How to Starch Jeans? Fast And Easy Ways!

Starching of clothes is a culture that has been going on for a long time, especially amongst cowboys and western folks.

If you are considering starching your jeans, then there are a few methods to try including the application of liquid starch directly to the material or making your own homemade starch by mixing a few teaspoons of cornstarch with hot water.

There is s high preference for raw denim amongst denim lovers and this is attributed to the stiffness of the fabric which is because the material is starched heavily from the factories to give it the desired feel of toughness.

There are different techniques you could employ when starching your jeans. It is possible to ruin your favorite pair of denim if you apply starch to it too regularly as starch weakens denim after constant application, the vibrant color of your denim fades and the cotton material becomes less breathable.

To avoid the common mistakes newbies make while starching their denim for the first time, you should read further to learn how to starch your jeans the right way.

What are the general steps to Starch Jeans?

Table of Contents

Wash your jeans in the washing machine with warm water ad detergent
Skip the fabric softener and add liquid starch to the rinsing. It is important to read the directions on the product for an idea on what quantity to pour in
Hang them on the line to dry
Add liquid starch to a spray bottle. Spray on your jeans till damp. Do not dilute.
Put your iron on high heat on a non-steam setting

How to starch Jeans with cornstarch?

Cornstarch is not just part of a baking recipe, it is also a natural ingredient used in dry cleaning.

You can use this ingredient to make a homemade liquid starch spray for your jeans and other clothing.

Here is a simple step to achieve this:

Measure half a cup of cornstarch to 1 cup of cold water. Stir this mixture continuously till it dissolves completely.
Pour this mixture into 2 quarts of boiling water. Do not pour all of the cornstarch into the boiling water at the same time to avoid clumping. Start with smaller quantities.
You can dip your denim into your cornstarch mixture when it cools to avoid your jeans shrinking.
Using this same technique but will smaller quantities, you can make a separate batch for your spray bottle and pour it into your spray bottle when cooled using a funnel or filter to take out any clumps.
Remember to shake the spray bottle before spraying directly on the denim you want to starch.

How to starch Jeans with Faultless?

Faultless is a professional spray starch that has been in existence since 1887.

It has several advantages over homemade corn starch and one of these advantages includes the no-stick and no-flake guarantee.

It also has a fresh cotton scent that makes your clothes smell better.

Before you begin, ensure that the denim you are about to starch and maybe iron is clean. Dirt affects the stiffening properties of the starch and risks staining the garment further when pressed with an iron.

Select the size of the Faultless Spray Starch that is appropriate for you and spray with starch.
Maintain a distance of about 8-10 inches distance from the ironing board and spray in smaller sections till the denim is damp.
Tilt the can of Jean a little in an upright position while spraying, however, it should not be more than 45 degrees at any point.
You should only iron if the instructions on the inner tag allow for that and if it does start your ironing from the smaller parts of the jeans like the zip area, pockets and waistline first.
Follow up by ironing the denim’s body with the legs being the last part to be ironed.
Note that you don’t have to use the steam setting on the iron because the starch contains moisture that helps to smoother creases easily.
If there is any need to, you can keep on spraying the starch while ironing to cover the parts that were previously not reached.
Allow the starch to soak into the denim for a few minutes before ironing to prevent the build-up of residue.
Hang up your clothes in an airy environment after ironing instead of returning them to your closet immediately.
The cool air helps the starch to penetrate the fibers of your denim better.
After spraying, it is important to clean your spray can to avoid buildup.
Gently rinse the spray button after. This is to endure that it sprays smoothly and easily the next time you have to use it.

How to starch Jeans with Sta-Flo?

Sta-Flo is a concentrated liquid starch that professional dry cleaners prefer to use as well.

For this task, you will need a spray bottle since the Sta-Flo comes in jar-like containers that do not allow for spraying.
Carefully take off the spray gun cover on your plastic spray bottle to pour in the Sta-Flo liquid starch halfway.
Dilute the sta-flow to ⅓ measurement of water or measure a cup of water to each cup of Sta-Flo liquid starch.
Cover your spray bottle tightly and shake vigorously to mix the concentration properly.
You can now spray your denim evenly with this and wait till the liquid soaks the denim properly.
You can also choose to rinse your denim manually in this solution after you might have rinsed out the soap suds and lather out of the denim before hanging it up to air dry.
Line up your seams, pockets should be aligned too, and place them on a heat reflective board. Put your iron on the dryer or the highest heat setting, and go back and forth till most of the starch is gotten all out.
Check the directions on the back of the bottle for any further instructions you might have missed.

How to starch Jeans like a dry cleaner?

To starch your jeans just like the cleaners do, you have to know what kind of starch they use.

There are three types of starch popular among commercial dry cleaners including; Wheat starch, Corn starch, and synthetic starch.

The difference between Corn and Wheat Starch is the consistency. Wheat starch has larger particles and sticks better to the fibers than Corn starch does.

There are a few steps to starch your jeans like a dry cleaner.

Turn the denim inside out and put them that way into the washing machine before pouring a small quantity of laundry detergent and liquid starch into the machine’s dispenser.
The instructions for the appropriate quantity for the wash load should be referred to.
The quantity of the starch being used also depends on the owner’s request and it could be a “heavy starch” request, “medium starch” request, or a “light starch” request.
Complete the rinse cycle and hang the denim out to dry. When this is done, add the instant starch powder with water measured according to the instructions and spritz this lightly on the denim.
Adjust the heat of the iron to the desired temperature and iron. Spritz this mixture as needed while ironing.
Another method to do this is by applying the starch after washing the denim.
Using this method reduces the quantity of starch that would be wasted in the wash/rinse cycle.
Clean the denim first and hang them up to dry. Apply the starch from a spray can and use it while ironing to get the perfectly starched denim.

How to starch Jeans without iron?

There are ways to starch your denim without leaving creases on it if there is no iron handy at the moment.

One of the advantages of starching jeans without ironing is that this method preserves the durability of the denim material.

Start by putting up your jeans on a hanger to avoid any additional creases on them and then using your choice of starch, spray your hung-up denim effectively and leave it up there to air-dry.

Why do Cowboys starch their Jeans?

Cowboys prefer snugly fitting jeans, and for this, the jeans have to be stiff

To achieve this desired stiffness is one of the reasons Cowboys prefer to starch their Jeans.

Stiff jeans unlike their softer counterparts are hardwearing and tough, they can withstand all the conditions they are being put through without tearing. It helps them ride better as compared to the softer denim.

The slickness of sweat when rubbing against a softer fabric could cause them to lose their balance.

Starch adds crispness and structure to softened fabrics

It forms a protective seal on the fiber that stops dirt and mud from permeating the clothing material making it easy to wash.

Apart from this, starched jeans are easier to iron out properly and do not get wrinkled as easily.

Cowboys also wear stiff jeans for the warmth that it provides especially during winter and this could be another reason they starch their denim. The stiffness of the material also contributes to the well-defined creases that beautify you

For other cowboys, starching their jeans is a steady lightning process employed especially with raw denim to give their jeans the faded vintage look.

Conclusion

An easy way to ruin your denim is by starching it the wrong way. The wrong ways include soaking it for too long in liquid starch, re-using the starch too regularly, and pouring in too much starch.

Using too much starch on your denim ruins the color shrinks your jeans and weakens the cotton fibers of your jeans.

This, in turn, reduces the life span of your denim over time and achieves the opposite effect.

Also, starch products come in different levels and they include heavy, medium, and light.

To lengthen the life cycle of your denim, when using heavy starch it is important to soak and clean your jeans to remove any residue layers of starch.

Only starch items you are ready to wear soon. Try not to keep already starched denim in the closet for too long as starch attracts bugs to your clothing materials.