Most of us have at least a few articles of clothing that need to be dry cleaned. All that dry cleaning really adds up- especially if it is something you wear a lot! If you’re just sending stuff to the dry cleaner to be pressed and starched, the good news is- you can do it at home for about $1. Oh, and that $1 will last you at least 20 articles of clothing. This green, easy, DIY spray starch is not harmful to the environment or your health!
Enter DIY spray starch! It is inexpensive, easy to make, and most importantly- effective! And it isn’t limited just to dry clean only clothes. I also like to use it to help with some shirts that just always seem to wrinkle, even if I don’t let it sit in a pile of clean laundry for a long time (whoops).
Not to mention all the chemicals you are avoiding! Some of the stuff that dry cleaners use are WAY more harmful than you think. Perchloroethylene- or perc for short- is a carcinogen, and is one of the most commonly used dry cleaning chemicals. It is not only harmful to you when it’s on your clothes, but also the dry cleaners that handle and breathe it in. You may not be exposed to levels that will cause cancer- but it is also known to cause headaches, impair vision, and motor skills. Let’s just all agree that it’s better to avoid it!!
I thought this DIY spray starch would make a great addition to Green Cleaning Month!
For this DIY, you will need:
- Hot Water
- Corn Starch
- Essential oils (optional)
And that’s it! Gotta love simplicity!
So how do you make it? I’ll tell you!
DIY Spray Starch Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
- 5-10 drops essential oils (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up your water so that it is just under boiling
- Add your corn starch and stir vigorously until well combined, and add essential oils if you’re using them
- Add to a spray bottle and spray onto clothing
I always recommend using a little test patch before you use this on an entire garment- I can’t see why it would be a problem, but better safe than sorry.
Some other DIY spray starch tutorials I’ve seen tell you to boil the water, but I found that unnecessary. The corn starch dissolved perfectly well for me in hot (not boiling) water. Less work is always preferred for me, and a little shaking or stirring is easier than boiling.
I have found this starch to do a good job! The only downside is you need to give it a little time to dry, since it is water based. But still- for the price, and because it is only natural healthy ingredients, I really can’t complain.
If you’re a fan of this DIY, you should definitely check out my homemade laundry detergent tabs!
Let me know how making your own spray starch goes for you!
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