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| some of my son's dress shirts before ironing |
I iron most every week.
My son would rather not iron, but since his job requires him to wear dress shirts every day
and his big law school debt, he is currently ironing his own dress shirts.
He brought over 11 dress shirts to iron after Sunday lunch.
He has taken them to the cleaners several times but it expensive. I don't like the idea of my clothes being put in big tub of chemicals with many other people's clothes - ick! So I never use the dry cleaners, even if it was really cheap.
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| Liquid starch - mix with water in a spray bottle 1 part starch to 2 parts water |
A while back he tried adding the liquid starch to the rinse water in the washing machine. He was not crazy about those results ( I am not sure why, just that he did not want to do it that way again)
Since I was out of aerosol spray starch, I mixed up some Sta-Flo in a washed out spray bottle.
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| ironing in progress |
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| some of his finished shirts - and, Yes, he does only wear white or light blue dress shirts |
I thought his ironed shirts looked really nice. So I tried the mixed up starch on my blouses too.
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| My ironed blouses |
I like this new to us way to iron. I think it is cheaper than aerosol cans but I have not done the math because I don't know many uses you get from aerosol compared to the liquid spray. I do know that not using the aerosol cans is better for the environment.
I've also read that mixing up, maybe it involved cooking?, corn starch with water can also be put in a spray bottle to use instead of liquid or aerosol spray starch. Anyone tried this?
For now, I think I will keep using the StaFlo starch mixed with water for my ironing.
any other ironing tips for us?
I had a really crazy idea to make the aerosol starch go further. I sprayed maybe a half inch worth into a spray bottle, added water, maybe a few inches. Crazy, but it did work:-)
ReplyDeleteI will look through my Tightwad books, I think there is something in there about the cost ratio.
blessings, jill
I have never heard of stay flo. I will have to try it. The last few weeks I have had to use the dry cleaners to do my ironing because of painful hands but I am getting better. I actually like to iron as long as I don't get too far behind. Then I am not a happy girl!!!
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever use starch, hubby thinks it to stiff feeling. I don't mind ironing, sometimes mindless work is just what I need to slow down!
ReplyDeleteI don't use starch anymore. My husbands shirts are nearly are the kind that says they never need to be ironed. Well, my husband disagrees, so I just spray them with water and dry iron them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy frugal ideas, so if this works, the next time I need a starch I'll mix up my own.
Thanks, Cindy
Hi Rhonda ~ I use the spray starch in the can. Never heard of Sta Flo. One thing I have found with ironing - the iron has a lot to do with it, too! I much prefer an older (i.e., vintage) iron to the newer ones. I'd been through 2 new ones and was so dissatisfied with them (just simply didn't do a good job of getting wrinkles out). My mom was the one who told me she only uses older irons...and then I found one at a resale shop for $5. Sure enough, does a fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteCame over from Elizabeth's blog...I love the name you've chosen!
ReplyDeleteI starch my husband's shirts to a fare-thee-well; it's how he likes them. I don't really like ironing so I try to do it while listening to something like a favorite TV program or podcast...makes the time go faster...
I like your idea of using the spray bottle verses aerosol. I currently use the aerosol here in Belgium because I can't find the liquid starch anywhere. I truly think the spray bottle is better because you can squirt the starch dircetly onto the shirts. I iron in the kitchen where there is more room but when I am done the floor under and around the ironing board is very slick with a film of spray starch all over it. I think your method gets the starch right where you want it with no waste!
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