Starch is present in all grains like maize, millet, rice, and wheat, and also in root vegetables like cassava and potato, and in some fruit, like banana. It consists of small cells which become soft and jelly-like when heated to a high temperature with water. In laundry work, starch is used to stiffen and produce a gloss on cotton materials. By filling in the spaces between the threads, this helps to improve their appearance and to keep them clean longer, because dust is less likely to cling to stiff, shiny surfaces.
Making Starching from Cassava
Wash and peel the cassava, then add cold water until it is of porridge consistency. Stir and squeeze the cassava with the hands and strain off all the water. Add more water and repeat the squeezing and pouring off two or three times. Leave the starch water to stand in the basin until the starch has settled at the bottom, then dry it in the sun and store. Starch can also be made from rice, arrowroot, or potatoes. Starch of three lines can also be bought–large-grained starch, powdered starch, and liquid starch. These all have the directions for making the particular kind of starch on the container.
Preparation of Starch
Mix 1 heaped tablespoon of starch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Pour on slowly sufficient boiling water to turn the paste into a clear jelly and stir well to prevent lumps. Add warm water to thin it out, that is, 1 part of starch to 2 parts of water, the thickness depending upon the garment to be starched.
Starching Articles
Wring the clothes out tightly before starching. If there are many articles to be starched, keep a little strong starch one one side. Post out the things to be starched–first do those which are to be very stiff and begin with those made of thin material. Put several articles in the starch at once, squeeze the starch through them, then wring them out. Never mix the coloured with the white things. Dilute the starch with water for things needing less stiffness. Starch only cotton material–never starch anything fluffy.
Cold Water Starch
The cold water starch is used for articles which need to be very stiff, for example collars. The disadvantage is that these articles must be ironed damp with a very hot iron, which causes the material to wear out, and the ironing takes very much longer.
The quantities used for this are:
1. Collars: 1 tablespoon of starch to 1/2 pint of water. 2. Tableclothes: 1 tablespoon of starch to 2 pints of water. The method here is to crush the starch in the water, leave to stand for 30 minutes to soften the starch grains, then stir and use at once.
