Starching your own dress shirts

[xraygun]

I don't get ANY wear out of the 20 shirts sitting in a wrinkly pile in the corner, just staring at me an making me feel guilty for firing up a Breaking Bad marathon instead of doing my ironing.

Perhaps starting a life of their own. Better disinfect them!!!

[Topgumby]

I'm not a suit and tie guy, but I iron and starch my shirts. I just can't feature going out looking like I got hit by a wrinkle grenade.

[Go West Young Man]

Perhaps starting a life of their own. Better disinfect them!!!

I would start a thread on how to disinfect my shirts, but I don't have an autoclave or ultrasonic cleanser around!

[Cuttingboard]

I have an ultrasonic at home at I charge $5 per shirt!!

[Austin]

I have my shirts starched lightly at my cleaners.

[Go West Young Man]

I have an ultrasonic at home at I charge $5 per shirt!!

Plus 85 cents for delivery confirmation!

[Cuttingboard]

Plus 85 cents for delivery confirmation!

No delivery confirmation...you may get your shirt, you may not!

[Stevew443]

I've always taken my dress clothes to the dry cleaner and normally have them use a medium starch. I wear suits on most days so my dry cleaning can be somewhat pricey every month, so saving a few bucks would be okay with me. I ran into an uncle of mine a week or so ago and he's always dressed in suits or sport coats for as long as I've known him. He is an attorney and dresses the part. So on this day, I commented on how nicely pressed his shirt was and this was late in the day. He told me that he starches and irons his own shirts, using a liquid starch. I'm not sure I've ever seen liquid starch, but I have seen spray starch at the store, lol

If I remember correctly, he said that he washes the shirt normally and then after the shirt has rinsed and spun out in the washer, sets the washer to rinse again and adds the liquid starch. Spins it out again and then instead of drying them...hangs them for a bit, then irons them while damp. and BAM..."the shirt will almost stand on it's own".

My question is, do any of you gentlemen do this to your dress shirts and if so, how do you like it? Thanks for the info in advance ;-)

I just found this thread and thought I would add my 2 cents. I make my own spray starch. I put a tablespoon full of corn starch (available in the baking section of your favorite store) into a pint of water. I store it in a spray bottle and before ironing I shake it well to mix the starch. To make this a personal starch, I add just a touch of my favorite scent (right now, Virgin Island Bay Rum). This mixture gives a fairly heavy starch to the shirts (I love a heavy starch). If you wish to have a lighter touch, just add less corn starch. This works very well, gives a crisp shirt and the added scent just makes ironing a bit more enjoyable.

[little Big feather]

I just found this thread and thought I would add my 2 cents. I make my own spray starch. I put a tablespoon full of corn starch (available in the baking section of your favorite store) into a pint of water. I store it in a spray bottle and before ironing I shake it well to mix the starch. To make this a personal starch, I add just a touch of my favorite scent (right now, Virgin Island Bay Rum). This mixture gives a fairly heavy starch to the shirts (I love a heavy starch). If you wish to have a lighter touch, just add less corn starch. This works very well, gives a crisp shirt and the added scent just makes ironing a bit more enjoyable.

I'm 64...And my Mom did that...Here's an added tip..Spray the shirts really good..Roll up individually and place them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Then remove and iron....That's the way Mom did it.

[Stevew443]

I'm 64...And my Mom did that...Here's an added tip..Spray the shirts really good..Roll up individually and place them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Then remove and iron....That's the way Mom did it.

My mom never put them in the fridge. I only iron the clothing that I am going to wear for the day, so I just spray the starch on the clothing, let it soak in for a bit so the starch doesn't flake and then iron. I am only 60. I remember that when I was in college engineer hats were the big deal and I wore one. My grandfather used to wear one and when my grandmother saw that I was wearing an engineer hat, she took it from me, washed it, soaked it in a strong solution of sugar and water and dried it over a pot that the hat would fit over. That hat looked brand new when she finished with it and that sugar solution stiffened it up so much that it looked perfect for a couple of weeks.

[JoshuaNY]

I like to get Stay-Flo and pour it in a bucket with my shirts and pants. Let them soak for a good hour. Then I lay them out to dry. Once dried I put them in the closet, I dont own a single hanger they stand up on their own.

Really though, when I was starching I did use Stay-Flo mixed with water in a spray bottle. Got a nice crisp shirt and pants, you could cut yourself with the crease. Now a days I will sometimes starch the collars of my shirts when I will be wearing a suit and tie. But most of the time I skip it.

[chab]

I buy shirts that have a little heft to them, no starch then and they take a hot iron well. Each morning I just spray a shirt with water to get it damp, ball it up so the water works in instead of evaporates, quickly iron it and away I go. Seems to hold up well most of the day, but I don't wear a jacket to work. So I'm probably not getting the wrinkling that might cause. I got tired of the buttons all missing or being replaced with cheap ones by the laundry, and the shirts wearing out so fast from their torture.

[Isaac]

I find the only problem with starching shirts is the amount of wrinkling that occurs as you wear them. A nice no starch or pressed shirt maintains its look a great deal longer than a starched one. This is my opinion of course.

[jesperw]

Why dont try Kent clothes brushes, who also makes shaving brushes? http://www.kentbrushes.com/shopdispl...lothes+brushes

[jesperw]

I find the only problem with starching shirts is the amount of wrinkling that occurs as you wear them. A nice no starch or pressed shirt maintains its look a great deal longer than a starched one. This is my opinion of course.

I agree totally on the starch. A good quality fabric is nicer without starch.

[Leparker]

I'm 64...And my Mom did that...Here's an added tip..Spray the shirts really good..Roll up individually and place them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Then remove and iron....That's the way Mom did it.

My Mom did that also. Brings back good memories of her. She taught me to iron my own shirts I do it much better than my wife; she knows better to even offer.

[GeorgeTurner202]

Never. Ever. I have neither the time, nor the talent, nor the patience. I could probably have bought a dry cleaners by now, burned it down and then built another one with what I've spent on laundry/cleaners bills. But, I've always been a busy boy and ironing is not for me...

[bvance554]

I never have my shirts starched. Cold water wash, no starch. Since I started doing this, my shirts easily last twice as long.

Same here. I tried taking my shirts to the cleaners once but it just became another hassle. I'd rather iron my shirts while watching football. But, I never use starch, and I haven't in years. I don't remember why I stopped, but what is the advantage to using starch?

[Fileroman]

When I was on the USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) we had one of these in our division compartment. Works great and since my dry cleaner doesn't put creases in the sleeves, I'm probably going to buy one and start doing my own ironing.


Ron

[little Big feather]

I just checked my closet...I have a fatigue shirt that was last starched in Germany in 1969....Still got starch and a crease in the sleeves!!
That's how we did it..........In the 7th U.S.Cavalry.....Gary Owen