I bought 10 Nordstrom shirts, some were laundered and starched. I have washed them 7 times. cold, hot, simple, Oxiclean, and they don't iron very well yet. I am dealing with 4 shirts--Egyptian cotton and better shirts. Is there a trick to get the starch out?? thanks all
Washing out starch??
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Washing the shirt will remove the starch, regardless of how it's washed. Although starch is not recommended (it can shorten the life of the fabric), it will make it easier to iron a cotton shirt. Egyptian cotton is just a pain to iron.
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I'm sorry, but I've read this five times over and I don't understand it at all.
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I have been laundering (Washing and ironing) my shirts for over 40 years.
First you need to determine if your shirt was treated to be wrinkle resistant, often sold as "wrinkle free" or some such. Such shirts will have more stiffness, as if starched. The degree of this will vary from almost unnoticeable to intolerable depending upon the process used. But such shirts do indeed wrinkle less, and usually iron very easily. Unfortunately, if this is the case, such finishes can be washed 50 times or more, and still not come out.
Those excepted, this is the method I've evolved for laundering. There are many like it, but this is mine.
(And it works!) Launder normally, I use a warm wash. Add Downy Free liquid fabric softener to the final rinse. This is the critical difference maker. Your shirts will be much softer, and even more significantly, will iron much easier and better. Tumble dry on a lower setting in a very loosely packed dryer. This should also make the shirts fluffier and easier to iron. If you line dry, you wind up with boards.
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Synthetic starch is a beast to get out of your clothes. Wash your shirts in COLD water with Tide or some other heavy liquid & add a powder detergent too boot. Don’t put in the dryer- relaunder them until you feel the synthetic starch has been released. You could also hit collars & cuffs with a stain stick.
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Coming late to this discussion, but COVID19 has helped me save money on laundry since working from home I am not wearing daily a starched cotton shirt ! Plus, I know the heavy starch in my OCBD's is not good for longevity, although do look nice and crisp when pressed, and harbor fond memories back to army days of fatigues and khakis in heavy/stiff starch. Some years back my laundry stopped adding heavy starch, so I gradually accepted less-stiff shirts.
My question is, is anybody still adding starch to their All-Cotton dress shirts? If so, why? If not, are you doing laundry yourself (washing machine and ironing? - spray starch?
My question is, is anybody still adding starch to their All-Cotton dress shirts? If so, why? If not, are you doing laundry yourself (washing machine and ironing? - spray starch?
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I bought 10 Nordstrom shirts, some were laundered and starched. I have washed them 7 times. cold, hot, simple, Oxiclean, and they don't iron very well yet. I am dealing with 4 shirts--Egyptian cotton and better shirts. Is there a trick to get the starch out?? thanks all
I recently starting washing @ home all my 100% cotton OCBD's and khaki (Orvis Ultimates) pants that had a few years of starch in them.... and it took a few washings but they now feel softer and smoother... although ironing is a difficult challenge. Buy working from home the past 5+ months, has reduced the need to wear a starched shirt. And, actually, I like the soft "wash n wear" feel, but not the wrinkled (even w/ ironing) look yjhe shirt takes on.
I do have a few BB shirts, that are 100% 'wrinkle free', that did look nice when laundered and starched and looked neat n crisp, even after repeated wearings.... but now after washing machine cleaning, still carry a feel of "artificial" starch material?
But to answer your question, all the years of starch has washed itself out.
I recently starting washing @ home all my 100% cotton OCBD's and khaki (Orvis Ultimates) pants that had a few years of starch in them.... and it took a few washings but they now feel softer and smoother... although ironing is a difficult challenge. Buy working from home the past 5+ months, has reduced the need to wear a starched shirt. And, actually, I like the soft "wash n wear" feel, but not the wrinkled (even w/ ironing) look yjhe shirt takes on.
I do have a few BB shirts, that are 100% 'wrinkle free', that did look nice when laundered and starched and looked neat n crisp, even after repeated wearings.... but now after washing machine cleaning, still carry a feel of "artificial" starch material?
But to answer your question, all the years of starch has washed itself out.
I wash my OCBDs. I have a spray bottle of diluted starch, but I do not use it on shirts. If I need for my khakis to look crisp I use a little on the crease. Mainly the starch is for linen napkins.
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I wash my OCBDs. I have a spray bottle of diluted starch, but I do not use it on shirts. If I need for my khakis to look crisp I use a little on the crease.
I did by a bottle of liquid starch, added some water in a spray bottle as well, and used it a few times on the cotton shirts, front, cuffs, collar... looked ok.
My khakis are very heavy material, and do hold a nice crease even w/ just a water sprayer..... but they are getting a bit softer with every washing and I am getting brave enough to wear them outdoors w/o stiff starch; a nice softer cotton.
I did by a bottle of liquid starch, added some water in a spray bottle as well, and used it a few times on the cotton shirts, front, cuffs, collar... looked ok.
My khakis are very heavy material, and do hold a nice crease even w/ just a water sprayer..... but they are getting a bit softer with every washing and I am getting brave enough to wear them outdoors w/o stiff starch; a nice softer cotton.
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Mainly the starch is for linen napkins.
... what do you use your linen napkins for? I use mine, and my cotton ones, both ironed w/ spray starch, just to look crisp and feel nice ... but they are "sadly used and abused" at the wet bar when making drinks... but the drink tastes oh so much better!! Prost!
... what do you use your linen napkins for? I use mine, and my cotton ones, both ironed w/ spray starch, just to look crisp and feel nice ... but they are "sadly used and abused" at the wet bar when making drinks... but the drink tastes oh so much better!! Prost!
I routinely ask my laundry to add medium to heavy starch on my khaki trousers -- the ones I send in, that is. This is because I want my dressier all-cotton khakis with a strong sharp crease. Since most of my khakis are heavy 10-12 oz cloth (Bullards, etc.) they have not had any bad effects over the years.
I suppose this habit dates back to the Army requirements from my National Service days, when starched and sharply creased uniform trousers and shirts were an absolute requirement. I have many khakis for casual use that I wash at home, absolutely no starch, and these get quite soft over time. I like these too.
I ask the laundry to starch my shirts lightly when I sent them in. At home, I use no starch at all, but when I iron, I use a spray bottle of water to help with the wrinkles.
I suppose this habit dates back to the Army requirements from my National Service days, when starched and sharply creased uniform trousers and shirts were an absolute requirement. I have many khakis for casual use that I wash at home, absolutely no starch, and these get quite soft over time. I like these too.
I ask the laundry to starch my shirts lightly when I sent them in. At home, I use no starch at all, but when I iron, I use a spray bottle of water to help with the wrinkles.
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I routinely ask my laundry to add medium to heavy starch on my khaki trousers -- the ones I send in, that is. This is because I want my dressier all-cotton khakis with a strong sharp crease. Since most of my khakis are heavy 10-12 oz cloth (Bullards, etc.) they have not had any bad effects over the years.
I suppose this habit dates back to the Army requirements from my National Service days, when starched and sharply creased uniform trousers and shirts were an absolute requirement. I have many khakis for casual use that I wash at home, absolutely no starch, and these get quite soft over time. I like these too.
I ask the laundry to starch my shirts lightly when I sent them in. At home, I use no starch at all, but when I iron, I use a spray bottle of water to help with the wrinkles.
My laundy does not do heavy starch..., but Ive been w/ them so long... I did drop off some OCBD at a place much closer, he talked me out of starch, plus it was cheaper, so I say yes; Very disappointed, I iron better than what I got back!
I can relate to starched army uniforms! Thank you for serving! National Service = Germany?
I suppose this habit dates back to the Army requirements from my National Service days, when starched and sharply creased uniform trousers and shirts were an absolute requirement. I have many khakis for casual use that I wash at home, absolutely no starch, and these get quite soft over time. I like these too.
I ask the laundry to starch my shirts lightly when I sent them in. At home, I use no starch at all, but when I iron, I use a spray bottle of water to help with the wrinkles.
My laundy does not do heavy starch..., but Ive been w/ them so long... I did drop off some OCBD at a place much closer, he talked me out of starch, plus it was cheaper, so I say yes; Very disappointed, I iron better than what I got back!
I can relate to starched army uniforms! Thank you for serving! National Service = Germany?
Good to know your long-time laundry does good work. New places are always a bit dicey, aren't they? I try to remain with the one that is familiar, and with whom I have developed a good working relationship.
LOL, the National Service I am referring to was in a country a bit farther east than Germany: It was in India. I was in a paramilitary unit called the NCC, and our instructors were from the regular Indian Army. My own unit's instructors were from one of the several Gurkha regiments -- very nice chaps, but very, very tough.
This was in the sixties, quite long ago now. But the NCC is still thriving and its members are often taken into the officer corps of the regular Army, Navy and Air Force. Thank you for your kind words about my service, though.
Khakis, for me, are a connection to those days of military service. And as we know, khakis were first invented by the British Indian Army in the mid-nineteenth century in India. So I wear them with both pride and affection for the old country.
A tradition from ward rooms. Everyone has a napkin ring with their name on it. Use your napkin until it needs washing!
I highly recommend old, soft, unironed khakis, perfect with a similarly treated OCBD and, if a need for formality dictates, old comfy LHSs. My pandemic uniform.
These days, being retired, I am usually in a comfortable dressing gown, and slippers or just socks, for a good part of the morning. I usually get up at 3 or 4 AM to spend a few hours writing fiction. Then shower, breakfast, reading in bed, and a quick nap. So it is close to 10 or 11 AM by the time I put on trousers and shirt, LOL. And comfort is the key factor. Old khakis, T shirts, and shirts, usually kept on hangers or folded, but unironed -- often polo shirts, OCBDS or broadcloth. Birkenstocks are standard wear, but now and then I will wear loafers.
As the weather begins to change, I start wearing sweaters and sweatshirts at home, and if I have lunch with friends, or appointments, I often wear a sports jacket. In the late afternoons there is a change of clothing to go out biking, and there too, shorts and T shirts are now slowly giving way to long pants and sweatshirts of some kind, although it is important to be able to remove layers if one gets too warm on a hard ride.
Evenings, I am back to comfortable shirts and trousers, often listening to music or the radio while making and eating dinner, and a dressing gown or old bathrobe afterwards to watch a film or a bit of news.
So that's my cycle of clothing daily. Naturally, being in Wisconsin winters, one's outdoor wear changes dramatically! And it's coming, but first this lovely Fall, and many more bicycle and car trips through the woods.
As the weather begins to change, I start wearing sweaters and sweatshirts at home, and if I have lunch with friends, or appointments, I often wear a sports jacket. In the late afternoons there is a change of clothing to go out biking, and there too, shorts and T shirts are now slowly giving way to long pants and sweatshirts of some kind, although it is important to be able to remove layers if one gets too warm on a hard ride.
Evenings, I am back to comfortable shirts and trousers, often listening to music or the radio while making and eating dinner, and a dressing gown or old bathrobe afterwards to watch a film or a bit of news.
So that's my cycle of clothing daily. Naturally, being in Wisconsin winters, one's outdoor wear changes dramatically! And it's coming, but first this lovely Fall, and many more bicycle and car trips through the woods.
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