How to starch linen in a washing machine at home

You’re in luck if you adore the polished, clean appearance of starched linen but find the starching procedure intimidating. It can be surprisingly easy and successful to starch your linen at home using your washing machine. In your laundry routine, the washing machine can be a useful tool for achieving a crisp finish on your shirts, tablecloths, and napkins.

The advantage of starching at home is that it requires less time and effort than more conventional techniques. You can incorporate starching directly into your normal wash cycle, saving yourself the trouble of using an ironing board or separate spray bottle. This method guarantees a uniform starch application on your linens while also streamlining the process.

We’ll take you step-by-step through the process of starching linen in a washing machine, from choosing the best starch to modifying the settings on your machine. By the time you’re done, your fabrics will have a polished appearance straight from your home laundry setup, and you’ll be able to enjoy perfectly starched linens without any hassle.

Beneficial factors of starched linen

During the previous century, starched linen was thought to have the following advantageous characteristics:

• clothes and bedding become dense, therefore, they wear out more slowly and last longer;
• starch film creates a barrier for dirt and does not allow them to penetrate deep into the fabric structure. Thus, fabric items are easier and faster to wash. If such linen is soaked in cold water before washing, then the starch paste, having dissolved, will take away the dirt. After this, the washing will be much better;
• starched items acquire additional strength, retain their shape well, and most importantly, wrinkle less;
• since the linen gets dirty less, the frequency of washing increases. Thus, starched linen wears out less and lasts longer;
• starched items are fresh and smell delicious.

But why isn’t starched linen more common these days, given all of its benefits? The response is very straightforward: physicians do not advise. Items that have been starched and soaked in starch leave a film on the fabric’s surface. It drastically lowers the hygroscopicity. As a result, moisture and air cannot pass through the fabric.

Sweating prevents water from seeping into the fabric. This implies that sweating causes the body to lose more water. Unhealthy conditions exist in such greenhouses. It mostly has an impact on skin health. In particular, medical professionals advise against starching bed linens.

Without the headache of dry cleaning, you can effortlessly achieve a crisp, polished look for your clothes by simply starching the linen in your washing machine at home. From the comfort of your laundry room, you can give your linen clothing a clean, polished look by using the proper amount of starch and following a few simple steps. Your linens will turn out perfectly tailored and wonderfully soft thanks to this step-by-step guide.

General rules for starching

First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that starching silk or other synthetic fiber items is not advised. Items composed of chintz, linen, cotton, satin, calico, or cambric may be starched. Only when the linen is clean—that is, after washing and rinsing—is it starched.

Three levels of starch treatment are applied to linen:

1. delicate treatment. This treatment is primarily used for bed linen. Usually for delicate treatment, the paste is prepared at the rate of 1 spoon of starch per 1 liter of water;
2. soft treatment. It is used mainly for underwear (blouses, shirts, sweaters, T-shirts, dresses, etc.). Such things should be soft and pleasant to the touch, so the concentration of starch remains almost the same as with delicate treatment;
3. medium treatment. This degree is suitable for tablecloths, napkins, lace or curtains. The proportion is approximately 2 spoons of starch per 1 liter of water;
4. hard treatment. It is used for stand-up collars, petticoats. For this treatment, the solution is prepared at the rate of 1 spoon of borax and 70 grams of starch per 250 ml of warm water.

Conventional starch treatment

The following is the algorithm for traditional (manual) starch treatment technology:

1. starch paste is prepared;
2. starch solution is heated to a temperature of 30-35 degrees and the laundry is immersed in it. It should be fluffed up, otherwise the fabric treatment will be uneven, and some of its sections will remain unimpregnated;
3. after impregnation, the laundry is left for 10-20 minutes to soak. This process can be accelerated by intensive rinsing;
4. creases and folds that have formed on the fabric are removed. To do this, the laundry is wrung out by hand, followed by intensive shaking;
5. dry the laundry in a straightened state.

It is advised not to overdry or wring out the laundry after starching in order to achieve optimal ironing results.

Starch treatment in a washing machine

Laundry can be easily started in an automatic washing machine. The steps are as follows:

1. the paste is prepared. The solution is prepared in the same way as with manual technology. To make the work easier, you can use specialized products that have a starching effect;
2. the machine operating mode is set to "Rinse";
3. the prepared starch paste is poured into the tray compartment for the rinse aid;
4. the machine is turned on in the previously set mode;
5. after the processing is complete, the laundry is removed from the drum and shaken thoroughly.

It should be kept in mind that cleaning the machine completely of any leftover paste is essential after finishing the job. To begin, use a damp cloth to clean the inside of the hatch door and the drum. Next, a fresh cloth is used to wipe the machine’s listed parts dry.

The hatch door is not immediately closed to allow for drum ventilation. It is advised to dry starched laundry outside or in an area with good ventilation. Using any other liquids—including rinsing agents—during the starching process is forbidden.

Preparing the paste

Starch from potatoes, corn, rice, or wheat is used to make the starch solution. It makes no difference which starch is used, but keep in mind that white linen may get stained by the potato solution.

Furthermore, if the fabric is not properly prepared, it may take on a dirty, yellowish hue. Nevertheless, most housewives continue to use potato starch in spite of certain drawbacks. This is because it possesses the following advantageous attributes:

• starch powder quickly dissolves in water;
• the powder is easy to prepare, easily brewed with boiling water;
• quickly acquires the required thickness;
• linen acquires a pleasant color with a snow-white or pale blue tint.

While corn starch and potato starch are nearly identical, boiling corn starch for five to seven minutes yields a paste of superior quality. It doesn’t cause fabrics to turn yellow.

While starches made from rice and wheat can be utilized in practice, their use is limited because of their comparatively high cost. The following is the process for making starch paste:

• first, the starch is diluted in cold water. The ratio of the volume of water to the amount of powder depends on the degree of starching (delicate, soft, medium, hard);
• if the starch is of poor quality (with a grayish tint), then after it has dissolved, it should settle for 10-20 minutes;
• floating particles of dirt are drained together with water;
• the remaining dirt on the top of the starch is removed with a spoon;
• cold water is added to the purified starch, and the contents are thoroughly mixed. For final cleaning, the diluted starch is filtered through a gauze filter;
• in another container, boil water, pour the purified paste into it in a thin stream, stirring continuously;
• the resulting mass is brewed over low heat. The process is considered complete if the paste takes the form of a transparent jelly;
• the prepared paste is given time to cool;
• the composition is checked for the absence of lumps. If they are present, the paste is filtered through a fine sieve.

Use common household chemicals if making the paste yourself is not possible.

Synthetic starching agents are currently available for purchase in stores. These compositions can be aerosols, sprays, or rinsing liquids.

During the rinsing phase, liquids are utilized, and during the ironing phase, aerosols and sprays. The instructions for use include a description of the procedure. The starch mass is diluted to the necessary concentration with cold water prior to direct use.

Practical advice:

1. in order for the washed laundry to acquire a bluish tint, add blueing to the paste;
2. to give the laundry a glossy shine after ironing, add a spoonful of table salt to the solution. It will also protect the laundry from freezing when drying in frosty air;
3. to prevent the laundry from sticking to the sole of the iron, add a few drops of turpentine to the starch paste.

A quick and easy way to keep your clothes looking crisp and new is to starch the linen in your home. You can get that professional finish without going to the dry cleaners with just a few simple steps. The secret is to use the proper technique and modify the starch quantity to achieve the stiffness you desire.

You can expedite and reduce the time required by using your washing machine. Depending on the instructions that came with your machine, start by adding the starch to the rinse cycle or the dispenser. Make sure the starch you’re using—liquid or powder—meets the specifications of your washing machine.

Use caution to follow up with the right drying techniques after the wash. Since the high heat from a dryer can occasionally weaken the starch’s hold, air drying is typically advised to preserve the starched effect. To get that perfect crisp finish, iron the linen while it’s still slightly damp.

You can make starching linen at home a simple part of your laundry routine by using these tips. With little effort, take pleasure in your linen’s polished, new appearance and savor the satisfaction of a job well done.

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