Do any of you use the "commercial" starches? Ones used in laundry/dry cleaning facilities. Have tried everything from cheapest to most expensive - all brands, Not happy with any of them. Would prefer non aresol (sp). How do you use. Completely saturate press dry, etc.

I usually either p/u Sta Flo and mix 50/50 or make my own.

I prefer sizing

I use Mary Ellen's Best Press and only that. I use it because it's a starch alternative and will not attract bugs. Plus since it's not a starch it doesn't have the flaking problems starch has.

I love Mary Ellen's but don't use it often. Too expensive. I use Niagra non-areosol spray for my quilts most often. I have been cutting up men's shirts to make quilts with and use home-made starch for them. I found Argo Laundry starch at a little home-town grocery store. I make a big batch and dip all the fabric, wring it out and put it into the drier. When its almost completely dry, I take it out and iron them. They store them Rubbermaid totes til I am ready to use them.

I have used Sta-flo, Magic Sizing, and Niagara Start on lots of fabric and had it stored in totes, drawers and boxes for long periods of time and not had any bugs. Not sure why I have been lucky, it may be because it is hot out here and not muggy. I didn't know that there was a heavier commercial starch. It would be interesting to test it out and see if it does make a difference. I have settled on the Sta-flo because I can make it as strong or as light as I want it for any given project and it flakes the least for me.

One blog site (that I can't find for you) has the person spray her fabric and then place it in the refrigerator over night so that the starch will soak into the fabric real well. When I was little my mother would sprinkle her cotton with water, roll it up, put in a stack and start ironing the first sprinkled item. I guess this is the same concept.

Good luck on your search.

I use Mary Ellen's Best Press.

I like Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch because it's easy to mix to the strength you want. The strongest I use it is in a 1:1 ratio with water (equal parts of both).

I use this strength for backing fabric, for fabric I plan to cut into bias strips, and for foundation fabric for machine applique. (The foundation fabric comes out stiff enough that I do not have to use a stabilizer underneath for the machine applique.)

My method is to "paint" the starch solution on the fabric. My kitchen island is the right size and height, and I use a regular wall painting brush for the "painting". I paint until the fabric is saturated with the solution, then toss in the dryer and later iron with steam.

Sta-Flo can also be mixed with water to use in a hand spray bottle. I haven't used it this way yet.

I don't typically use aerosol spray starch for a couple of reasons: (1) I always get overspray, which I don't like, and (2) I never seem to wait long enough for the starch to soak into the fabric. This is especially a problem because I do not prewash fabric; spray starch tends to just sit on the surface and not get absorbed into the fibers. Ironing it this way results in flaking or scorching. (3) I always seem to use too hot of an iron on the unsoaked-in spray starch, so I end up scorching the starch and gunking up the bottom of my iron.

A quilting friend showed me how to make lavendar scented starch from Walmart's spray starch.
A lot cheaper than Mary Ellen's (which I like , but too dear)

I make my own for piecing..

1 part (ie., 1 cup) concentrated Sta Flo starch
1 Part (ie., 1 cup) Water
1 part (ie., 1 cup) Liquid Frebreeze (any scent will do,my favorite is lavender)

Shake/mix real well and pour in a spray bottle..

Its cheaper but for finishing touches I use Best Press...