The Ultimate Guide for Starching Clothes

How many times has it happened that you are getting late for a meeting and you wear whatever comes in your hand? Later you realise that the clothes you wore without thinking are out of place. There is a reason why people wear formal clothes for meetings or why schools have uniforms. The clothes that you select should complement the occasion or event you are attending.

When you are dressed correctly, you are confident to carry yourself and communicate better with the opposite person. More than half of the battle is won when you know you have dressed well and are feeling good. The apt dressing doesn’t always mean wearing branded or expensive clothes. You need to wear clean, elegant and starch clothes that look decent, comfortable, feel good and boost your confidence.

A. How to keep clothes looking elegant?

• Wear washed clothes: Always wear fresh clothes. Washed clothes smell better, and are soft on the skin. They do not cause any allergies and look good. If you are unable to wash your clothes at home, you can avail of professional laundry cleaning services.

• Iron your wrinkles: Wrinkled clothes give an image of a careless nature and casual attitude. Ironing your clothes will make you look elegant and professional.

• Accessorise your clothing: If the clothes are simple and plain, you can wear statement jewellery to accentuate the outfit. However, if the attire is loud, mellow it down with simple accessories to make it look elegant and chic.

• Carry yourself with confidence: Confidence is a valuable asset to one’s attire. If you’re not comfortable and confident enough, it will reflect and create a negative impact.

• Starch your clothes: Starching clothes give a crisp look to your clothes and make them look more elegant.

B. What is starch, and how does it work?

Starch is a compound found in carbohydrates that we eat. When mixed with warm water it turns into a thick and sticky paste. This paste is mostly used to thicken the gravies of food. It was later discovered that this starchy paste when applied to the fabric, makes it stiff. It becomes a barrier between the cloth and the dust, dirt, sweat and other grime. Thus, using starch on clothes was invented.

When you soak clothes in starch or spray with starch solution, it forms a layer on the fabric. The starched clothes on drying make the fabric stiff and remove all the wrinkles. Starching clothes has many other benefits too.

Advantages of starching:

• Crisp look: The starch removes the wrinkles. It makes the fabric stiff and smooth.

• Easy to clean: The starch powder for clothes forms a layer on the fabric. This starch is water-soluble, making it easy to wash and remove the starch. The starch absorbs all the dirt and dust and prevents the fabric from getting soiled.

• Clothes stay fresh for a long time: The starch keeps the fabric odour-free, dust free, and fresh for a long time.

• Skip dry-cleaning frequently: The starch prevents the fabric from getting spoiled. There is no requirement to dry-clean your clothes frequently. You can easily wear starched clothes two to three times before the next dry cleaning.

C. How to starch clothes?

• Wash: Give a regular wash to your clothes to remove all the dirt and stains from the fabric. If there is any stain, it might make it difficult to remove it once the fabric is starched and ironed.

• Soak in starch solution: After washing clothes, soak the clothes in the starch solution. There are instructions on the starch sachets on how to make the starch solution and how many clothes it can starch at a time. Soak the clothes for half hour to one hour for the starch to form a layer on the fabric.

• Dry: Once the clothes are soaked, wring clothes to remove excess water and starch and put the clothes to dry. If possible, hang the clothes in a hangar to avoid any unwanted wrinkles on the clothes.

• Starch spray: If you use a starch spray for clothes, keep the fabric on the iron board and evenly spray the starch solution. Once the starch spreads on the clothes, hang them in hangars and put them to dry.

• Iron: Iron the clothes once they dry to remove any remaining wrinkles and creases. Fold them according to your liking, or hang them on hangars.

• Hang: Hanging the starched clothes prevents unwanted creases on the clothes and makes them look smooth, crisp, and fresh.

D. Fabrics you cannot starch:

Starch is compatible with cotton, cotton blends, linen, and khadi. But there are few materials which cannot be starched. It might damage the fabric and reduce the life of the clothes. These materials are silk, crepe, silk blends, woollens, and wool blends. You can however dry clean all these fabrics to extend their durability.

Points to remember while starching your clothes:

• Starch only when you want to wear the clothes: The starch may form a patchy layer on the clothes if kept for a long time. This can damage the fabric.

• Do not store for long: Storing starched clothes for long might attract the moth and moulds as starch is a component of carbohydrates. Keeping it for long will also discolour your clothes.
• Remove the starch completely before re-starching the fabric: Wash the clothes thoroughly before you starch them again to avoid any accumulation of dirt, sweat, stains or dust.
• Spraying starch solution is better than soaking in starch: Spraying starch solution makes sure there is no excess starch used. Excess starch may form a thick layer on the clothes, making them difficult to wear.

Always check for any skin allergies after starching: The starch and the stiffness of the clothes might irritate the skin or allergies. Always check and be sure before wearing a starched outfit.

Conclusion:

Always check which clothes can be starched and when you need to starch.  It is always best to use professional laundry services for starching. You can get in touch with us for the best results and perfectly starched clothes.