How to Keep Cotton Shirts Wrinkle-Free and Crisp in Laundries

Laundry shops often wash shirts. However, after multiple washes, the collar, cuffs, and other parts of the shirt tend to become soft, lack stiffness, and look unattractive when worn. Especially cotton shirts tend to become wrinkled and soft after multiple washes. If shirts that are washed by a laundry shop are smooth and crisp,  the customers will surely recognize the quality of this laundry. So, how can cotton shirts regain their stiffness?

The Starching Solution

Soft and shapeless clothes can have their stiffness and shaping improved by starching. After starching, the starch that adheres to the surface of the clothes forms a protective film, which can reduce the friction damage to the clothes. After the starch that enters the clothes is ironed and dried, the fibers are bonded and fixed together. At the same time, it enters the interior of the fibers to combine with the large molecules of the fibers and fill the internal space, preventing contaminants from entering the interior of the fibers and improving the dirt resistance of the clothes.

Choice of Starch

The commonly used starch mainly consists of amylum and has good adhesion to fibers such as cotton, linen, and viscose. After the starch liquid dries and forms a film, it can make clothes crisp. After ironing, it can become thick, smooth, and wide.

Starch is divided into raw one and cooked one: when starch is stirred evenly in cold water, it becomes raw. When starch is put into boiling water, it expands and gelatinizes to form a semi-transparent liquid, which is cooked.

Raw one is only suitable for the collars, cuffs, and other parts of cotton and linen clothes. Excessive use will cause bright spots after ironing.

Cooked one is suitable for cotton, linen, blended, and other garments. The dispersibility and permeability of cooked slurry are poor, and its viscosity is not stable enough. It is prone to being eroded by microorganisms and spoiling. Therefore, surfactants, starch decomposing agents, and preservatives need to be added in combination for use.

Process of Starching

Every shirt needs about 10g of starch.

Use 150 ml of water to stir the starch and make it mixed →  Immerse the collar and cuffs of the shirt in starch water to allow it to be fully absorbed → Dry the shirt and iron it while it still has a certain degree of moisture.

This can restore the stiffness of the collar.

Do you have any good methods for starching clothes? Welcome to leave a message and discuss together.