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Give your clothes that crisp, put-together look with homemade spray starch. Ironing starch is easy to make at home for a fraction of the cost of store-bought. Learn how you can make your own in minutes!
I’m not one to iron frequently, but I like to spend a little time smoothing out the wrinkles when we are dressing up. The family looks neater and I love how dresses and dress-shirts feel after a good iron.
A few months ago my husband asked if I had any starch spray for one of his dress shirts, and I was like, um, no. Haha. He went on to iron his shirt without it, but it definitely got my wheels spinning.
After looking into it, I realized it’s actually pretty easy to make your own. Besides, I already make my own homemade laundry detergent and homemade powder laundry soap, so why not make starch spray, too?
Of course, you can iron without starch, but it does make ironing easier and lasts far longer!
Why you’ll love this starch spray
It Saves Money. A bottle of this homemade spray starch costs mere pennies! I’ll never go back to buying commercial starch when this affordable option is so easy to make.
It’s Natural. I love that homemade laundry starch takes just 2-3 completely natural ingredients. Storebought spray starch tends to include unnecessary ingredients that I’d rather avoid.
It’s Easy to Make. This DIY project will only take a couple of minutes and it doesn’t require any special knowledge or equipment. Simply combine the ingredients in a pot, bring it to a boil, then transfer the mixture to a spray bottle.
It Works! With a spritz of laundry starch before I iron, our clothes are crisp and wrinkle-free for the rest of the day.
How to Make Homemade Spray Starch
When you see how easy it is to make your own laundry starch, you’ll wonder why you ever spent money on commercial products!
All you have to do to make laundry starch is mix the cornstarch and water in a pan and bring the mixture to a boil. I make it on an as-needed basis and a bottle usually lasts me quite a while!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz) of water
- 1 tbsp of cornstarch
- 2-3 drops of essential oils for fragrance (optional)
Instructions
Step 1. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Step 2. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Step 3. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from the heat. Allow it to cool completely, then add fragrance oil if you are using it.
Step 4. Transfer the mixture to your spray bottle, secure the nozzle top, and shake well.
How to Use Homemade Laundry Starch
Laundry starch is meant to be used alongside ironing to remove wrinkles and give fabric structure and hold.
It’s simple to use and will make a huge difference in keeping clothes looking nice throughout the day. I find that our starched clothes look smooth and wrinkle-free for much longer than when I just iron.
To use your homemade starch spray, follow these simple steps:
- Mist starch spray evenly over the fabric and allow it to penetrate for several seconds.
- Iron your garment as you usually would. Skip the steam setting when using starch; the starch spray adds the moisture you need.
- Allow the fabric to dry completely before wearing it. Avoid folding or crumpling the garment while it dries.
Tips for Ironing with Starch
- When ironing with starch, you don’t need to use any steam. The spray provides enough moisture and adding more will result in overly damp garments that take longer to iron.
- Be mindful of fabric types. Some materials require a low setting on the iron, while others are better with a higher temperature. Start with the low-temperature garments and work your way up.
- Hang your garments after ironing and allow them to air out a bit. This will ensure they are completely dry and wrinkle-free before storing them in the closet.
- Start with a small amount of starch spray and add more if the clothes aren’t crisp enough. Too much starch can make the clothing hard to iron.
FAQ
You don’t have to iron after using starch spray, but it won’t produce that nice crisp fabric that starching usually produces. If clothing is sprayed with starch and then laid out very flat to dry, it will be less wrinkly but not very crisp. If you just want to rid the garment of wrinkles, I recommend a homemade wrinkle release spray.
Yes! Cornstarch works very well to make homemade laundry starch that is cheaper than store-bought with all-natural ingredients. I love this simple recipe that uses only cornstarch, water, and optional essential oils for fragrance.
Spray starch is meant to give clothes or fabrics a wrinkle-free, clean-cut look that lasts throughout the day. It makes the garments stiff by adding hold to the fabric while still allowing them to move and breathe comfortably on your body. Starch is great for linen and cotton clothes that often lack structure and wrinkle easily.
Avoid using starch spray on delicate natural fibers such as wool, silk, or cashmere. Other delicate knits and silky materials may not be suitable for starching and ironing. If you’re unsure, I suggest trying it out on a small, inconspicuous area of the garment first or just skipping the starching altogether.
This DIY treatment could leave white spots on dark fabrics. I’ve used it on many of my husband’s dark button-up shirts without problems, but it’s always best to be safe. To be sure, try it out on an inconspicuous area of an old t-shirt first. That way, you can see how it reacts before tackling your favorite clothes.
More DIY Laundry Recipes You’ll Love
- DIY Laundry Soap Pods
- Homemade Fabric Softener
- Natural Dryer Sheets
- How to Scent Wool Dryer Balls with Herbs
- My Favorite Laundry DIYs
If you tried this Homemade Spray Starch Tutorial or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Spray Starch
Equipment
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water, (8 ounces)
- 1 tbsp of cornstarch
- 2-3 drops of essential oils for fragrance, optional
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from the heat. Allow it to cool completely, then add fragrance oil if you are using it.
- Transfer the mixture to your spray bottle, secure the nozzle top, and shake well.
To Use Spray Starch
- Mist starch spray evenly over the fabric and allow it to penetrate for several seconds.
- Iron your garment as you usually would. Skip the steam setting when using starch; the starch spray adds the moisture you need.
- Allow the fabric to dry completely before wearing it. Avoid folding or crumpling the garment while it dries.
Notes
- When ironing with starch, you don’t need to use any steam. The spray provides enough moisture, and adding more will result in overly damp garments that take longer to iron.
- Be mindful of fabric types. Some materials require a low setting on the iron, while others are better with a higher temperature. Start with the low-temperature garments and work your way up.
- Hang your garments after ironing and allow them to air out a bit. This will ensure they are completely dry and wrinkle-free before storing them in the closet.
- Start with a small amount of starch spray and add more if the clothes aren’t crisp enough. Too much starch can make the clothing hard to iron.
Can this be used on cotton/polyester blends dress shirts?
Yes, I would just be mindful of temperature settings on your iron.
How does this work on dark clothing? Does it leave any white flakes?
This DIY could leave white spots on dark fabrics. With that said, I have used it on numerous dark button up shirts with no problems. I think the white spots could be a result of the cornstarch not being fully dissolved.
I use this for all my button up shirts and it works lovely!