Starch Substitute?

[DogCollar]

If this has been covered in previous thread, I apologize upfront....

Here is my issue!  I have a high skin sensitivity to detergents, chemicals and the starch that is used by dry cleaners.  I break out into painful hive-like rashes when my skin is exposed to any of these elements.

Has anyone on this board found a hypo-allergenic product that can be used on my uniforms as a substitute for starch?  Thanks!

[Hawk200]

I'm sensitive to starch, so I use fabric sizing. From the sounds of it you have a chemical sensitivity, and you may not be able to use anything. Nothing wrong with just ironing uniforms.

[MIKE]

Has anyone on this board found a hypo-allergenic product that can be used on my uniforms as a substitute for starch?  Thanks!

An iron?  Disclaimer:  MIKE is not a starch groupie.

Other substitutes for starch, and irons: ACUs and ABUs. 

[DogCollar]

Yes....I use a hot iron regularly.  However, without something like starch on BDU's the pocket flaps and collar points try to roll. 

[Al Sayre]

Try using spray starch, but only on the collar tips and pocket flaps.  These shouldn't be in contact with your skin.

[DNall]

First, you should actually sew down the corners of the pocket flaps, not as if you can use them anyway. Don't do that with the collar though.

I'm not sure about rolling, mine haven't done that. When laundered, taken fresh from the dryer & shaken out, then ironed they tend to come out right, the starch then comes in to get razor creases & fix any problem spots (mainly do my BDUs this way but have done blues shirts like that also. You can also take it to the cleaners & have it laundered & steam pressed w/ no starch. Find a good cleaners that'll do that right & it comes out pretty good.

There's a guy at SWR, LtCol Flowers, lives in Dallas, think he's the DDR officer. He's also an honor guard officer for state air guard. He told me a couple different things he mixes up himself. One of those was natural no-chemical stuff. You could track down an email for him off the staff list I'm sure & ask him about that formula.

[carnold1836]

Definitely get a hold of LtCol Flowers, that man is amazing. He uses such heavy starch that his BDUs will stand up by themselves in the corner.

Now before anyone starts in with the BDU is a work uniform and it's not supposed to be starched and the starch will destroy the makeup of the fabric, etc. Remember that most times when we wear BDUs we are in a training environment and we need to look good to our cadets, number one issue cadets have with CAP officers by the way.

Second what is being referred to about starch destroying anything on the BDUs is the fact that the starch interacts with the infra-red properties of the uniform. As many people have said about camouflage "who are we trying to hide from?"

So starch away if you like, personally I prefer a hot iron with out starch to keep the pockets down (I don't sew mine since they are a utility uniform and no one says I can't put stuff in my utility uniform pockets while in the field).

As for your collar, LtCol Flowers has a great way of fixing that. take a seam ripper and make a small hole at the base of the collar closest to where it attaches to the blouse between the edge and the seam. Then take a black or brown hairpin and stick in to straighten it out.

[NIN]

An AF honor guard guy suggested this: use a 1:10 ratio of carpenter's glue and water in a spray bottle. Pull your uniform wet out of the washer (after its done, of course) and spritz it on, soaking the uniform really well.  Hang to dry.  Press with a steam iron.

*DISCLAIMER*: I have NO idea what this will do to your uniform, or your washing machine, when you wash the uniform. Cadets: If you do something like this, and it blows up and causes mom's washing machine to seize, you're on your own.  Its SUPPOSED to work at a very LOW concentration (10 to 1 water vs. glue).  Mixing it more than 10:1, like 1:1, which someone will undoubtedly try, is probably either looking for trouble or a very, very nasty set of chafe marks in some odd places on your body. *DISCLAIMER*

[mikeylikey]

Your local dry cleaners will have the answer for you.  I have a few friends who were allergic as well.  They told the dry cleaners and the shop was able to use some type of alternative. 

[Chris Jacobs]

I tell the dry cleaners to not use starch on my blues any ways.  The one time used way to much and it put white marks all over my blues.  i have found that even without the starch my blues still do just great.  I do my BDUs at home so i don't know about that.

[DogCollar]

Thank you all for the multple suggestions!!!  That's exactly what I was hoping for. 

[DNall]

Were we talking about blues or BDUs by the way? Not that it matters.

And Chris I'll help you out with that debate right quick. You iron the BDU shirt it leaves circles at the buttons right? So cut the buttons off & tack sitch down the corners of the flaps & bottom corner where it accordions out. Okay, this will make your top pockets pretty useless. You can still access the pen slot on the tape side if you really want to (the only thing I use it for is to clip a radio there somtimes), but otherwise those pockets were pretty useless in the first place. Now the bottom pockets you'll find you can still easily get in & out of. It's just taked in the corners, there's nothing holding it in the middle. Now the pants are a little different. Dont cut those buttons off. I do however tack the accordion part down on the back top, middle & bottom of the cargo pockets. Makes it stay down in the wash & clean up faster for garrison wear. I have a different set I wear in the field, but if those were dirty & had the garrison set on & really needed that pocket for something, it's just a matter of popping three quick sets of stiches which I can do by hand. In other words you can have a nice looknig uniform that is also very functional with VERY little sacrifice.

[Pylon]

As for your collar, LtCol Flowers has a great way of fixing that. take a seam ripper and make a small hole at the base of the collar closest to where it attaches to the blouse between the edge and the seam. Then take a black or brown hairpin and stick in to straighten it out.

This may be a good solution to the collar rolling issue.  Simply make an "incision" on the backside of the collar and insert a collar stay meant for a men's dress shirt.  It's appropriately sized and created for just this issue and is easily replacible if the stay gets bent.

As for the pockets, tack the corners down with some stitches and tack down anything else that curls up.  If the blouse continually curls up on every corner, well... buy a new blouse.  I had an old blouse that did just that.  No amount of ironing or stitching could fix it - so I donated it to a supply bin and got me a new one.

No worries about being allergic to starch.  I iron and keep my uniforms well maintained and professional and never use any starch.  Good luck!

[Hawk200]

... but otherwise those pockets were pretty useless in the first place. ...

Useless? That's where I put my sunglasses! 

...or phone numbers jotted on little stickies...

[DNall]

... but otherwise those pockets were pretty useless in the first place. ...

Useless? That's where I put my sunglasses! 
...or phone numbers jotted on little stickies...

Numbers from the bar right? 

Seriously though, besides cadet w/ back pocket notepad, those chest mount admin pouches w/ the radio holder are pretty sweet. Might pick one of those up at some point.

[Hawk200]

... but otherwise those pockets were pretty useless in the first place. ...

Useless? That's where I put my sunglasses! 
...or phone numbers jotted on little stickies...

Numbers from the bar right?   

I'm hurt, DNall. What makes you think I frequent bars? 

[DNall]

Hey I'm sorry buddy, let me make it up to ya, I'll buy you a beer. 

[Hawk200]

Hey I'm sorry buddy, let me make it up to ya, I'll buy you a beer. 

I'll only accept that apology if it includes a steak...a real big steak...

[DNall]

You want steak too you gotta fly yourself here for that.

[Hawk200]

You want steak too you gotta fly yourself here for that.

I'll think about that one....maybe when I get back from school....