I've never heard of this.

However, I have heard of using sugar water to "starch" crinoline petticoats, those fluffy net slips girls and women wore under full skirts in the 50's. You dipped the petticoat into sugar water and laid the petticoat flat in the sun so it would dry flat and stiff (and crunchy and scratchy?) to hold those full skirts "out to there".

I wonder if sugar in the mouthwash made the ruffles "starched"?

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: How to sew very full petticoats 50's style

Why not just use either starch or sizing? I can't imagine a benefit to using mouthwash for this application.

I was thinking the sugar is the key, too. Living in FL I can't even imagine the bugs that would attract. Ugh!

Donna

It's something her grandmother and mother did so she learned and did it too.
Donna I was thinking the same thing about the bugs in FL. I have enough without inviting them in.

In one of my Mom's old cookbooks, I found her "recipe" for my big slips. (I am almost 60).

She used Knox Gelatin and dried them over an open umbrella.

When I read that about the sugar, all I could think of was, "Ew! The ANTS that would attract here in SoCal!"

Another Donna,
DonnaR/CA who's new here but loves to sew when I can find the TIME!