Welcome to our article on how to starch a shirt at home.
Starching your shirts makes it easier to iron them. After your shirt is starched, it will help keep dirt and other airborne residue stuck to it, allowing you to get a few more wears out of it before it needs to be washed.
Washing a shirt can be done at home. However, it’s not as simple as throwing a t-shirt into the wash. Because of this, I like to take my dress shirts to my local dry cleaners.
This is how much a dry cleaner can cost. And this is how long a dry cleaner can take.
What You'll Need:
- Liquid starch
- Washing machine
- Clothes hanger
- Iron
Total Time: 3 hr 30 min
Cost: $0.53 (for an ounce of starch)
How To Starch A Shirt At Home
1. Make your starch to use on your shirt
Make your starch mixture out of cornstarch and water. Mix 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 cups of water. Stir it until it looks milky. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Add warm water until the bowl is nearly filled.
2. Hand starch your shirt
If the shirt is coloured, turn it inside out. Then, submerge the shirt into the water. Work it through and then squeeze out the excess water. You should only put one shirt into the water at a time.
3. Machine starch your shirt
You can also choose to starch the shirt in the washing machine. Put the shirt through one regular wash cycle and then pause it as it reaches the final rinse through the drum. Then, pour the mixture into the fabric softener dispenser or directly into the water.
4. Dry your starched shirt on a hanger
Put the shirt on a hanger and let it dry until it is damp.
5. Iron your starched shirt while still damp
Remove it from the hanger once damp and iron your dress shirt at this time. This will make the shirt crisp and wrinkle-free.
How to starch a shirt at home: quick tips
- You should have enough water in the bowl or sink so that the shirt can move freely. Not enough water can result in a stiff shirt.
- Use distilled water if you have hard tap water. If not, tap water should be fine to use.
- Do not pour the mixture in and allow it to sit in the dispenser throughout the washing cycle, or it may cause clogging.
- Make sure not to use too high of a heat setting if your shirt is made of a delicate fabric.
- You can use the amount of water and starch recommended above, but you should check the directions on the starch label before creating the mixture.
- Avoid putting the shirt into the dryer unless necessary. If you put it in the dryer, use a low heat setting (tumble dry low).
- If a heat level is not recommended, use a high heat setting so that you will cook the starch.
How To Starch A shirt Using Store-bought Product
- You can buy liquid/powder starch from the store rather than make your own mixture. Look for it in the laundry aisle.
- If using powdered starch, you will need to mix it with water before use. Add four tablespoons of starch to one pint of hot water in a bowl or jug. Stir until the mixture resembles milk. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle for use.
- Prepare the shirt by unbuttoning any buttons on the shirt, including the sleeve and collar buttons. Remove stains before washing by working a little detergent into them with a cloth or by using a stain remover pen. Then, wash it on the delicate or normal cycle, depending on the instructions, amount of stains, and durability of the fabric.
- Hang the shirt on a hanger to air dry.
- Lay the shirt on an ironing board, so the two halves of the front hang over the sides. The back of the shirt should be flat on the surface of the board.
- Spray the front of the shirt first. Apply the starch in a light and even coat across the shirt. Wait a few seconds to allow the starch to seep into the garment’s material. Then, press lightly using an iron set to the recommended heat level for the material.
- Turn the buttoned shirt, so the back of the shirt faces up on the ironing board, and then apply an even coating of starch. Iron carefully the back of the shirt.
- Continue the process by starching and ironing each arm, finishing the job by applying the starch to the collar.
- Once done, place the garment on a shirt hanger. Allowing it to be exposed to fresh air for 10 minutes before placing it in a closet. Doing so will allow the starch to finish adhering to the garment’s fibres and provide a superior hold, creating the crisp texture and look you want.
While you are starching your shirt, you can look at starching other clothes you have.
FAQ
Starching clothes at home is a simple process that you can do using store-bought powdered or liquid starch. Or use the corn starch in your kitchen cupboards. Put the clothes in the starch/water solution, then rinse and iron.
You can’t starch a shirt without starch. This will instead be called washing your shirt and ironing it.
To professionally starch your shirt, you must take it to your local dry cleaner.
No, you can’t starch your shirt without ironing. You need the heat and pressure of the iron to make the starch chemicals sit into the fabric of your shirt.
