Homemade Best Press
 

A light bulb just went on...every time I mix my homemade best press I am franticly looking for the formula. Well next time I will not waste my quilting time...I wrote it on a slip of paper and taped it to the spray bottle. :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

Is this something other than corn starch and water?

Do share :-)

Are you sharing - I would love to make my own!

The formula I have been using is....2 cups distilled water. 2 oz. Vodka. And 2 drops Lavendar oil.
Easy but I could never remember. :) This has been posted here in boards in the past, so I did not think to add it to my original post. **Not my formula***

Judy in Phx, AZ

thanks for the tip

seriously vodka? what does it do?

You drink the vodka and your quilting looks perfect lol

I was wondering the same thing.

Some people seem to be under the impression that somehow vodka is starch. It's not.

Vodka is made from potatoes thus potato starch is in it.

Vodka. Really? Or are you having us newbies on? ;)

Lol, Margie!

ummmm. No. The starches in a mash are what works with added enzymes and yeast to make the mixture which then ferments and breaks the starches and sugars down into alcohol. the mash has the potatoes and thus potato starch, but the alcohol that comes from any mash (potato, corn, barley, fruit, etc) comes from heating the mixture to a point where the alcohol begins to evaporate before the boiling point of the water. It is then condensed as the vapor travels through a series of coiled tubes, or chilled condenser assembly and collected into the collection tank.

And please do not ask how I know. Just let's leave it that I have a creative family on my papa's side.....

Vodka is essentially water and alcohol, with hints of the volatile flavors compounds that come from the mash components. Everclear is cleaner tasting and more volatile (more alcohol less water) and i use for a variety of crafting uses.

Wrong. The process of fermentation turns the starch to alcohol. No starch is left.

I wouldn't waste good vodka!

2 oz..... no waste when you save on store bought sprays.........

I have my recipe posted right at the sink down here in the basement where I mix it up at. Sure beats having to hunt for the darn thing. I make it by the gallon using the vodka recipe plus add some liquid Sta-Flo starch. I like a bit of stiffness to my fabric while I work on them.

You can buy potato vodka. It is the potatoes that provide the "starch". If you use it straight you don't need to dilute it, according to what I've read.

Yes, vodka is made from potatoes so it is a natural source of starch.

I find this very interesting, what crafts do you use the vodka for? And does this spray actually work? My grandma used vodka to clean her jewelry. I have used rum to make homemade vanilla but I think I'll use vodka next time.

funny!!! :D I like how you think!

Vodka is made from potatoes... starch

I write the recipe right on the bottle with a permanent marker. I have the inch measurements drawn on the bottle, and add Stay-Flo starch to the right measurement, then add water to dilute it for spraying. Usually it is one inch of Stay-Flo and add water to the 5 inch mark. So easy.

If you write your recipe for the Vodka starch on the bottle, it will always be there. (sometimes I have to "refresh it" with more permanent marker, but I do that before it is entirely worn off.)

Homemade Best Press
 

I'm with you. A little bit of Vodka will make anything look better - or worse.

answer please, just what does the alcohol/vodka do in the recipe to make the stuff work? I know that water relaxes wrinkles, lavender smells nice.

@ Margie, Post #9: I agree, with OJ and rocks!
peace

I don't know why it works but it does and I've used it for years! I also use Bergamot, Clove or Eucalyptus oils for a change of pace!

I add about a tablespoon of Frebreeze for the scent as I do not keep essential oils around anything. I like the idea of adding a bit of Staflo to the mix, I will try and remember that for next time.

Cleaning up after using polymer clays, solvent to remove stray inks on fabrics, creation of alcohol based inks, photogravure printing inks, some use in shellacs. It is also a popular ingredient in homemade deodorant splashes, perfume making, making extracts and flavorings, and wait, theres more! Lol

the big thing to remember is to get the highest proof possible and keep well capped when not in use. Alcohols are hygroscopic (water loving) and pull it from the atmosphere so you might need to add special type of dessicant bead for anyhdrous alcohols to stay water free. But everclear just needs to be capped.

The starch is turned into alcohol by the fermentation process. It doesn't matter which "starch" you start out with, corn, wheat, potato, rye, rice, etc the act of fermentation turns the starch to alcohol.

I agree with Scissor Queen, no starch in vodka. Has anyone tried just using rubbing alcohol in place of vodka? (I just buy cans of spray starch...quick and cheap.)

I use half and half StaFlo and water which works great for me. I have never tried Best Press. Other than the scent, what is the advantage of using Best Press over spray starch? Thanks!

I've read that the vodka stabilizes the starch mixture. There's a problem with the recipe posted upthread - it doesn't have starch in it. Water, vodka, a perfume, but you also need starch.


Best Press IS starch. It simply has been clarified, lightly scented and colored, and has an added surfactant to make it soak into the fabric faster. So in my opinion, there is no advantage or disadvantage, it's simply another starch product.

Margie, that is so funny.

Yes, thanks for the formula. Of course I wrote it down some time ago and put it away for "safe keeping". The formula of course has disappeared into the land of things I'm sure I'll be able to find later. This time I mixed up a batch right away and took your idea to tape the recipe to the bottle.

rotflllllll

Dont spend all day lloking for potato vodka. Go for cheapest highest proof vodka, or distilled clear grain alcohol you can find. It doesnt make a difference as long as its clear.

does the everclear work the same as the vodka? I have a bottle that has been sitting for years. Need yo use it.