starch and clothing careOne of the most common items brought into DELIA'S Cleaners is men's dress shirts. To secure creases and give the fabric a crisp, semi-stiff appearance, dry cleaners offer customers the option for starching. Most of us, though, don't really know what starch is.

Starch is a compound made from a carbohydrate found in plants. When mixed with warm water, it creates a thick, white, sticky paste. It has been used as a thickening agent in ancient times of the Pharaohs.

Starch and Garment Care

Dress shirts: When you buy a dress shirt, unwrap it, and put it on, you will notice that it feels a bit stiffer than the casual shirts you buy. This stiffness is caused by starching. This helps shirts retain their shape by introducing stiffness, especially in the collar and cuffs. It also keeps shirts from wrinkling as quickly.

Daily wear: It's rare to use starch in casual or day wear. Every once in a while, however, light starch can help even your everyday attire look clean and new.

It's up to each customer how much starch they wish to have DELIA'S Cleaners use on your laundered shirts -" none, light, medium, and heavy. The more you use, the more rigid clothes will be, so plan ahead so you know what you want when dropping off your clothes. Most of the time, light starch is sufficient; however, depending on the attire, a medium or heavy may be necessary to keep your clothes looking like they've just come off the rack.

If you have additional questions about starch for your clothes, give DELIA'S Cleaners a call or ask an associate when dropping off your garments.