Liquid starch

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I can remember my mom starching my dad's white dress shirts. She used Linit starch and had to mix it in a jar before adding to the washer. Our Westinghouse Laundromat had a "starch" setting/cycle on the dial. After a while, however, she got over it and sent his shirts to the laundry.
 
Sta-flo here in Indy.
I prefer cooking my starch. I order Fautless online from Long Ago. Have to buy it by the case. I feel it is much cheaper buying the Faltless and cooking it. Three heaping tablespoon full in a cup of water, add to pan of boiling water, cook until clear. Mix with 2/3 sink full of water and dip items. Wring them out by hand, and i spin them in my Frid-more F/L.
Spins them dry, ready to iron
 
About 10 years ago I got into starching my office dress shirts - a woman at work would OOOH and AAAH over them.

I recall trying to make my own liquid starch. I think I just dissovled corn starch in warm water. It worked well enough - I guess the "cooking" was completed during the ironing process, albeit with some flaking.

One of these days I'll try gmpayne's recipe.

As I recall from cooking... cornstarch is a bit unique in that it only thickens once. After first cooking it, it thickens. If you let it cool, and cook it again, it will thin. Weird.

Rice starch is available; I may try that someday. A super starch is lotus root powder. I bought some at an asian grocery a while back, and it thickens far more readily than cornstarch. It might make a good laundry starch too.
 
Thing with corn starch for is it never totally launders out of fabric, which can lead to build up. This what causes yellowing and items to turn hard and scratchy. Also over use of corn based starches cause laundry to wear out faster. This is because the large molecular size of corn starch actually abrade and eventually weaken fibers. This is why many makers of fine men's shirts advise against the use of laundry starch, or suggest it not be used at each laundering.

L.
 
The pica for corn starch and chalk is thought to be due to a nutritional need for minerals.

This need is answered by the custom in some cultures of actually collecting and eating mineral rich clay soil. It is more or less sanitary, selected from outcroppings that are not contaminated by toxic substances. These clays may also function to help absorb toxins in the body, in a way similar to the clay based Kaopectate.

Birds such as tropical parrots also eat clay to help detoxify substances in the various foods they eat.
 
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