Originally Posted by
MommaDorian
What does putting it in a plastic bag do? Is it sealed up? I'm wondering if I'm using starch wrong. Do I let it dry before I iron it?
Putting it in the plastic bag allows the starch time and opportunity to penetrate the fabric. This is similar to sprinkling clothes with water (the old-fashioned way before steam irons came along) and then placing the clothes in a bag to let the water disperse evenly.
With spray starch, it is easy to not wait long enough for the starch to penetrate. If you iron the starch with a hot iron while the starch is still sitting on the surface of the fabric, the tendency is for the starch to scorch.
You can let starched fabric dry completely, then iron with steam (or a mist of sprayed water). A little moisture re-activates the starch.