How to Use Best Press Spray Starch: Crisp Pressing Without Flaking or Residue
Every quilter knows that good pressing is half the battle. Seams that will not lie flat and fabric that wrinkles the moment you move it can turn an accurate pattern into a frustrating puzzle. Best Press Spray Starch — here in the Lavender Fields gallon refill size — is a starch and sizing alternative designed to give fabric a crisp, professional finish without the drawbacks of ordinary spray starch.
What Is Best Press?
Best Press is an ironing spray used in place of traditional spray starch. According to the maker, it leaves no flaking, no clogging, and no white residue on dark fabrics — three of the most common complaints about conventional starch, especially when you are pressing deep navy, black, or rich jewel-toned quilting cottons. It also includes a special stain shield that helps protect fabrics while you work, and it helps fabric resist wrinkles after pressing. This gallon-size plastic bottle is the refill size, made to keep your regular spray bottle topped up through many projects, and the Lavender Fields version brings a light lavender scent to your pressing station.
Why Quilters and Sewists Use It
Quilters reach for a pressing spray at nearly every stage of a project. A light application before cutting helps stabilize fabric so rotary-cut pieces stay true to size. Pressing seams and finished blocks with Best Press gives them a flatter, crisper finish that makes nesting seams and matching points easier. Because it does not leave white residue, it is a reassuring choice for dark backgrounds and borders where ordinary starch can show. Garment sewists appreciate it for the same reasons: smoother pressing and better wrinkle resistance.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Start with your spray bottle filled. Use the gallon refill to top up your spray bottle so it is ready at the ironing board, and keep the iron set for your fabric type.
- Mist lightly and evenly. Hold the spray bottle a short distance from the fabric and apply a light, even mist. A little goes a long way — you want the fabric lightly treated, not soaked.
- Press, do not slide. Set the iron down, press, then lift and move to the next area. Pressing rather than dragging the iron helps avoid stretching the fabric out of shape.
- Press seams as your pattern directs. Press seams to one side or open, and give finished blocks a final press so they lie flat and measure true before you join them.
- Let the fabric cool. Give pressed pieces a moment to cool and set on a flat surface before stacking or sewing, so the crisp finish holds.
Practical Tips
Test on a scrap first whenever you try a pressing product on a new fabric, and use a lighter hand on delicate pieces. Press fabric before cutting when accuracy matters most, such as strip sets and small pieces. Keeping the gallon refill on hand means you are not rationing spray mid-project — a simple way to keep your pressing consistent from the first block to the last border.
Care and Storage
Store the gallon bottle upright in a cool spot near your pressing area, with the cap closed, and keep your filled spray bottle at the ironing board. As with any household pressing product, keep it out of reach of children and follow any directions printed on the bottle. Because the formula is designed not to clog, your spray bottle should keep misting evenly refill after refill.
Project Ideas
Use Best Press when pressing fat quarters before cutting, flattening finished blocks for a sampler quilt, pressing seams on table runners and placemats, and giving quilt tops a final crisp press before layering and quilting. It is equally handy for garment pieces and appliqué backgrounds — any project where flat seams make the work easier.
Shop the Best Press Spray Starch Lavender Fields Gallon Refill Size at Linda's Electric Quilters.
