Why do welders starch their clothes: an effective old lifehack

It may seem that starching is something, that housewives did in the past. We easily recall words like a ‘starched collar’ and the like as associations with the word ‘starched’. And yet a rare person would probably recall welders wearing starched clothes. But why did they do that and does this technique still exist?

You may be surprised to find out that many welders still keep doing that since it lets their work clothes endure much longer. Starching welding clothes provide an extra layer of protection and repel dirt and grease.

Starching welding clothes can be easily done by yourself, it gives a bunch of benefits to a welder, and that’s why will unfold all that we know about it.

why do welders starch their clothes

Why do welders starch their clothes?

Anyone who has worked with a welding machine is aware of the fact, that however accurate a welder is while working in casual wear, some splatters will certainly burn numerous holes in it.

Moreover, these blobs of molten metal are likely to hurt the skin, causing third-degree burns.

Buying fire-resistant wear can be a good decision for a professional welder, however, it may not be affordable as fire-resistant welding clothes are much more expensive than casual clothing.

It’s not to mention that a layman welding from time to time may not have enough reasons to purchase the pricey flame retardant garment. Such welders prefer to work in old worn leather jackets and other dense clothing.

How does it work?

Starched casual cotton or wool clothing gets additional fire-proof properties. However, it won’t guarantee safety with high-amperage welding machines. Starched clothing will perhaps, stand through holes from sparks and bulbs of melted metal.

Besides being fire-proof, welding clothes that have been starched will show off dirt-repelling properties. Grease will keep on sticking to the fabric, but can be easily washed away.

That’s why welders starch their clothes: simple preparations may not only save money and protect the welder himself but also save a lot of time on washing stubborn stains off the clothing.

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Fabrics for starching process

Not all kinds of fabrics do for the starching process. The main quality making them suitable is their soaking ability. Cotton fabric is the most frequently starched, but wool will also do. Overall, most natural fibers will do, if they soak moisture well.

Fire-proof (FR) fabrics may be starched as well – it won’t fundamentally change their fire-resist properties, but will certainly improve them as well.

Starched natural fibers become fire-resistant, and prevent skin damage, but still provide good ventilation, essential for that kind of material.

Although, powerful high-amperage machines produce such a high-temperature welding arc that blobs of slag splattered are highly likely to burn starched clothing through.

Only special fire retardant materials used in professional welding equipment (such as flame-resistant shirts) can stop the slag drops produced while high-amperage welding.

Whereas, most of the welding machines don’t work on such amperage, and starched clothing is the best choice for welders working with them.

Starch clothing has been used by welders across the world for decades and it became popular due to its simplicity and effectiveness. One can do starching in laundry, but it’s extremely easy to do it yourself at home.

DIY starch may help you save up money. Perhaps, that money, you would like to spend for the purchase of a quality welding jacket or other equipment professional welders use.

Of course, starched welding clothes are not that comfortable – it’s pretty stiff and unpleasant for bare skin. But it’s just a matter of time to get used to a little inconvenience, thus gaining many benefits.

What kind of starch should be used for starch welding clothing?

Starch of any origin can be used – all of it will reinforce clothes’ fire-proof properties. There’s no difference as well in what form the starch is: liquid starch in bottles or powder.

Nevertheless, we can highlight an important issue – there is a special sort of starch widely used precisely for the sake of starching welding clothing – a heavy starch or welding starch.

Usually, it’s a powder that is heavier and denser than regular corn starch.

Heavy starch clothes have improved fire-proof properties.

This is a relatively recent invention and entirely stands for traditional cornstarch. Although the welder’s starch is a bit better and more convenient than cornstarch, you can use either of them without any hesitation.

How much does it cost?

If you starch welding clothes in laundry – many of them have such an option – it will cost you from 5 to 8 dollars per garment. At least two garments need to be starched – pants and a skirt, so it will cost you something if you’re going to weld on an everyday basis.

The DIY (do it yourself) approach is less pricey and besides, doesn’t take much time to do. For DIY you need an iron (or steamer), a spray bottle, and any kind of starch.

We just don’t take an iron or a steamer into consideration, since there is one in almost every household. Hence, you need to buy a spray bottle (you may have one as well), and a pack of welder’s starch, and this will cost you less than 30$.

Starching clothes by yourself you may save up money so that you could spend it on, say, professional welder’s equipment.

There’s always some risk of inadvertently ruining your own clothes if you do it wrong, but it’s less likely than receiving a good result.

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Are synthetic materials suitable to be starched?

No, fabrics comprising a big amount of synthetic fibers don’t suit the starching process. Such clothes poorly soak moisture, whereas this property is crucial to imbue with starch and it doesn’t stick to materials like polyester.

If you decide to starch welding clothes

In case you’ve defied the DIY route, read and follow the recommendations below:

  1. Prepare all required equipment: an iron (steam press), a spray bottle, a special welder’s starch (or laundry starch like ‘Purex Sta Flo Starch’) of whatever brand, and hangers.
  2. Choose a place for starching garments – you’ll have to clean all around. The clothes must be hung on hangers so that all moisture could freely drain off them.
  3. Pour liquid starch into the spray bottle, if you’ve bought a liquid one, or mix a certain amount of starch powder (proportions see on the package, usually it’s a few tablespoonfuls of starch powder) with water in the flask.
  4. Spray the starch on the clothes evenly, trying to cover every square inch of the surface, both the front side and the back sides. The fabric must imbue with starch. Aftermath, leave the clothes dry overnight.
  5. Once the clothes have been dried, you may start ironing them, and this work is pretty tough, – you should apply really strong pressure on the clothes, which have had to become petrified.
  6. That’s why a steam press turns out to be a better choice than a regular hand iron. You can achieve a decent result with less effort.

Should I use other protective equipment?

Of course, you shouldn’t rely only on starched clothes when working with welding.

Don’t forget to obtain a welding helmet, thick leather welding boots with massive soles, and gloves of thick rubber.

The better personal protective equipment you have, the better, since welding isn’t that safe at all.

To sum up

Why do welders starch their clothes and should you starch clothes, finally? If you’re going to make welding your profession, you’d better purchase unique FR clothing, along with the whole set of protective gear.

But even then you’d better be aware of this old technology and use it, as it merely makes your FR clothing last longer.

If you weld from time to time, starch clothes are the way to save up your money and prevent burns. But it’s totally up to you, whether to tinker with the DIY approach or to pay a few bucks to make it in the laundry.

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FAQ

What is the purpose of starching clothes?

Starching clothes in general improves their dirt- and grease-repelling properties. Welders starch their clothes to make them fire-resistant.

What is welders starch?

Welders starch consists of specially designed heavier flakes which are used for flame-resistant clothing to add additional layers and prevent sparks flying from entering the clothing.

Does starch make clothes fire-resistant?

Starch acts adding an extra layer of protection from fire to welding clothes. The starch inside welding shirt fibers prevents clothing burns.

What does starch do for ironing?

It’s much harder to iron starched welders’ clothes properly, you need to apply more pressure, as the fabric gets very stiff.

Read More About: Welding and Cutting Personal Protective Equipment

Aron Russell

If you have come to my page, then you are trying to learn the correct technique for welding various parts. I can confidently say that you can trust me. I have been studying multiple welding techniques for 20 years. In my youth, I got a job at a factory, where my acquaintance with this technique began.

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