A high degree of last minute unpreparedness should not make you settle for unstarched jeans. With just the right product and a few tips here and there, you can as well starch your favorite pair to incredible crispness at home.
Learning how to starch jeans at home will also save you a lot of money that goes into the dry cleaners’ pocket. The few bucks you spend on each pair every once in a while, come down to a lot of money in the long run.
How to Starch Jeans at Home
There are many methods for at home starching. However, I prefer two because of their results. The first one is also my favorite. It entails starching jeans and ironing them after the starch has completely dried.
Method 1
With this method, you do not substitute fabric softer with starch in the washer. You wash your jeans like you normally do, and proceed with the starching steps.
What you will need
- High quality starch (Purex Sta-flo)
- A spray bottle
- A clean pair of jeans
- A steam ironing box
- Clothesline
Instructions
Step 1: Transfer starch into a spray bottle
Although spray starch is available in many stores, most brands also provide low quality. Accordingly, there is a high chance that it can ruin your pair of jeans. Ultimately, this can make you regret the decision to starch in the first place.
Step 2: Spray your jeans
Take a clean pair of jeans (wet or dry) and spray it with the starch. How you spray it should depend on the results you intend to achieve. Spray it lightly if you want a little bit of stiffening. However, if the intention is to stiffen it to a point of standing on its own, use the spray product generously.
Step 3: Hang to dry
Hang your trousers on the clothesline to dry completely. Of course there are people that prefer the approach of ironing them immediately after spraying. Unfortunately, this creates room for problems such as staining and iron scorching. It also does not produce the best results.
Step 4: Folding and Ironing
Fold the jeans with the middle seams aligning. Lay them flat on an ironing board and begin to iron. A steam iron has higher heat settings. It will allow you to achieve sharp creases and top notch flawlessness on the rest of the jeans.
Step 5: Retouch
Spray along the lines again and lay the pair on a flat surface to dry. However, you can ignore this step if you are satisfied with the results after step 4.
Method 2
This method allows you to soak your jeans in a solution of water and starch. Overall, it is less effective as compared to the first one because water dilutes starch.
What you will need
- High quality starch (Purex Sta-flo)
- A spray bottle
- A dirty pair of jeans
- Washing machine
- A steam Iron
- Clothesline
Instructions
Step 1: Wash your jeans
Begin by throwing your jeans in the washer and choose the right setting. However, instead of adding a fabric softener in the rinse cycle, add starch. Follow the instructions on your brand’s container to determine the amount of product that you need to use.
Step 2: Spray the Jeans
Saturate the jeans with more starch and hang it to dry. Skip this step if you do not intend to achieve heavy starching.
Step 3: Hang to Dry
Transfer your jeans to a clothesline and allow it to dry.
Step 4: Iron
Align the middle seams of your jeans and lay flat on an ironing board. Iron slowly to achieve best results.
Step 5: Preserve well for maintenance
Hang the jeans on a hanger to preserve well or wear immediately.
How to Make Starch at Home
Although it is easy to grab a starch spray from the nearest store, the quality for most of the cheap products leaves a lot to be desired.
Therefore, it is important to use your money for something else, and use readily available ingredients to make decent quality starch.
What you will need
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 glasses of water
- A cooking pot
- A wooden cooking stick
Instructions
1: Combine cornstarch and water in a cooking pot and use a cooking stick to stir to uniform consistency
2: Place the mixture low heat and keep stirring until it begins to turn clear and get thick.
3: Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
5: Transfer into a spray bottle and use the same way you apply store bought spray starch.
