Pros and Cons of Using a Wool Pressing Mat

It’s been years now that wool pressing mats have taken the quilty world by storm! Several years ago, after hearing all of the hoopla, I decided to give them a go and see if wool pressing mats live up to the hype. Today, I’m sharing my full honest review of whether wool pressing mats make a difference in your pressing.

Read on for all the pros and cons of using wool pressing mats in your quilting and sewing practice!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.

What is a wool pressing mat?

Before I dive in and start reviewing the use of wool ironing mats, I figured I should cover what they are 😉

Essentially, it’s compressed wool that’s formed into a square or rectangle that you can pop on top of your ironing board or on a table (caution – you still want to have some form of heat protection underneath to protect your furniture from scorching and steam).

Sewists and quilters use it to help get nice flat seams.

Why would you want one?

Since wool is a naturally flame-resistant material that absorbs and reflects heat, this means that you’re actually heating and pressing your fabric from both sides. This results in speeding up your pressing time and improving your pressing.

The texture of the wool also means that your fabric stays put more easily and minimizes stretching and warping on you as you press your blocks. This leads to more accurately pressed quilt blocks, helping you keep your piecing on the straight and narrow!

Cool, right?

I was amazed that such a simple product could have such a big impact.

Which one did I get?

More and more wool ironing mats are available in the market, making it clear that there’s a demand, but also complicating things for us to decide which one to purchase.

So, which one did I get?

When I went on the hunt for a wool pressing mat of my own, I was focused on two things:

1. The quality of materials used. I wanted mine to be made from 100% wool.
2. The thickness of the mat. I wanted mine to be on the thick side.

This led me to discover this 17″x17″ wool pressing mat.

Material Composition

Not all wool pressing mats are made from 100% wool. Most are, but be mindful to read the materials list before picking yours up.

Mat Thickness

I also found that the thickness varies from brand to brand.

Some are quite thin, which I wonder if that impacts the quality of the press as you have less area for the heat to catch in and reflect back. Don’t quote me on that, but that’s the impression I get.

What was my first impression?

Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed. I didn’t immediately see a huge difference.

But as I kept with it and started combining it with my fine mist spray and a tailor’s clapper, I definitely started noticing that my seams were flatter.

Does it make a difference?

Bottom line, yes, it does.

If you don’t have one, then you certainly don’t need one to quilt. That said, I have noticed that it’s improved the quality of my pressing ever since I’ve been consistently using it.

Does it smell?

There was a slight ‘wet dog’ smell when I first got my wool pressing mat. I mainly smelled it when I was using super hot temperatures paired with steam. I think it was the steam that encouraged some of those off smells (I share tips on how to prevent this below).

But as I’ve continued to use it over these last few years, I’ve definitely noticed the smell has dissipated if not entirely disappeared.

Should you use steam?

While doing research for this post, I stumbled upon a few comments about not using steam when working with a wool pressing mat. Since I was finding conflicting information, I decided to reach out to the team at The Felt Store for some guidance.

So, should you use steam?

It depends!

If you’re working with a 100% wool pressing mat, then feel free to use steam. However, if your wool pressing mat has a combination of materials, it’s probably best to skip the steam.

That said, do be mindful of not getting your mat excessively wet. If it does get wet, then allow it to air dry between sessions.

Wool is naturally antimicrobial, so as long as you’re mindful of not getting your mat excessively wet, you should be fine. If it does get wet, then allow it to air dry flat between sessions.

Fine Mist Spray

For the last little while, instead of using the steam setting on my iron, I’ve been using this fine mist spray bottle, which has been working like a charm!

I found regular spray bottles sprayed too much water on my quilt blocks, but this one creates a super fine mist, so you don’t end up with big water puddles.

Spray the Wool Pressing Mat

You can also opt to spray your wool pressing mat instead of your quilt block, which will have the same effect without getting your fabric wet!

My Pressing Essentials

You don’t need a lot of notions when it comes to pressing your quilt blocks. Here’s an overview of my essential pressing tools I keep on hand.

• Wool pressing mat – receive 15% off your wool pressing mat(s) on thefeltstore.ca or thefeltstore.com, when using code SHANNONFRASER15 
• Big Iron for larger jobs – mine seems to be discontinued, this is a similar option
• Small iron for smaller jobs (read more about these cuties here)
• Tailor’s clapper
• Fine mist spray bottle

How to care for your wool pressing mat

Once again, I reached out to my friends at The Felt Store for insight on how to properly care for my wool pressing mat.

Don’t judge, but, other than de-linting with a lint roller, I haven’t ‘cleaned’ mine since I got it several years back – ha!

Hand Wash

The best way to clean your wool pressing mat is by hand washing it with a mild soap.

Allow the mat to air dry flat and out of direct sunlight.

Dealing with the Smell

If the natural animal smell bothers you, there are a few remedies you can try to help.

Baking Soda

You can sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over your entire mat, and allow it to sit for 24 hours.

When ready, shake off the baking soda. Leave in the open air for another 24 hours.

Repeat this process until the smell is gone.

Vinegar

Another option is to spray distilled white vinegar over the surface of your wool mat. You’re not looking to saturate the felt, just give it a light coating and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes. The acidity of the vinegar will combat the bacteria that’s causing the odor.

To remove the vinegar, simply blot with a clean towel and then spray with clean water. Blot again to remove as much of the excess water. Allow to fully air dry.

Tea Tree Oil

If none of the above solutions are working to dissipate the smell, then you can try spraying a mix of 2 tablespoons of tea tree oil with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Shake the mixture to combine and then spray very lightly over your wool pressing mat. Allow the first side to dry, and then repeat these steps on the second side.

Pros of using a wool pressing mat

To help you understand what I love the most about using my wool pressing mat, I thought I’d round up all the pros for you in a succinct list.

• Portable and lightweight – I find it easy to pop on my table or pop it on my ironing board
• Helps maintain the integrity of my block (i.e. it reduces fabric stretching)
• ‘Presses’ the block from both the top and bottom
• Absorbs and distributes heat evenly, avoiding hot spots
• The residual heat means my iron doesn’t have to work as hard

Cons of using a wool pressing mat

As with most things in life, there are usually some downsides and a wool pressing mat is no different. Here are the cons I’ve noted after using my own wool pressing mat:

• There is a slight ‘wet dog’ smell when you first start using the mat – you can probably reduce this smell by not using steam from your iron (see tips above for how to clean/care for your mat).
• The size is perfect for block pressing but is a little on the smaller side when pressing a quilt top. That’s why I have my eye on their custom option 😉.
• You need to use a heat-protective mat, or layer of cork, or a thick towel underneath your wool pressing mat to protect your table from heat and steam.
• If you don’t have it anchored on the table, it can slide around on you. Or, maybe I’m just an aggressive presser – ha!

And that pretty much sums up my cons list!

Have you tried working with a wool pressing mat? I’d love to hear about your experience, share it with me in the comments below 😊

xo,

Shannon

PS If you’re on the hunt for your own wool pressing mat, receive 15% off your wool pressing mat on thefeltstore.ca or thefeltstore.com, when using code SHANNONFRASER15.

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