Blouses - yes, they need ironing

One of the consequences of my blouse buying spree is the sad fact that cotton blouses wrinkle when washed. The fabric will look worn and tired (see the picture below). This is true of just about any woven cotton fabric unless they are pre-treated with nasty chemicals. My blouses were getting little rotation in my wardrobe because they would hang, wrinkled, in the closet bypassed for easy wearing knits. In order for my blouses to get worn, I had to develop a new habit and like it. I've never been opposed to ironing, but standing at the ironing board for a long time is something I've never liked much.

So back in December, I pulled out all of my wrinkled clothes and and spent about 5 hours ironing. Adding DH's shirts to the mix would have been a bit over the top, I think. The goal was to catch up. Now, about once a week I pull out just the 3-4 wrinkled items and give them a good ironing. My blouses are back in rotation and not merely taking up space.

One thing that helps tremendously is that I pop in my earbuds and listen to my favorite audio podcasts. Time passes quickly and that chore is not a chore any longer.

I've also rediscovered starch. Cottons will look almost new with some light starching (photo above). I used to buy starch in aerosol cans. Not only was it more expensive, but who knows what nasty chemicals are released when you spray that starch. I invested in a concentrated 1/2 gallon of Sta-Flo starch. It has a few simple ingredients - water, cornstarch, borax, and a few unnamed ingredients. I suppose I could make my own, but I have not ventured down that path. The bottle contains directions of how to dilute it and it's a snap with spray bottles that have a dilution guide. This 1/2 gallon bottle will last a looong time.


Anyway, what say you about ironing? Any favorite tips, irons, starch recipes?