A lot of people have their jeans starched in a dry cleaning shop, others like me do theirs at home to avoid all the hassle and spend more money just to clean clothes.
Sometimes after starching my jeans I feel like they don’t still look good and I started learning how to do it like the dry cleaners.
I learned a couple of things and I will be sharing them with you in this article. This article will also provide information and answer some questions relating to the act of dry cleaning.
4 Different Ways Dry Cleaners Starch Jeans
Do you know the magic cleaning your clothes can do to them? One of the things which I have singled out as a determinant of durable and lasting clothing is cleanliness.
It does not only keep them durable for a long time, but it also keeps them in a condition good enough for you to make a fashion statement.
Starching clothing like jeans is part of cleaning, and it does its part of the magic.
While some people like myself would like to save money by doing the searching on their own, there is still a need to hit the perfection button.
It gets hard when you try so many times to reciprocate what you see them do in the dry cleaning shop but it is not coming up as nice as it should be.
Here are the different ways dry cleaners starch jeans and you can try them out too.
- Use of Pressing Iron.
- Washing with starch.
- Soaking in starch solution.
- Use of corn starch.
Use of Pressing Iron
This is the most common method of starching jeans that dry cleaners use in putting their jeans into shape.
This method is not much of a hassle but requires a level of carefulness from you. This method requires the use of a pressing iron, an ironing board, and a starch spray.
You can get not only starched jeans but also well-ironed jeans that are straight and without any ruffled edges. The method used in this entails the following:
Washing
This is the first step in the starching process using a pressing iron and it is not the regular washing that you will be doing here.
To do this, you will have to make use of your washing machine. Place your jeans inside the machine, add water and set it to a moderate temperature and speed.
Instead of using a detergent, you use a starch solution as a solvent in the washing machine. The amount of starch you use should correspond with the directive provided in the container to avoid mistakes.
Rinse after washing.
Spraying and Dry
After washing the jeans follows spraying. You can do this by pouring the starch into a spray bottle and spraying it on the jeans.
The denim becomes wet at this moment, first from the washing and then from the spraying. Once this is done, you should then dry the jeans by hanging them to dry on a liner.
Ironing
This is the height of this process because this is where you get to put the jeans in order and also straighten any ruffles.
To do this, you have to place the jeans on a pressing board and iron them with a fairly hot iron. The iron puts the jeans in shape and you are good to go.
You can then wear your jeans immediately or better still fold and store them.
Washing With Starch
You can also starch your jeans using the usual washing process affordable through the use of a washing machine.
The process is not something you should freak out about, albeit you have to be cautious of the usage of some things such as the quantity of the starch used on the clothes.
Here is a quick rundown of how you should starch your jeans using a washing machine.
- You have to wash your jeans by turning them inside out, after which you place them inside the washing machine. Add a mild detergent into the dispenser, followed by a liquid starch which should be added using the right measurement. The label attached to the container of the starch provides vital information on the amount of starch that is needed for either a light, medium, or heavy starch.
- Dry out your jeans when you are done washing, to rake out excess water.
- After the drying is done, apply the liquid starch around the jeans by following the instructions recommended in the starch container. This will make the starch a lot stiff and stronger.
- Upon completing the above detailing, then use an iron which is set on a medium heating setting, and press the jeans to straighten out the ruffles.
Soaking in Starch Solution
This process is the fastest way to starch your jeans, which most dry cleaners use especially those who want to maximize time due to a lot of customers.
The process requires you to make a corn starch solution which is very easy to make. I will be explaining how this is done in the next step though.
So you mix a cornstarch solution into a large bowl and dip your jeans into it. You have to be cautious of how long you leave it in the solution, as a longer stay might result in a heavier starching.
5-10 mins is enough time, then you take them off and place them on an ironing board. Use a mild steam iron on the jeans to straighten the ruffles and hang them on a cloth liner to dry.
Use of Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a simple way of starching jeans. The starch is gotten from corn kennels derived through the process known as wet milling. The process of applying the starch is quite easy and stress-free. The steps include:
- Transfer the cornstarch solution to a spray bottle. Use a spray bottle with a functional opening.
- Spray the starch evenly all around the jeans. Apply heavily to achieve a more stiff result or slightly to get a lighter result. Each of the ways can go as you spray it, either on a wet or dry pair of jeans.
- After this activity is done, proceed to hang your jeans on a liner for drying. The drying will both remove excess water from the jeans and also set the starch which has been applied to the pair of jeans.
- The next step is to iron the jeans. You can spread it on an ironing board if you have any or you just make use of any flat surface, which will also do the work of an ironing board.
- Once are done with the whole process, you can then fold your pair of jeans for storage or you can wear or rock them to any function of your choice.
How to Iron Like the Dry Cleaners?
I will continue to reiterate the need to have a clean set of clothes, and the only thing that will put your clothes in a nice shape after the laundry is ironing.
It is like the finishing touches which you put into the act on your clothes to bring out their glow, especially dress clothes like slacks, pants, or even gowns.
Now doing your ironing at the dry cleaners might incur that you spend a few more dollars and you know what that will mean if you are running on a budget.
So, learning how to do it like the pros, will help you achieve more nice-looking clothes and I will show you how through the following:
- Get a pressing board
- Sort your clothes out
- Arrange your fabrics
- Iron with care
- Fold and store
Get a Pressing Iron
This is the one thing that is never missing whenever a dry cleaner is ironing clothes. They do not do it on random surfaces.
The pressing board is the right place to do this and you should use it too if you want to iron like a dry cleaner.
Sort Out Your Clothes
I don’t think there is any dry cleaner who starts ironing clothes without sorting out the clothes first.
This will help you with faster ironing if you are pressing lots of clothes and even if you are not ironing that many clothes, sorting is still you doing ironing like a dry cleaner.
Arrange Your Fabrics
It is going to be very devastating if you iron a cloth made from lycra if you use a heated-up iron that you used on jeans. It will ruffle the piece of clothing, causing creases on them.
To avoid this you have to arrange your clothes according to their fabric and iron accordingly.
Iron with Care
This is the big part of ironing like a dry cleaner because it is not done as you are already used to. Ironing your clothes like a dry cleaner requires more carefulness and paying attention to details.
Like smoothing out the crease on the neck of a dress shirt, paying attention to the pleat of dress pants, and ironing out the welted back pockets are all the small details that you should consider.
For a better pressing experience, I recommend the use of a foil on the board before you commence ironing. You are to place the foil under the surface of the clothing used to cover the ironing board.
Its work is to reflect heat on the other part of the clothes facing down. What this means is that you do not need to iron the other part, as this makes your work a lot easier and faster, just like the dry cleaners.
Fold and Store
This is possibly the last thing you have to do when ironing your clothes, like a dry cleaner. Dry cleaners do a lot of folding, and it helps keep the clothes intact after ironing.
What Is the Difference Between Starching and Pressing your cloth?
Starched clothing is quite different from pressed clothes.
For an article of clothing to be starched means that a starch solution was applied to it, making it add in its volume or size. Starch makes clothes to be stiffer and also dirt-resistant.
On the other hand, pressed in this context refers to the act of running a heated iron over a piece of clothing to smooth out the crease and also hem the edges of unfinished clothe.
Starched clothes are done with just starch and oftentimes as a solvent in liquid form. While pressed clothes are made of cloth with a pressing iron and also a pressing board.
The iron is for applying heat to the surface of the clothing, while the pressing board is a smooth platform on which the pressing is done.
What Is the Difference between Dry Cleaning and Pressing?
The dry cleaning process has a lot of differences from the act of pressing.
Dry cleaning is used to clean any type of clothing which cannot be washed with water. The process involves the use of a special machine that does not operate with water.
You can clean some materials like suede, leather, or any other material which tends to spoil whenever it gets in contact with water.
In contrast, pressing is an act that refers to the use of a pressing iron to remove or straighten the wrinkle and ruffles in a cloth, while a dry cleaning machine is used to perform a dry cleaning activity.
Conclusion
This article comes to a wrap with this ending part and it would be in your best interest; if I reiterate the need for you to play with caution whenever you want to try out starching your clothes because a single move gone wrong can damage the clothes.
So, you have to make sure whatever tip you find in this article as regards how dry cleansers, and starch clothes, should be followed to the latter.
Because it will save you from a lot of stress and even help you save money, a damaged pair of jeans is a deduction to the collection of jeans you have, and you might want to replace them.
Every other tip or method which you see in this article is meant to inform and enlighten to do cleaning like the pros.
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