ncredbird

I have had white hair since I was in my 30's. My hair dresser told me it would brighten it up if I put a few drops of bluing in my shampoo. A very inexpensive way to get the "Silver" shampoo at a big discount. I have been doing this for years. Ann in TN

Annette Searcy

Mama and Mamaw always made their own starch, lye,soap and homeny in the wash pot out back over a fire. They made their starch with flour. Prepared the same was as this. Then after the clothes were dry, sprinkled, rolled up and put in a towel , put in the frig for a while, seems over night was best. the white clothes were boiled in the washpot and bluing was put in the rinse water. That was the "good ole days" when clothes were scrubed on a washboard and your knuckles got skinned,hands got raw from the hot water, and froze on the clothes line when hanging out clothes to dry in the winter, and clothes got bird droppings on them in the summer. All that water had to be drawn from a well.
Our toilet was out back with bugs and spiders if it wasn't kept scrubbed and limed.
grass was mowed with a push mower (not powered except by muscle)
Yeah, I remember the good ole days.
Sorry for the length of this but when I started about the starch the rest just rolled out.

She In PA

You can use any food coloring on it. My mom use to call this "Depression Garden". Like a poor mans garden.

Happy Linda

How do you mix this? The other recipe used boiling water then boiled it.

LindaMRB

...and just as my store-bought stuff was running out!
Great timing!
Thanks.

BellaBoo

I've used this recipe many times. My grandmother used to make starch. She never kept it for more then one ironing day as it started to smell funny after a few days. It can be kept in the fridge for a couple of weeks and has to be shaken up before each use as it separates fast. I can still find the powdered Faultless starch and it is wonderful! Also Mrs. Stewarts's Laundry Bluing is sold in grocery stores here. Amazon sells it.

Grace MooreLinker

this is how my Mom starched our clothes years ago, old memories , the clothes could stand alone :roll:

Deanne

clem55 wrote:
My mom always made laundry starch that way, and while I am not positive, I think she used to add a small piece of something called bluing. It made the whites and colors brighter. She made her own lye soap for laundry too!!

As for the blueing, it also works to put a small amount into your shampoo if you have white or gray hair to keep the yellow out! My late Aunt told me that trick that she used long ago. She always had snow white hair(as long as I remembered her) and I do also. Either cut it often or use the bluing in your shampoo. Not too much, maybe a tablespoon in a new bottle of shampoo!

SewExtremeSeams

Cosy, thanks for memories. We made those in Girls Scouts when I was growing up. I think we called them clinker gardens. Fun. I will have to impress my grandkids.

Shoofly1

I'm going to try the "Depression Garden" too. I'm wondering if you can still get Mercurochrome???