Water soluble topper (often called wss) is a clear thin product used on top of embroidery to prevent stitches from sinking into plush fabrics and to prevent things like terry fabric’s loops from poking through an embroidery design. While water soluble toppers are thin and tear easily, it can be sometimes a bit tricky to remove the wss from tiny gaps.
Here are some of our favorite tricks to easily remove water soluble toppers.
1) Use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz a paper towel. Lay the paper towel over the embroidery design, and with a warm (not hot) iron, lightly iron over the design. The water soluble topper will stick to the paper towel when you remove the paper towel.
2) Get a new, clean tennis ball. Using a spray bottle of water, lightly spritz the tennis ball so that is it slightly damp. Place scraps of water soluble products onto the tennis ball, coating he tennis ball. Gently roll the tennis ball over the embroidery design, and the damp water soluble product covering the tennis ball will stick to the water soluble topper on the embroidery design.
3) You can use a scrap of leftover foam (such as found in cushions) and rub it across the water soluble topper. The foam’s surface is rough, making it perfect to grab the water soluble topper and remove it. The foam is also squishy, making it easy to push into the embroidery design’s grooves and gaps. If you need extra grabbing power, then spritz the foam’s surface with water till slightly damp. The damp foam will help the water soluble topper stick better to the foam scrap. The foam can be rinsed out after, if desired.