Starch Discolouration
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 2,353
Starch Discolouration
What is happening! I washed my fabric and now want it well-starched before fussy cutting. I sprayed liberally and thought the idea was to carefully press to dry the starch. But, as soon as I touched it with the hot iron brown marks appeared. I'm letting it dry well but will this happen once it's dry as well? Do I need to re-wash and abandon starch? I'm using Mary Ellen Best Press which is a reputable brand.
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 2,353
I let the fabric dry completely. Plus my ironing board, which was damp from the starch. I need a lesson on using starch, spraying down onto my ironing board doesn't seem to be a good idea either. This was a smaller piece, I don't know how I'm going to manage the longer yardages needed for this quilt.
Thanks for the tips. Dry fabric ironed up fine.
Thanks for the tips. Dry fabric ironed up fine.
#7
I have realized that my new iron (just like my new oven) is overly hot immediately after it reaches 'temperature'--my iron beeps and my oven sings. But in those few minutes immediately after, both are hotter than expected or needed. For the oven, I have started preheating 15 minutes earlier than needed. For the iron, I will either drop the temperature a notch or wait 5 minutes before using.
#8
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,539
Make sure your ironing surface is pristine or brown can come up into damp fabric when you iron. Wash the fabric to see if it is just the starch that burned from a too hot iron or if the fabric is scorched. I have not had any luck removing scorch from fabric.
#9
Check your sole plate on your iron, too. I thought my iron was clean once when I was starching some fabric, only to see brown streaks appear. When I looked at my iron, I had brown streaks on it. Use a magic eraser to clean your sole plate really good.
Whenever I use starch, I don't turn my iron up to cotton, I actually turn it down a little.
Whenever I use starch, I don't turn my iron up to cotton, I actually turn it down a little.
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,735
Check your sole plate on your iron, too. I thought my iron was clean once when I was starching some fabric, only to see brown streaks appear. When I looked at my iron, I had brown streaks on it. Use a magic eraser to clean your sole plate really good.
Whenever I use starch, I don't turn my iron up to cotton, I actually turn it down a little.
Whenever I use starch, I don't turn my iron up to cotton, I actually turn it down a little.