They were hard work, akin to chopping wood, hauling water and making laundry starch from scratch out of boiling water, flour and "a little kerosene to make the clothes slip."

Barbara could smell the laundry starch; it reminded her of Warren, of opening his dresser drawer in their bedroom and smelling his scent.

Try cool baths with a cup of Aveeno (colloidal oatmeal sold in pharmacies) or oatmeal or 2 cups of laundry starch.

Taking aim at ever-smaller sources of pollution, a California agency yesterday adopted regulations controlling the ingredients in household adhesives, laundry starch, perfumes, dusting aids and other types of consumer products.

Broken rice is also used to make starch which is used as laundry starch and in foods, cosmetics and textile manufacture.

There are also different kinds of starch, like laundry starch, which gives clothing a smooth and crisp feel.

Dr. Deas became "everybody's doctor" after his seven-year campaign against Argo starch - the only company to make laundry starch in an edible form.

"Every place you would go, black women were eating laundry starch," said Dr. Deas, who added that articles about the habit had appeared in medical journals for 75 years.

Patients may eat non-edible objects such as paint, plaster, dirt, ice, or laundry starch.

I purchased boxes of Argo gloss laundry starch in a blue and white box.