Satina Ironing Aid

[launderess]

Decided awhile ago to start using laundry products in my ever growing stash, or sell somethings off as space was becoming short. So recently began adding a bit of vintage Satina ironing aid to my boiled laundry starch, and am very well pleased with the results.

Don't know what is in this stuff, General Foods doesn't give any indications as to contents on the packet, but am here to tell you the advertising states "makes clothes look like new", and that is just what it does. Ironing goes by much quicker it seems as the iron glides along. Starched laundry with a bit of Satina added also has a slight gloss and smooth hand, so devine on linens and shirts.

Know from reading my vintage English and French laundry manuals, laundresses would add some sort of oil or fat to cooked starch, in order to produce gloss and make ironing easier. Butter, lard, paraffin, tallow, candle wax, kerosene, etc were all used. Satina however seems to be some sort of wax or silicone. It is a solid cake at room temperature, but melts in boiling water/starch.

L.

 

[frigilux]

Wow, I'd forgotten all about Satina. My mom used to use it when I was a kid. She starched all shirts---even my little short-sleeve summer shirts---and used Satina in the starch.

I'm trying to remember; was it a light-blue bar-like product? Seems she shaved some off a bar with a knife into the hot starch water.

You really triggered a distant memory from a bygone era, Launderess!

 

[petek]

Laundress, I picked up this lovely little Mary Proctor golden iron yesterday..it doesn't look so good in the picture for some reason but it's in great shape.