Does anyone remember Red Star Fabric Starch

[iheartmaytag]

My mother used to buy this in a big blue box and then boil it on the stove. She would add it to the rinse cycle of the washer. She would then hang the clothes outside to dry, as a dryer would "beat" the starch out of the clothes.

She swore it made the clothes, sheets last longer and protected the fabric. We have looked, it doesn't appear you can buy it any longer.

Could one boil corn starch and mix a batch like she used to?

 

[danemodsandy]

I Remember It Well:

Back in the 1950s, before my parents bought their first house, we lived in an apartment complex. One day, samples of Red Star were left at each apartment's door. It took us kids about two seconds to find the starch and begin swiping it, so that we could throw handsful of it at each other.

There were some sore bottoms in Georgia that day, LOL. Our parents and the apartment management did not take kindly to cleaning starch off everyone and everything.

 

[oldhouseman]

I have

seen it in spray form but haven't seen. I remember the powder but have not seen it in many years.

 

[rp2813]

I recently saw Niagra starch in a box at one of the markets I frequent. Wouldn't it fit basically the same application as Red Star? Can't say my mom used either one very much so am not familiar with the process involved.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Yes Niagra was another brand. If it is available in your area it tells me it is still available. I may try looking up the company and see if it can be purchased.

Dillon's offers a S.O.S (Special Order Service) I may try to see if they can order it.

 

[washerboy]

Faultless

My mother was a nurse and wore the white hat...she used Faultless starch in a box...it's still sold at Kroger.

 

[launderess]

Red Star, Faultless, Argo, Niagra, etc are all the same; powdered corn laundry starch one makes up several different ways.

Normally such starches were made as one makes a roux, that is a starch and water solution was cooked on top of the stove and or boiled. Once ready the starch solution was used either straight and hot (heavy starch) or diluted with various amounts of cool water to make medium to light starching. Heavy starch would be for such things as nurse's caps, men's dress shirt collars and cuffs, detachable collars and cuffs, and the fronts of men's formal shirts. Everything else used various amounts of diluted starch.

The purpose of cooking the starch was to help break down the starch so it would penetrate textile fibers easily and not just rest on top of the fabric. Excess starch on top of fabrics leads to the iron sticking, scorching, yellowing, flaking and items going limp (shut up Toggle, *LOL*)soon after starching. Starch cookers were once part of every commercial and large on premise laundry, but with the advent of liquid starches and spray starches they are found less and less. However all things being equal cooked/boiled starch used hot will give better results than liquid starch, and both are better than spray starch.

One can make one's own spray starch by making up a batch of cooked starch and diluting it, however it will go bad if not used within a few days.

Satina:

Laundresses and other laundry workers long had discovered various additives to starch gave better results. Satina is nothing more than packaged "wax". Small amounts of wax, paraffin, petrol, soap, fat, and a few other substances when blended with starch make for easier ironing,less sticking, and a more glossy finish. Today one will see "ironing aids" listed on many starch labels, which can be any of the above or silicones.

Bluing was added to starches for whites and light colours. Tea and coffee for ecru and tan linens. There was also perfumes for scent (Faultess still sells perfumed starch) as well.

Yes, can well remember when nurse's caps had to be starched, though many models soon came out in cardboard to lessen laundry day work. Nun's coiffs and such also were starched.

Powdered starches tend to be harder to find in the North of the United States, but once one crosses the Mason-Dixon, things are different. Mainly due to the hot and humid climate, residents of the South love to starch the daylights out of things, especially shirts and jeans. Have seen jeans in Texas starched so heavy they stand up by themselves.

 

[launderess]

Can find Argo boxed starch locally, if anyone wishes some, please let me know.

L.

 

[panthera]

Health Food Stores

Still have excellent quality corn starch.
I can't resist...no we know how they got the name
Viagra...
from
Niagra.
Makes much more sense than the usual "vir" word game from Latin.

 

[oldhouseman]

Starched

clothes and bed linens are a childhood memory. I remember it was a standard of good housekeeping to have everything heavily startched. My grandmother even starched the bed clothes and underwear. I still use quiet a bit of starch on things but I draw the line with underclothes. My grandmother would think I have lowered my standards if she were still alive. I miss the lightweight cotton summer clothes that were once so easy to find. Linen trousers were a must in the summer but are hard to come by these days. Thier favorite pastime was to wrinkle but that was expected and why so much starch was used.

 

[rp2813]

My only experience with starch was back when I was in my early 20's and worked as a formal waiter. I washed my own tuxedo shirts and would use spray starch when ironing them. That got old and I started to drop them off at the cleaners with the rest of my outfit.

 

[mrboilwash]

I remember my grandmother had a few boxes of Linit starch in her cellar. There were directions to try it into babys` bath on the box, what I found pretty weired.
The starch was not a powder, rather looked like pins.

 

[retro-man]

I have used and still can get liquid Niagra starch. When washing cafe curtains that need to hold there form, I will put it in the softener dispenser in the washer, so the last rinse has starch in it. Hang the curtains outside and then iron them with a little spray starch, rehang and they are good and stiff, lasts about a year then they start drooping. Looks and feels great when put up.
Jon

 

[launderess]

Cornstarch

Is actually quite soothing for skin, which is the reason why mothers were advised to add it to baby's bath. Cornstarch is also used in place of talcum (talc can irritate lung tissue if inhaled too much and too often and is listed as a cancer causing substance), in baby and other after bathing powders. Usually cut with baking soda and sometimes a tiny bit of talc, but best to leave the later out.

I mix up my own "baby powder" using corn starch, baking soda and lavender essential oil. Does the trick and very inexpensive.

L.