Years ago, we starched a lot of stuff with Argo Gloss Starch. Dissolve it in cold water and add boiling water. Dip the clothes in and wring out by hand. After the clothes were hung on the line, they need to be "sprinkled" before ironing. Everything is rolled up in a basket, and left sit for a few hours to even out the dampness for ironing. Then you start ironing. Never put into the refrigerator. But if you didn't get back to ironing for a few days, it would mildew. That happened to me once with my good white plaid dress, but a small amount of bleach fixed it perfectly.
I still do this with my fabric. Wash, dip in starch, dry, sprinkle, put in large plastic bag and let sit for a few hours, iron. No refrigerator. But the freezer would be a good choice if you got interrupted and had to let it set for a while.