Substitute for BestPress?
 

Was there something posted on the board at one time about there being something out there that could be used in place of Best Press (spelling?)? I was at our guild meeting the other day and we were working on a new project and the lady leading the class was talking about how she uses Best Press for all of her quilting projects but that it is quite expensive. She let us use her's and it did give the material a nice press and feel. Thank you for any help or info you can give me.

sandyb

spray starch
 

Walmart carries a brand by Niagara that is in a spray bottle NOT an aersol can...love the stuff. At my walmart it is only $1.87/bottle. I have a quart bottle of best press but use the Niagara 90% of the time....try it

I use this too. Love the stuff!

A mixture of Vodka (the cheaper the better) and water works wonderfully!

I use this too and love it. I also saw on Quilt Show about making your own from concentrate and a brand called Stay Flow. I haven't tried it but it looked like it would work.

Spray starch not equal to Best Press
 

I use both Best Press and Niagara/Sta Flo/Homemade spray starch, ect. but nothing is the same as Best Press. It has a different texture than all the others listed. I use best press for small items that I hand stitch. I use spray starch for projects that really need the starch treatment (bias, triangles, ect,)

No wonder my quarter inch seam is never accurate!! I have to have a little nip of the vodka as I iron. Helps it go by faster!! Just couldn't resist!!

2 cups water, 1/4 cup CHEAP vodka, a few drops 100 percent Lavendar essential oil. Mix it, pour it into a spray bottle with a fine mist, and away you go.

I agree. I keep going back to the Best Press. I stopped using the fragrant ones though as they started to make me wheeze.

I've heard of Best Press but not tried it as I haven't seen it in the store. Whocarries it?

Our Hancock Fabrics sells it, but I make mine with the recipe listed previously with vodka and water.

I like my vodka straight up and yes, it does work wonderfully.:D

Mostly LQS carry Best Press. I love the Vodka mix without the lavendar. Then you could drink or starch depending on the need...lol

The Niagara non aerosol spray is a great substitute for Bet Press.

You can now also get Bounce spray in Wal-Mart that works really well also. I have tried them all, like them in this order.......Best Press, Bonce spray......then Niagra non-aresol.

Joann's online carries best press as well and you can use your coupons to get the gallon jugs

Thank you for the information about Niagara. I'm going o give it a try.

I make my own starch..

1 C. Stay flo starch ( blue bottle- got mine at walmart- laundry section)
1 C. Water ( any water or distilled)
1 C. Febreeze ( i use lavender scent)

Mix it really well and pour in a spray bottle- I used an empty Best press Spray bottle..

Never thought of adding Febreeze for scent to my Sta-Flo. Thanks for the hint.

You can change your scents season to season.. mmmmmm, apple Cinnamon for the holidays..

niagra...cut in half... and put in a different spray bottle...I don't care for the way the Niagra bottle sprays

I use Best Press. I buy it by the gallon and then I mix with water in my sprayer. Check out Mary Ellens website. She has freee shipping if you order 50.00. She has a lot of other stuff!

I use sta-flo and water

Well, that too helps:o but the vodka and water does make a good substitute for the expensive "Best Press".

I can't afford the best press either, but, I use the sta flo concenrate. I mix it 1/2 sta flo and 1/2 water. I use filtered water, just so there is a few less chemical. Just my choice, don't know if it makes any difference.

I use the Best Press on my garments as well. LOVE it.

I will stand behind the Best Press. I always buy the refill bottle when I have a 50% off coupon and refill my spray bottle. I get mine at Hancock Fabrics. My favorite LQS sells it too but for much more than Hancock's. I also water mine down. I will use about 2/3 best press to 1/3 water in my spray bottle. I get the same results as if I use it full strength. I use it when I iron/press anything, including clothes.

I had Best Press and I agree it is quite expensive. I found something by Dryel that was a good substitute but of course it disappeared. I learned it was repackaged as a Bounce product with the Bounce smell in it . Its called Bounce ironing spray. Walmart did not carry it last time I looked. I have not used it since the change.
I made up the mixture of the vodka and water and essential oil. I LOVE it. It gives a smooth finish like the expensive stuff. I tried starch alone, then the homemade ironing spray alone, to test For finish work I like the ironing spray best. I use it on my clothes too. What I have been doing with my fabric is spraying it with a light mixture of starch , rolling it and when I am ready to iron spraying it with the ironing spray.
OH BTW you are not limited to lavender. I used Rosemary for clearing my head while I iron. I have also used Peppermint to wake me up. But make sure they are essential oils not cooking extracts. Big difference. :-)

The last time I did this, I picked up a bottle of citrus vodka by accident. It works just as well as the plain stuff, but smells great!

Hubby always says he can tell when I've got the iron on, because the upstairs smells like happy hour. With the citrus stuff, he asked if I wanted a bottle of champagne to go with it, for fuzzy navels. :D

I really like Best Press but like the Niagra non-aerosol price much better. Depends on what I am working on which I use. Both work very well.

I also love the Niagara is a plastic spray bottle. It smells so fresh and clean and works wonderfully. It also comes in Max, a more heavier starch which works great for bias edges.

I like buying the liquid starch that you add water to to use. You can make it so your fabric doesn't get as stiff, just by diluting it a little more. I confess, I do love the Best Press, but I buy it by the gallon (when I do buy it) to save money. I use it on hubs work clothes b/c you don't have to worry about the flaking....

This is a recipe for something very similar to best press. Mark Lipinski's starch recipe:
Boil 1 qt water
Dissolve 4 Tab liquid starch in 2 cups cold water (this makes a light starch--use more for a heavy starch).
Add this to boiling water and return to boil.
Then add 2 more cups of cold water--place in spray bottle (I put the extra in plastic milk jugs). Store in cool
place. I love this mix. I use light starch and add a bit of lavender water.

I buy a gallon of Best Press on line from Joann's when they have a 50% off coupon. It is normally around $60 so 1/2 off sure makes it more affordable. I use it on everything.

Yesterday I made vodka spray starch, 1/4 Cup Vodka, 2 cup water (scant), and a few drops of rose water. Works wonderfully. Make sure you use a spray bottle that has been cleaned thoroughly, (re use, re cycle, re gift), I love it. So far I think it works as well as the Best Press. I have had difficulty with the Best Press bottle leaking, so I didn't reuse that bottle. Does any one else have a problem with Best Press bottles leaking?

Love Best Press, but you're right, it's expensive! One of the ladies in my guild said she dilutes it and it works great. Pretty sure she said she waters it down 50/50.

Have to say, the vodka idea sounds pretty inviting! Would make a great gift for a quilty friend--you could make you're own label and put it on a squirt bottle from a dollar-type store.

Thanks!
Carole

Many of the quilt shops carry Best Press. I love it. I have used Niagara and can't tell any difference.

I love your attitude!! I will have to try the vodka spray.

Mix best press with 1/2 water it still works and lasts longer

So many options! I guess the main thing is to use somthing - I made lots of quilts with no starch, then decided to try Best Press - I'll never make another quilt without using some sort of starch or alternitive - makes lots of difference!