How to Make Homemade Starch for Lace Curtains

Starch keeps lace curtains crisp.

Stiffly starched lace curtains adorned many a Victorian home. Housewives dipped the curtains in a starch solution, then arranged them to dry on wooden curtain stretchers, or pinned them to sheets to dry. The resulting stiff piece of lace let in light while affording some privacy. If you wish to replicate this look, you can make homemade starch for your lace curtains.

Things You'll Need

• Cornstarch
• 2-cup measure
• Teaspoon
• Spray bottle
• Basin

Instructions

1. Fill the two-cup measure with cool water. Stir in 1 tsp. cornstarch. Cornstarch is preferable to other starches, such as flour, because it dissolves easily and is less likely to form lumps.

2. Stir the cornstarch and water mixture until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a spray bottle.

3. Shake the spray bottle well and mist the curtains with the spray starch until they're wet. You could also fill a basin with the starch mixture and dip the curtains in it, then hang them to dry.

References

• Michigan State University: Homemade Cleaners --- Laundry Products
• University of Wisconsin: Hints for Washing and Ironing