric dryer, so I was left to use the passive solar apparatus -- aka the clothes line -- which made keeping a supply of dry towels on hand a real challenge, especially during the winter months. And the "permanent press" property of certain shirts is activated by the heat from the dryer. Some of those modern wonders look pretty darned good fresh from the dryer, but they're still a far cry from a shirt stiffly starched and pressed the old-fashioned way.

 

[Tomasso]

Getting tossed around in that heated drum just has to be hard on fabric. This is not to say that I'll give up on the dryer.

I agree, the dryer is good for some things, like bed and bath, and bad for others.

 

[scotrace]

Wow, I'm impressed!:eusa_clap Great job scotrace!
btw; how long did it take you to do this whole process? (from the starching to the being done ironing?)

Ah. I forgot to include that as I kept track.

Making solution and dipping/wringing/hanging up: About 20 minutes for all.
Ironing: Believe it or not, about 15 - 20 minutes each shirt, not including time spent stopping to snap pictures.

Ironing five shirts got me all the way through The Kennel Murder Case and part way into The Hunchback or Notre Dame.

 

[mysterygal]

I agree, the dryer is good for some things, like bed and bath, and bad for others.

My dryer has been my best friend as far as ironing goes...although, thanks to scotrace, this thread has gotten me motivated to get out the ol' iron (I wonder how much dust it has collected? )
My favorite trick was to put a damp washcloth along with a wrinkled shirt and put it on high heat for a minute or two..works like a charm.

 

[Jovan]

I usually put my shirts on the lowest setting until they're just still damp a bit. Then I take out the iron. Makes it easy, and is another reason I don't need no dadgom starch.

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

That is the BEST tutorial on ironing I have ever seen! The only thing that I would add is that if you starch something, don't put it away for a long time (like years) because buggies LOVE to nibble on clothing with starch in it. And it tends to yellow over time. Using Mrs. Stewart's Bluing on white shirts gets it out nicely, just follow the directions on the bottle.
Now, I wonder if I could shoot pictures on how I do my beau's shirts on my Ironrite mangle...it takes me about 4-5 minutes per shirt. Took me awhile to get the hang of it, but I can whip them out quickly now!
Jenny

 

[Chaperon]

Thanks!!!

Great post on starching! I've ironed my own for years but did not know how to do the real starching thing. I don't like spray starch for a lot of reasons (including that the nozzle gets funky and begins to sputter alot ). I'm motivated to try the real deal now however!

I think it will prove another case of modern shortcuts not always being the same quality as the more time intensive methods.

Ever ironned a shirt or pants in odd locations with iffy tools? I travel alot for my job and have had to iron with some pretty weird things, especially when overseas. I had to use a marble topped coffee table thingy for an ironning board once with my lowly travel iron. The stone was such a heat sink and the iron so weak that I could bearly get a cotton shirt passible.

Neanderthal wrinkles just don't cut it - on duty or off.

 

[jamespowers]

Neanderthal wrinkles just don't cut it - on duty or off.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Tomasso]

Now, I wonder if I could shoot pictures on how I do my beau's shirts on my Ironrite mangle...it takes me about 4-5 minutes per shirt.

We'd love to see the mangle in action, Jenny. Have your beau shoot the photos.