Best Press no longer sacred
 

Well, after multiple raves about Best Press, I purchased a small size bottle from JF and yes it is very good. ..much better than supermarket spray starch. I kept it in my sewing room...a room that is all mine...or so I thought. I came home and found DH ironing his clothes with it. He claims out loud "this is great stuff!! So glad I checked your sewing room out. I knew you had something like this." half the bottle was gone.
aggghhhhhh I now have to hide it.

Why hide it? I use it for any ironing and the family uses it if they iron anything.

If my husband ironed anything I would probably faint on the spot. I've been married over 30 years and I have never seen my husband anywhere near an iron. But as I think about it my husband won't come in the sewing room because he is afraid of "THE BIG GIANT NEEDLE." You should hear him cry if he steps on a pin in the living room. I have always told him that he could sever a limb and not fuss as much as when he steps on a pin!
Can you get a real "girly" scent of Best Press?

Colleen

It was close to $10 for the small bottle whereas reg spray starch at the supermarket was $4. I spend on quilting and be frugal elsewhere. I have priorities. Lol

I buy it when Joann's has the 60/70% off notions. It is only $3 or $4. Or Hancocks 50% off. I buy a couple bottles.

Nanny ... buy it by the gallon, not as expensive (still more then the supermarket stuff though). You can also dilute it if you want, I get good results with a 2 part BP to 1 part water dilute in a small spray bottle.

Get ready for JAF sale the day after Thanksgiving. Notions including Best Press will be half off. You need to have a stash on hand so you don't run out. Let him buy the next bottle. Then maybe he will be more frugal.

I tried BP and went back to Magic Sizing. 97 cents at Walmart.

Cari

Now you can get all of the flavors for him to try! :)

There have been several threads on this board about homemade best press. I haven't tried it but I am about to. Sounds interesting.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t246217-6.html

I make my own but I do have a small bottle of the Linen scented Best Press. That scent is good enough to make me iron sheets! I didn't think Best Press was very good until I was told to let it partially dry before ironing. Made a world of difference. But homemade is MUCH stronger and cheaper. Plus I'm too impatient to let things partially dry.

I make my own spray but I have no idea if it's like best press. I emailed them asking for ingredients due to my daughter's allergies and they never replied. So forget them-I'll use my vodka/water/lavender spray and I love it. If I need something stiff I'll use magic sizing.

Best Press goes on my Christmas list each year. My kids are always wanting to know what to get me so I make a list. To make it go farther I bought a spray bottle at Sally's that is really for hairspray. It has a very fine mist. It spreads the Best Press better and it uses less per spray.

An alternative to Best Press is to make your own. Mix 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of potatoe vodka and put in a spray bottle. It works but I've just started to use it so if you don't like it you can always drink the remainder vodka. 😊
It does have to be potatoe vodka not the regular vodka. I've also heard there is another recipe that is a mixture of regular vodka, water and a little starch. Just wanted to share that.

Not a liquor buyer, so where does one get potato liquor....does it state that on the label in the store?

You can make your own! 1 part Vodka (potato Vodka works best) to 2 parts water. You can add essential oils used in soap making, sold at craft stores, if you want it to smell nice. I do this all the time. Costs about 50 cents a bottle. Make up a big bottle for your husband!

Also, Faultless Premium Starch, the one with the gold top, does not leave any flaking. I use that a lot when I want stiffness or for bias edges. Costco sells a pack of 4 cans for 4.00. It also does not leave a burned mess on your iron.

I lost my best iron the same way, but bought myself a better one. Hey, if they iron, let them use the Best Press. My husband always ironed his work clothes, until he retired. Now neither one of us irons LOL Funny how pressing every stinkin' seam is different than ironing clothes. I love that part !

There is no starch in the potato vodka after it's processed. It doesn't matter which vodka you use so buy the cheapest you can find. I found Linen Laundry Spray at Walmart that seems to be the same as Best Press. It was $4 for a big bottle. It was in the detergent aisle. Later moved to the ironing board aisle, then I found it with the mops and brooms. I bought all on the shelf last time I found it. I bought a case of the Bounce Ironing Spray when it was on clearance for $1 a bottle at Walmart when it was discontinued. I do use a lot of the sprays and it does add up money wise over the year.

You trained your hubby well! Congrats on having him do his own ironing!!!

I purchased the gallon jug and refill it's much cheaper

I buy the gallon bottle with my 50% off coupon at Joanns Lasts me for a long time

Thank him for pressing his own clothes and ask him to purchase the next bottle.:D

I make my own vanilla extract with vodka. I have to take a couple of ounces out of the bottle to fit the beans in so I use that for my spray. And it's a very common misconception that the vodka has starch. I see people referring to it all the time but very few mentioning that it has no starch once it's distilled or whatever. I don't think we'll ever dispel that false notion. ;)

My husband uses it, too. Loves the smell and will touch up iron his shirts before putting them on to get to use it. So funny as he is generally not a fan of fluff or feminine things at all.

Send DH out to buy it for you :-)

Fantastic stuff. No buildup on iron and no flaking. I reserve it for the sewing projects only. It is tempting to use it on dress shirts but I'm too cheap to waste it and let the Rowenta iron steam things smooth. I also buy it by the gallon and watch for sales.

I've never tried Best Press I do the 1 to 1 ratio of Sta-Flo I never get build up on my iron but that might be due to I'm a beginner & can't whip up quilts to fast yet BUT I did decide to give it a try due to everyone saying how good it smells, I bought a gallon on sale I can't remember where but it should be here anyday. I'm looking forward to it. (I don't like to drive anymore so mostly mail order)

For some reason our Joann's doesn't carry the Best Press. Always wonder why.

I wasn't impressed with Best Press either.

I buy Niagra spray starch at WM, no flaking, it makes the fabric a little stiffer than BP and is so cheap

About 5 years ago I went into a Dollar General store and they were selling their spray starch for fifty cents. I bought about 9 bottles. I love the stuff and don't believe I will be buying anything else in the future. Magic Sizing works for me and Niagara is great too.

Use Joann's coupons and get a gallon (or 2) for half price.........and have them shipped to you........I refill a generic spray bottle and buy only the gallon refills of this............and I go thru a ton of it........

I do love Best Press, but wanted to try the recipe due to cost, (even though I only buy BP when on great sale, or have a coupon) I thought it worked pretty good, but didn't have the "finish" feal that BP gives.
I don't let it partially dry, but I do spray a "pile" of fabric - holding each piece up - spray - rotate to dry area - spray, then just let it rest on the ironing board as I proceed to the next piece of fabric. By the time I'm done spraying all the fabric I intend to iron it seems as if the BP has soaked into the fabric enough to migrate to areas I didn't spray so well, and I start ironing! It definitely helps get those hard wrinkles out. Cutting fabric is much nicer with the slight stiffness it gives, and doing hand stitched Hexies is definitely much easier too!

always buy it when I have a 40% or 50% coupon. And I pour it into a smaller spray bottle diluted with a bit of water. I don't do this to be frugal, I think it works better a bit diluted.

Here is the recipe for the Homemade - lavender linen recipe: lavender essential oil/Vodka/distilled water

2 cups distilled water
2 ounces vodka (this keeps the oil from separating in the water)
20 drips lavender essential oil

I like the linen scent, too... but it is a bit strong. I buy gallons of unscented from Amazon and then pick up the quart size bottles of linen at my local quilt store - and mix them.

Earlier in this thread, I read that it can be watered down and still be good... I *might* try that when my bottles go down a bit.

Your DH can IRON???????
Buy him more! Buy it by the gallon! Get him a lifetime supply! He rocks!

I buy it by the gallon when I can get it online for about $40 w/ shipping. Local JoAnn's doesn't carry it and LQS only carries small, very expensive bottles.

If you are "stretching" be careful not to mix too much ahead. Water from the tap has lots of things in it, that over time, will cause the mixture to go bad.

i really like the good out fashioned Stayflo concentrate. Mix him up a bottle of that and hide your Best Press if you still prefer it.

If my husband ironed he could use anything he wanted too.
Robin in TX