Word About Niagara Spray Starch

[launderess]

Purchased several cans of Niagara spray starch when on special offer. All was well and good at first, but then troubles began.

First if can is dropped or whatever know that the thing as been redesigned. Spray button and tube are one unit. So if the spray button is damaged, well that's it then; you cannot simply put it back on as in days of old. If the thing snaps off the tube you've got yourself a can full of liquid without anyway of getting it out.

Did some research online and this does seem to be a common compliant. There are that many ticked off housewives/ironers who find they must now throw away a nearly or full can because spray button has broken off.

Next be sure to purchase fresh stock and don't leave it too long. Propellant used today doesn't seem to be very robust nor long lasting. Meaning a can left sitting may end up with not enough oooph to spray, and again you'll be left with basically a canister of useless liquid.

Only bought the stuff because it was on offer and seemed a better deal than always mixing up a batch of starch from scratch when say only one or two things wanted starching. Shan't bother any longer as it doesn't seem worth effort or money.

 

[ea56]

When I used starch my clothes I used a spray bottle and liquid starch diluted with water a 50/50 mix. It works so much better than spray starch, is more economical and no cheaply made spray cans that become unusable if dropped. I liked liquid Vano starch best, it had a nice scent,but I don’t know if they still sell it. But if you can find some liquid starch, or have some already, give it a try.

I used to spray all the clothes I was going to iron first, roll them up, and when they were all sprayed and rolled I’d start with the first piece starched and iron them in order. My ironing was a snap, and all my coworkers used to remark on the nice finish the starch put on my shirts.

Eddie

 

[launderess]

Actually am working through several bottles

Of Linit liquid starch. Got the lot when local store was closing at very good price.

Yes, mixing up spray starch from ready made liquid is easier; but lacking powerful preservatives won't last long as canned.

Yes, there are preservatives in the liquid starch, but introduction of tap water changes the equation. Suppose if one uses up the mixture it shouldn't matter. But don't "spray" starch things that often. More often than not simply do an entire load in washing machine.

 

[helicaldrive]

I stopped buying Niagra

starch some time ago.

It was bought out, first by Phoenix Brands and then by Faultless. They changed the formula. It does not make the iron glide like it used to. More importantly, it scorches. Spray a white collar, iron it dry, and it turns yellow or brown, depending on how long it is ironed.

So now I use Faultless. Same company now, but Faultless does not scorch. And although Faultless used to be noticeably inferior to Niagra, now it has gotten better. Even though it’s not as good as Niagra used to be.

Walgreens used to have a house brand of spray starch that was OK and cheaper but I haven’t seen it in years. Easy On always flaked badly. Dollar Tree sells Home Store brand spray starch and it’s a total waste of a dollar. Awful scent and no starch in the liquid — might as well dampen with water.

As always, JMO and laundry seems to be highly subjective.

I have tried mixing liquid starch and spraying it from a bottle because it is more economical and environmentally friendly, but I found that it made the garment wetter than aerosol spray starch and it noticeably increased ironing time. And it was more difficult to keep from spraying the ironing board. Maybe I need a better spray bottle.

 

[mrsalvo]

I haven't ironed in a long time, but when I did our household always used Faultless. Think awhile back I tried Niagra and it seemed that I was fighting the iron, wasn't smooth and it flaked. Wasn't ware that the product was sold to another company, does not surprise me though. What hasn't been sold or changed these days?
Nothing worse than getting stuck with a batch of useless product.

I wonder what they used to starch with before buying starch over the counter, back at n the day.

Barry

 

[launderess]

Back in the day....

By the 1800's there was a vast array of packaged laundry starches on market for both commercial and domestic laundry use. Many of the names are familiar today (Robin, Reckitt, Argo, Coleman's, etc...

One could also simply use corn starch/flour, wheat bran, potatoes and rice to make starch.

Corn flour/starch being rather common and already in most homes (used for everything from cooking to dusting baby's bottoms) became the usual default choice.

Then as now you take a bit of corn starch, add some cold water, stir smooth, then add boiling water. This and or one poured the made starch paste (cold water and starch), into a pot of boiling water. Either way the mixture was usually cooked for a period to make a smoother starch. To this was added a vast array of substances; lard, butter, candlewax, alum, borax, soap, turpentine, etc... All in aid of creating a thinner starch that penetrated fibers more deeply, caused iron to glide smoothly and create a gloss on fabric after ironing. Of the above only borax is still used today. The rest have been replaced by modern ironing aids like silicone.

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/laundry-starch-history.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_starch

In France, Belgium, and Netherlands rice is the preferred laundry starch. It took a bit longer for powdered rice starch to make it over the counter (Remy), but it could be made at home easily.

Laundry manuals from 1800's and early 1900's advised to boil a quantity of rice, then straining off the water which could be used for starching. Obviously given the process and cost of rice (you didn't think people just threw away all that cooked rice), only small amounts of this "rice water" was available, so that sort of starching was reserved for fine and or dainty things.

Obviously to make corn starch you needed corn, thus until Europeans discovered the New World and began sending/bringing various things back to Europe, corn was unknown. Though not sure if they could have gotten it from Africa.

If you look at some starch boxes of old they proudly state "no boiling necessary". This was boon to housewives who unlike commercial laundries didn't have "starch cookers" and often hated having to prepare batches of starch that required boiling and straining.



Wax announcer was speaking of likely was this stuff: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Box-of-Satina-Ironing-Aid-Full-Cake-NOS-/253085541144
[this post was last edited: 10/21/2018-03:34]

 

[mrsalvo]

Fascinating!! Utterly fascinating! Would one have to make fresh starch for every week or could they make some up and store it for use later? The reason I ask is that I remember my maternal grandmother following a weekly schedule of household chores / duties, but now I remember very little of the sequence. Maybe you know.

Monday: Laundry (in wringer washer, lined dry)

Tuesday: Ironing Now it would make perfect sense that it would take::: most of the day if she had to make starch. Always wondered about that. She had an old fashioned heavy iron that was used as a door stop. The thing was so heavy I couldn't hardly lift it. She had an old electric iron, cloth electric cord that had this funny smell to it.

Wednesday: Don't remember

Thursday: Don't remember

Friday: A lot of cooking / baking

Saturday: Town Day ( grocery shopping, "trading." Visiting neighbors / relatives.

Sunday: Church / Rest (never mind she still had to get lunch / dinner on the table)

Don't mean to hijack this thread or anything, but what you said Landress, it makes perfect sense now.

Barry

 

[mrsalvo]

There was a day of sewing too. On Fridays she would do the canning, preserving foods.

 

[mrsalvo]

Has any one ever used Light Body Magic Sizing fabric finish? I used to use that on items that didn't require heavy starch.

Barry

 

[launderess]

Starching the old fashioned way

With corn starch was a pain.

First laundry had to dry. Then you starched the things wanting that treatment (shirts, table linens, some bed linens (many housewives starched pillow cases), etc.. Then they had to dry. You then "sprinkled" things and rolled them up for awhile to let moisture spread until they were damp enough for ironing.

Some of this work was eliminated by washers that spun laundry drier then wringers/mangles. If one was lucky then you could take things straight from machine and starch. Let dry then continue as above.

Drier laundry is the less starch will be diluted by water still in textiles. That is why you dried laundry first, wringers and mangles left washing with just too much water.

Best of all was the new powdered starches that could be used in the washer. You had to make up pretty large amounts given the capacity of many top loaders (if using high water levels). My Miele and other vintage European front loaders have a "1/2" rinse water level option for the "starch" rinse. This lowers water from ten gallons down to about five, again so one can use less starch because it isn't being diluted in lots of water.

As for saving starch, suppose covered in the refrigerator it might keep for a few days.

There was and still is an art to starching. So many variables; cold versus hot/boiling starch. Stiff, heavy, medium or light finish, and so on. All often requiring their own way of doing things. You now understand why so many households just sent men's shirts out to laundry even when they had a washing machine at home.

By the 1950's Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch had arrived!

 

[tomturbomatic]

A friend introduced me to Magic Spray Sizing.. We liked it. I keep a half gallon of liquid starch to use on my old canvas recyclable shopping bags from Publix. I saturate them with that then let them hang to drip dry. They will stand while being filled. Cashiers were impressed. New bags are black, made from recycled soft drink bottles and have a plastic liner so they stand on their own and don't get stained. Cashiers also remark about how clean my grocery bags are. They say some are really nasty. As it is, when I get groceries home, all packages are wiped down with spray disinfectant before going in cupboards, refrigerator or freezer.

About starching in the washer, the third rinse on our side swing door Westinghouse had the label "STARCH" in the 3rd rinse portion of the timer on the normal cycle.