Best Press
 

Hi Guys,

Has anybody else had problems with Best Press leaving stains on their fabric. I find it much more noticeable on plain fabrics. I love Best Press even though it is really expensive in the UK (I am happy to pay) I think I will have to stop using it..... I don’t want to have to keep washing fabrics I am just about to use.

Any thoughts, help or advice?

Hugs

Caroline

What sort of stain is it? Does it come out when you wash the fabric? Is your fabric pre-washed to begin with? If not, I wonder if it's possible that the Best Press is combining with something on the fabric and creating the stain. I am a pre-washer and haven't had this problem. If the stain does come out when you wash the fabric, I guess you could continue working with the fabric and the stain would come out when the quilt is finished and washed.

I think somebody asked about this a week or so ago, although it might have been in a FB or Yahoo group.

At that time, I had not ever had this happen. I buy it in gallon refills, so have used the Citrus (green) one for a long time. Just started a new bottle of Caribbean (blue), and it did leave spots where I didn't iron immediately. A misting of water, followed by immediate ironing, removed it. I never prewash new fabric, but this time am cutting up thrifted shirts, so they were washed before pressing. It's got to be either the Caribbean scent or something in the detergent (Tide HE, original scent).

I like both of these scents, but guess I will only buy Citrus from now on. Of course, having just opened a gallon fo the Caribbean, i will be using it for a while before I need to buy again.

Hi Peace and Joy,

With me it is the Lavender scent that does it. I have the linen fresh that I haven't used yet so I will try that one. I use to on new fabric and I tend to use Moda, Henry Glass and Kona Cotton - but even wetting the fabric immediately doesn't get rid of the stain.... I have to wash it!

Hugs

Caroline

Has anyone contacted the company??

I make my own.

I always use the clear scentless Best Press and have never had a problem with it.

Please pass on your recipe for Best Press that works.

if I were you, I would make my own....someone posted the recipe a year or more ago.....I had so much on hand, I haven't tried the recipe. I will next time. I have never had a problem with staining.

Custom dressmakers use Flatter spray for no staining, no shine, no flakes, and no spray marks at all. A little overboard for regular fabrics but when using solid cottons I use it instead of other sprays.

I copied this recipe last year but haven't made it yet.
Use a 32 ounce bottle: Add 1 cup Vodka (cheap kind) and 2 cups water and several drops of essential oil

Vodka works. It's added to pasty to make crisp crust, crispy cookies and crackers and now crisp fabric. LOL

The recipe is 1/3 cup vodka (any cheap kind will do) to 3 cups water. Just stir together, no heating is needed. Keep in fridge and it will last forever!!

I've had problems with the clear, unscented leaving spots on some fabrics (and I do pre-wash); at least those spots washed out.

Where I've had permanent damage from Best Press is that I set the bottle down on a (nicer brand) nightstand and even though there were no apparent leaks in the bottle itself, it ate the finish off the nightstand after just a couple of hours, leaving an ugly bare ring. It was in our guest room, so for now I have a book hiding the damage, but we're going to have to completely sand and refinish the top eventually.

I won't use Best Press ever again.

I use Best Press once in awhile and have not had any problems. I prewash all of my fabrics before I start a project and that may be a difference. I buy the lavender too.

I don't like the fact Best Press does not list the ingredients in it. Why the secrecy? I won't buy products not even cleaning products that do not have a list of ingredients on the container.

I love Best Press. I have been using the lavender scent for many years and have never had it stain any fabric. :)

Best Press is starch. It is clarified, perfumed, and has surfactants added to help it absorb into fabric quickly. You can do a search for "homemade starch" and find many recipes.

See the above.

I have one of the very first bottles of Best Press from years ago. The label very clearly states that it is starch. I agree with you, Onebyone, and I think it's rather disingenuous of them to lead quilters to believe it's not starch by changing the terminology on the bottle to say "starch alternative". Sure, it's an alternative to traditional starch, such as Sta-Flo or Niagra, but it's still starch. The MSDS sheet for Best Press states this fact.

This isn't starch. This is what is known as "linen spray", a scented spray that will make your pressed linens smell lovely. Some vodkas are made with starches, but the act of fermenting and distilling removes the starch from the finished product.

I don't pre wash and have used the lilac Best Press and never had a problem. However, I gave up on Best Press and started using Faultless spray starch and really like the results. As long as you do not spray heaving, there is no "starch stiffness". Or I should say that I have not noticed any stiffness.

I learned the hard way not to use Best Press when using one of those wool ironing pads

What happened when using Best Press with wool ironing pad?

The wool pad smells with any steam of any spray of any kind on it. Smells like sheep. LOL I don't mind it, doesn't bother me and the smell goes away when the steam goes away.

I tried one of the scented Best Pressed, it had a very slight orange color, and when ironed, it looked like an iron burn. It did wash out; but since I prewash my fabrics, I don't want to wash again after it's finished.

. White fabric stains when using Best Press with a wool pad. I don't know if it comes from the spray, the wool, or other fabrics previously pressed with the wool pad.

I, too, had a "leaky" bottle (with no obvious leaks) that ruined the finish on my sewing table. I don't like any of their scents. Never had the spotting on fabric issue, but when it ruined my table, I said no more and haven't bought any since.

I have used the lavender several times and have not had a problem with staining. I will, however, be careful with where I stand the bottle! Thanks for the head's up! Also, I like the idea of making my own since the best press is expensive and I wait until JoAnns has a 50% or 60% coupon. Thanks for the recipe!

Best Press Hack
 

I make my own "Best Press", using 1 cup distilled water and one ounce of vodka. (1 shot) lol. There "recipe" actually calls for potato vodka but it is expensive and I have had good results with the cheap stuff. Although they look at you funny when you check it out,( just look at that old lady with the giant bottle of vodka.)

Anyone who had furniture ruined by Best Press should contact the company. It's unacceptable that it eats finishes. Staining of fabric should also be reported. I've never heard of starch doing that. However, some bleeder fabrics will run when they come in contact with any liquid.

Could someone please explain why just Vodka and water are supposed to add stiffness to fabric? I have an older recipe for Best Press that includes Stay Flo starch. I adjust the amount of it according to amount of crispness I want.

I have a spray bottle, glug, glug, glug vodka until about 1/3 of the bottle and fill remainder of the bottle with water. Potato vodka is the key and I have found that to be the cheapest vodka. You will not find it to be crisp but it behaves the same as Best Press - tames the fabric, gets wrinkles out and makes your seams lay flat. I have used this for years and many members of my guild do too. I got this tip from Edyta Sitar at a workshop.

I use the wool pressing pad all the time. I have never had white stains from using any type of spray including Best Press that many used at retreat on my pad. Maybe it's a different wool pad? They aren't all made from the same.

I use Best Press and have since it first came on the market. Years ago I was in the middle of a project and running out of the Best Press so I diluted what was left with water. It worked beautifully!

Now I use new bottles to fill my old one halfway, then add water to fill it up. Saves me lots of money and works fine for me because I don't like my fabric too stiff.

My teacher recommended spray sizing.

Your older recipe is the accurate one. Some people simply don't understand that the starch used in the vodka-making process is used up during fermentation. They know that some kind of starch is an ingredient and therefore believe it makes it all the way through to the end product.