Spray starch and carpet
 

I have just started using spray starch and I was wondering if the overspray from the spray starch will damage or make my carpet sticky or hard underneath my ironing board? DH suggested putting a plastic table cloth under my ironing board but I really don't want to put one under it if i don't need to.
Thank you for your help
Sue

I would put something under the area.

In my opinion, it's a lot easier to wipe off a table cloth than clean a carpet.

I've been spraying over carpet for ages, it doesn't do anything to it because when the moisture drys you are left with starch which vacuums up. That's my experience anyway...

I always have a large piece of cardboard to contain any over-spray. I thought one is suppose to spray outside because of the fumes??

I think you are probably thinking of 'spray basting' for the need to go outside.

I used the sizing in an aerosol can from Wal-Mart. I sprayed the pieces in a large shallow Sterilite tote.

When dry, there was residue on the tote.

I have carpet in my sewing area, and starch like crazy... it dries to a powder and vacuums up with no trace. Just to prove it to yourself spray a piece of paper .. let it dry and see how it reacts. Starch never truly goes into solution or dissolves, it is mostly suspended. That's why it will "fall" out when the fabric is handled or manipulated. Think about a shirt that has been starched ... at the elbow or any area that is bent or folded repeatedly will no longer be stiff.

Spray starch has been around for years and years. I don't think I've ever heard of carpet damage. Just how much are you spraying? I wonder if any of it ever makes it to the carpet.

I have hard wood floors and by the time it hits the floor it's like a dust. I just get the dust mop.

I've used spay starch (of several different brands) on things on my ironing board for years and years and never had a problem with anything getting sticky, either what I was spraying, or what was over sprayed, or under the board. I have a hardwood floor where my ironing board is located. I sweep and wash the floor and find nothing untoward under the ironing board (well, a lot of thread pieces!).

If you pour a bottle of liquid starch over your carpet it would get hard-- because I've made doilies into lace bowls using the liquid starch. (Soak a doily in liquid starch, then drape it over an upside down bowl-- when dry, remove, and the doily will be in a hard shape the same as the bowl. You can also do this project using a highly concentrated dissolved sugar and water solution.) Perhaps your question arises from the idea of what liquid starch can do in comparison to what spray starch can do...

I spray about 85% Sta Flo to 15% water. It did get on my laminate floor which I had to scrub off. It did not sweep or vacuum away. Now, when I spray starch large pieces of fabric, I place a bed sheet under my ironing board. Problem solved! By the way, I've never had a problem with Mary Ellen's Best Press or spray starch in cans; but I don't use them as much as Sta-Flo.

I have wondered this myself! I did notice that when I use a ton of starch my carpet does get a little rough or harder. I do have a steam cleaner though and I usually steam around that whole area about once a month. But that's probably because I May drink and spill coffee and crumbs and things around that whole area too. LOL. Hey! A girls gotta have coffee and snacks when ironing and quilting right?!?! That's part of the fun for me. Great snacks! HA!

I also Best Press over a hard wood floor. I go over the area with a damp paper towel. It's surprising how much of the spray does go beyond the ironing board, but it comes up very easily.

Thank you everyone for you own personal experiences.

Thank you for the question. I spray starch all the time, and my ironing board is on carpet, and have never noticed any change to the carpet. I just vacuum as usual. Now I'll look a little closer!

I have wood floors, use sta-flo, it does get on floor but does mop up. I think if I had carpet, I would use the tablecloth idea, better safe than sorry!

I use a plastic dishpan to spray into. It contains any over spray and when it dries in the dishpan it just flakes off and I put the flakes in the waste basket. I don't like my ironing board and other areas to get wet with the spray.

That's spray adhesive, not spray starch.