STARCH'S MANY USES & HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN

Cornstarch can be found in nearly every local grocery store. Powdered starch is a staple in well-stocked pantries. When powdered starch is heated, Dextrin is formed. Dextrin is a starch/sugar gum that when added to water forms a sticky gum used as a food thickener. Per dry measure, powdered starch is a more effective thickener than flour. Besides a thickener for stocks and gravies, powdered starch has many additional uses. Here is a partial list.

Household Uses for Starch

KITCHEN USES

Prevent pastry dough from sticking to the cutting board and rolling pin -
Sprinkle the cutting board and rolling pin with tasteless powdered Corn Starch before rolling out the dough.
Thicken gravy -
Corn starch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup, or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much corn starch to thicken. One tablespoon of corn starch equals two tablespoons flour.

LAUNDRY (image courtesy of http://www.retroclipart.com/samples.html)
Make spray starch for clothing -
Mix one tablespoon powdered Corn Starch and three tablespoons cold water. Stir to dissolve the corn starch completely. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil on the stove. After the water boils, pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling water and stir for a minute or so. The liquid will be clear or slightly cloudy. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Fill a spray bottle and use as you would any starch. Be sure to shake vigorously before each use. Throw away after 3 to 4 days.
Remove grease or oil stains from smooth fabric -
Apply powdered Corn Starch to the spot, wait twelve hours, brush off, then launder as usual.
Clean stuffed animals -
Rub powdered Corn Starch into the toy, let stand for five minutes, then brush off.

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING
Clean a carpet -
Sprinkle powdered Corn Starch on the carpet, wait thirty minutes, then vacuum clean.
Clean Windows -
Use a handful of cornstarch in a bucket of lukewarm water. Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup vinegar, depending on the size of the bucket. Mix. Use a wash cloth to wash window, then I use a hand towel to dry the window and a final towel to get it all dry.
Clean blood stains -
Immediately cover the spot with a paste of powdered Corn Starch and cold water. Rub gently, place the object in the sun until dry to draw the blood into the corn starch, then brush off. Repeat if necessary.
Prevent or kill mildew in damp books -
Sprinkle powdered Corn Starch throughout the book to absorb the moisture from damp pages, wait several hours, then brush clean. If the pages are mildewed, brush the corn starch off outdoors to keep mildew
spores out of the house.
Absorb excess polish from furniture -
After polishing furniture, sprinkle on a little powdered Corn Starch and rub wood with a soft cloth.
Clean silver -
Make a paste with powdered Corn Starch and water. Apply with a damp cloth, let dry, then rub off with cheesecloth.

CRAFTS
Make finger paints -
Mix one-quarter cup powdered Corn Starch with two cups cold water, boil until thick, pour into small containers, and color with natural food coloring.
Make white clown makeup -
Mix two tablespoons powdered Corn Starch with one tablespoon solid shortening. Too add color, add McCormick or Schilling Food Coloring.
Child Safe Paste - a good child safe paste can be mixed in moments by blending together 3 teaspoons of cornstarch with 4 spoons of cold water. If your little one licks their fingers while gluing together their art project there is no case for alarm, its perfectly edible.

PERSONAL CARE
Cure athlete's foot -
Sprinkle powdered Corn Starch on your feet and in your shoes to absorb moisture and reduce friction.
Relieve sunburn pain -
Add enough water to powdered Corn Starch to make a paste, and apply directly to the burn.
Substitute for baby powder and talcum powder -
Apply powdered Corn Starch sparingly when diapering a baby. Corn starch is actually more absorbent than talcum powder, but apply lightly since it does cake more readily.
Help rubber gloves slip on easily -
Sprinkle powdered Corn Starch inside the gloves.
Soothe skin irritations -
Apply a paste made of equal parts powdered Corn Starch, zinc oxide, and castor oil.
Ant-Itch paste -
Mix a paste of cornstarch and water and apply to poison ivy or insect bites to relive itching. Allow to dry on skin and rinse with cool water after itching stops. Re-apply as often as needed.
Dry Shampoo -
unable to shampoo your hair for any reason? Simply rub dry cornstarch into your hair and scalp let set a few minutes the brush out. The cornstarch will absorb dirt and oils, even that stale cigarette odor if you find yourself surrounded by smokers! (This also makes a great dry shampoo for pets, simply rub into their fur and brush!)

INSECTS
Kill cockroaches -
Mix equal parts powdered Corn Starch and plaster of Paris. Sprinkle the mixture in cracks and crevices. Cockroaches will eat the mixture and "petrify."

AUTO & MISCELLANEOUS Shine your car -
When buffing your car, sprinkle a tablespoon of powdered Corn Starch on the wipe rag to remove excess polish easily.
Detangle knots -
Sprinkle a stubborn knot with a little powdered Corn Starch.
Clean a deck of playing cards -
Place the deck of cards into a paper bag, adding four tablespoons powdered Corn Starch, and shake briskly. Remove the cards from the bag and wipe clean.

But what if you don't have access to cornstarch? If you have access to potatoes, you can make your own starch. First, it is useful to know how to store potatoes to preserve their starch content.

Potato Storage
Freezing potatoes or storing them in the refrigerator will cause some of the potato starch to be converted to sugar and reduce the starch content. If potatoes that were previously frozen are used to make starch, you will find that the high sugar content will likely caramelize when heated. If used in a laundry application on white cloth, you may find that some staining results as the caramelized sugar will stain the garment. You will find that refrigerated potatoes darken when cooked due to the increased sugar content.

http://www.angelfire.com/mo/creativeclutter/potato.html
One way to determine the starch content of a potato is to rub two cut surfaces of a potato together. If a foam develops, it indicates a high starch content, and usually the two cut surfaces cling together. If the potato has a low starch content, the cut surface will be clean and moist and the two cut surfaces do not bond at all.

HOW TO MAKE POTATO STARCH
You will need:
* 1 washed potato, peeled and diced or grated
* 1 cup water
* blender OR mortar and pestle
* Coffee filter OR clean cloth OR fine sieve

Place water and potato into the blender and turn it on high for 1 to 2 minutes.

If using a mortar and pestle, add both water and potato pieces to the mortar and process until well incorporated.

Place the resulting mush into the coffee filter (or cheese cloth or clean cotton cloth) and reserve the cloudy liquid. You can filter the water through another clean cloth if you like. Allow this to set for a while. Once some sediment has settled at the bottom, carefully pour the liquid off into a storage container, allowing the sediment to remain in the bottom of the original container. This can be done more than once, if you prefer. The filtered, cloudy water is liquid starch.

Drying the mixture is not completely necessary, but if you plan on storing it for a while, spread it out on wax paper in a sunny area for it to dry. Or you can place it on parchment paper on a tray in a very low heat oven -- in most cases leaving the light on with the door ajar will be adequate -- overnight and until the film has dried to a powder.

UPDATE ON MAKING YOUR OWN PLASTIC:
Whether or not you are willing to tackle the project of making your own bioplastic, some businesses have decided that it is a marketable idea.

MLB gives green light to recycling efforts (3/12/2008)
[Major League Ballpark beverages] may be served in a container with the look and feel of a plastic cup but instead made of biodegradable corn starch.

Using corn starch cups, increasing recycling and installing solar panels and possibly wind turbines at ballparks are among the measures teams will consider as part of a major league-wide effort to reduce baseball's carbon footprint.

The photo to the right appears on the Cleveland Indians web site with the following caption: Compostable corn starch based vended beer and Pepsi cups. (http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/ballpark/green.jsp)

FIND A RETAILER
Amazingly, you can type the words "cornstarch cups" into your internet search engine and find a list of retailers that sell compostable cups, bowls, plates, lids, knives, forks and spoons. Some sites call them 'corn cups.' However, like all mass produced food items, you'll have to watch the ingredient list. Likely there are several chemical additives to ensure uniformity of the product. Shop carefully if you decide to purchase.

FOR MORE READING
Making a plastic from potato starch – extracting starch
Technology of cellulose esters By Edward Chauncey Worden
The Versatile Potato

read more “ STARCH'S MANY USES & HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ”

WHAT'S IN THE PLASTIC? MAKE YOUR OWN!

It's amazing how many of our everyday items are made from plastic. Unfortunately, many of the plastic items that we use are unstable and made of toxic substances. Research has shown that these substances are being absorbed into the human cells.

The following news report is dated December 22, 2007.

http://www.letstalkdetox.com/index.php?itemid=70

Study: Chemicals from household plastics found in volunteers' blood
BY DELTHIA RICKS | delthia.ricks@newsday.com
November 9, 2007

Compounds used in a vast array of everyday products that range from plastic microwaveable containers, toys and medical devices were found in the blood and urine of participants in a nationwide monitoring program sponsored by a coalition of environmental health groups.

Even though there were only 35 volunteers, and the research did not rise to the level usually required of scientists who report findings in peer-reviewed journals, results were strikingly similar to those in a much larger, ongoing study overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results from the project were released in Albany, as well as in several other states where groups sponsored the study.

Participants, who ranged from 12 years old to people in their 50s, volunteered from around the country. All were found to have evidence of the substances in their bodies.

The upshot of the analysis was to find whether compounds known as bisphenol-A, polybrominated diphenyl ethers -- PBDEs -- and phthalates (pronounced: THA-lates) are permanently in the tissues and blood of children, teens and adults.

Additionally, we expose ourselves to xenoestrogens which are present in many of the ingredients used to manufacture plastics:

http://www.fwhc.org/health/xeno.htm
Xenoestrogenic material leaches out of polycarbonate plastics, often used in food and cosmetic packaging - even tin cans thinly lined with polycarbonate plastic leak estrogen into their contents.

Xenoestrogens are estrogens that are not found in nature. They are synthetic, man-made substances that mimic natural estrogen. This fools the body into trying to use them as it would naturally occurring estrogen. Since xenoestrogens are NOT true estrogens, the human system has difficulty processing and dispensing with these pretenders. This in turn affects vital biological functions. This leads to a buildup of the hormonal chemicals, creating hormonal imbalances.

It is believed by many in the natural health field that this is just ONE part of the puzzle as to why young girls are showing early onset puberty. Xenoestrogens also contribute to hormonal imbalances in men and women. Hormonal imbalances have a domino effect that can lead to a multitude of symptoms ranging from sexual or reproductive issues to issues such as cancer and/or heart disease.

Scientists in Germany have found that PET plastics -- the kind used to make water bottles, among many other common products -- may also harbor hormone-disrupting chemicals that leach into the water.

It's too soon to say whether drinking out of PET plastic bottles is harmful to human health, said lead researcher Martin Wagner, an ecotoxicologist at Goethe University in Frankfurt. But it now appears possible that some as-yet unidentified chemicals in these plastics have the potential to interfere with estrogen and other reproductive hormones, just as the infamous plasticizers BPA and phthalates do.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/28/water-bottles-health-print.html

I'm thinking that if I like my man acting like a MAN, my boys remaining BOYS and I don't want any hormonally challenged females running around, I need to toss the plastic bottles.

Many additives used to make plastic more durable and elastic are known to have endocrine-disrupting effects in laboratory tests, and the average developed-world body is suffused with these so-called xenohormone residues. Research suggests that the consequences, though not fully understood, are real: fetal xenohormone exposures have been linked to reduced virility in boys and he early onset of puberty in girls. The effects may even linger in subsequent generations.

It wasn’t known, however, whether xenohormones entered human bodies
from food-packaging plastics in addition to other already-established sources, including polluted air, personal care products and food additives. The latest findings, published recently in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, suggest that packaging is at least partly responsible.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/plastichormone/

Steve Meyerowitz is the author of a book called Water, The Ultimate Cure (November, 2000, ISBN-10: 1878736205). He recommends glass for food and beverage storage containers. When this isn't possible, the author recommends you investigate the plastics you are using. Look at the bottom of the plastic container for a triangle made out of arrows. Inside that triangle is a number. What follows is a chart showing those codes, what they represent and how those materials are used.

Some source information from: http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html

SYMBOL	MATERIAL	PROPERTIES
1	PETE (or PET) Polyethylene terephthalate	CHARACTERICSTICS: Clear (may be green), strong, shatter-resistant plastic. Thicker PETE bottles are firmer than others and more durable. Used for most transparent bottles. Generally not safe for reuse. Often recycled into carpet yarns. USED TO MAKE: beer bottles, juice bottles, lightweight large-capacity containers, mouthwash bottles, peanut butter containers, salad dressing containers, Soft drink bottles, vegetable oil bottles, water bottles
2	HDPE high-density polyethylene	CHARACTERICSTICS: Soft, but stiff plastic that easily contaminates its contents. Is opaque. Resin can be pigmented or unpigmented and is translucent. Used to package products with a short shelf life. Chemical resistance lends it to use as storage for chemicals. USED TO MAKE: bleach, butter, cereal box liners, detergent, grocery, household cleaner bottles, juice bottles, margarine tubs, milk containers, motor oil bottles, retail carrying bags, shampoo bottles, trash bags, water bottles, yogurt containers
3	PVC polyvinyl chloride	CHARACTERICSTICS: More sturdy; less likely to impart taste, not as widely used for food containers. Stable electrical and physical properties. Chemical and weather resistant. Additives in PVC can increase the risk of birth defects and hormone-related cancers. Its production can be hazardous to workers and the environment. Generally not safe; not recycled. USED TO MAKE: building materials, clear food packaging, cooking oil bottles, cooking oil bottles. detergent bottles, detergent, household products, medical tubing, piping, plastic wrap, shampoo bottles, siding, window cleaner bottles, windows, wire and cable jacketing
4	LDPE low density polyethylene	CHARACTERICSTICS: Tough, flexible and transparent. Used commonly where heat sealing is necessary. Most number 4 plastics are not designed for reuse. Generally, LDPE is not recycled. USED TO MAKE: baby bottle liners, bread bags, other food bags, carpet, clothing, dry cleaning bags, frozen food bags, furniture, squeezable bottles, tote bags, wraps, wire and cable insulation and jacketing
5	PPE or PP Polypropylene	CHARACTERICSTICS: PPE is strong and has a high melting point, making useful in the manufacture of items that hold hot material. PPE is resistant to grease, oil, chemicals and water. Polypropylene has the lowest density of the resins used to manufacture packaging. Recyclable. USED TO MAKE: caps, ketchup bottles, margarine tubs, medicine bottles, reusable food containers, straws, squeeze bottles, syrup bottles, Yogurt containers
6	Polystyrene	CHARACTERICSTICS: PS can leach styrene when heated, a possible endocrine disruptor and human carcinogen. Not safe when heated; has a low melting point. Generally not recycled. USED TO MAKE: aspirin bottles, carry-out containers, compact disc jackets, cups, cutlery, egg cartons, foam meat trays, take our containers, plates
7	PC Polycarbonate plastic	CHARACTERICSTICS: PC is a group that can include various other plastics. It has limited recycling potential. PC is strong and rigid; most often used for 5 gal. water cooler jugs. Because it imparts no taste to its contents, PC has a long history of being used in baby bottles & food storage containers (30+ years). PC can leach out the hormone-disruptor bisphenol A, especially when heated. The label "Other" includes resins which don’t fall into the category of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, or combinations of one or more of these resins. USED TO MAKE: baby bottles, five-gallon water jugs, food product bottles, reusable sports water bottles, three and five gallon water bottles

BUT WHAT IF YOU REALLY NEED A PLASTIC THING-A-MA-BOB?

There IS a way to make your own bio plastic. If a proper mold can be fashioned, this method could be used to repair many favorite items in the home.

You will need:
* Non stick pan
* Stove Top or Hot Plate
* 1 Tbsp powdered starch (tapioca, corn, potato)Spatula wooden spoon
* 4 Tbsp cold water
* 1 tsp glycerine
* 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
* silicone pad or aluminum foil

Make your own bioplastic

Coming soon: How to make your own starch.

read more “ WHAT'S IN THE PLASTIC? MAKE YOUR OWN! ”