How often have you run into this situation? You take your freshly cleaned clothes out of the washer just to realize that they’re full of wrinkles! Why does this happen? The fabric gets twisted during the final spin cycle. Fortunately, it is possible to de-wrinkle the fabric by using a dryer. But wait, what if the item cannot be tumble dried? What then?
The answer—you want to iron it. If anything, it’s the quickest and easiest way to get rid of the wrinkles. The last thing that you want to do is to wear a shirt with hard-to-ignore creases, especially if it’s to a professional setting. Remember, you always want to be presentable at work—and that starts with wearing a wrinkle-free shirt!
What about casual clothes, though? Things like t-shirts—is ironing necessary for those types of garments? At the end of the day, it depends on your preference. Does the idea of wearing a creased tee bother you? If so, maybe give it a quick iron. Otherwise, you can just wear it as is.
Different Types of Clothes Irons
How familiar are you with irons? Did you know that there are multiple types? That’s right, not all of them are the same; some are designed with specific purposes in mind. The key is to pick the right one—that way, the chore will be less tedious. What should you look for? Durability, ease of use, size, and features that you might want to use.
Basic Irons
Chances are, you’re familiar with the basic iron—these are the ones with a metal sole plate at the bottom. How do they work? They come with a dial on the body, which allows you to control the temperature. While inexpensive, however, they might not have all the features that you need. For instance, you might not be able to achieve a proper press unless you use a spray bottle. Not to mention that these units tend to be bulky and heavy!
Steam Irons
Steam irons are probably the most common type of iron. Equipped with a water tank, they are capable of producing steam, which helps to create a neater finish—especially with fabrics such as linen or common. What’s more, is that they are capable of releasing a burst of steam—this comes in handy when you’re working with stubborn wrinkles. On top of that, these irons typically also have a retractable cord and an auto shut-off.
Vertical Steam Irons
Vertical steam irons are pretty much what they sound like—they’re steam irons that can be used vertically. If anything, they’ve become more and more popular over the past few years. Why? They’re small and convenient. With the press of a button, you’ll be able to reduce wrinkles quickly and easily. They might be a little more expensive than other irons, but the convenience is worth it.
Travel Irons
Travel irons are much smaller than other irons. After all, they’re meant to be portable so that you can take them with you when you’re travelling! For instance, many of them are foldable and cordless. As far as features go, it depends on the model that you have—some offer steam capabilities while others are more basic.
10 Tips for How to Iron Your Clothes Properly
Ironing is not too difficult but it does require some skill. For one thing, it’s more than just pressing a button—there are certain things that you want to consider when you’re in front of the ironing board. One wrong step and you can easily ruin a shirt with the heat! Or worse, you could injure yourself! Surely, you’ve heard of at least one ironing horror story in your life?
Want to know how to iron your clothes properly? If so, you’re on the right page! We’ll be sharing with you all the tips that you need to know. By the time you’re done with this post, you’ll be an ironing master!
1. Make Sure Your Ironing Board is Straight
Pay attention to your ironing board. Before you start, you want to make sure that the surface is flat and even. Not only that, but you want to make sure that it’s covered with a high-quality cover. Trust me, you won’t be able to do a good ironing job if the board isn’t straight! Even the slightest bump can cause a crease to develop in your clothing. If that happens, you’re back to square one.
2. Start With a Clean Sole Plate
Always check the sole plate before ironing. You never know, there might be stains, which can transfer onto your favorite shirts and tops. Before ironing your clothes, do a test-run on a rag—that way, you’ll be able to tell if the plate is dirty (it might not always be obvious visually). If there’s dirt, consider applying a bit of water/baking-soda mixture to the plate; wipe it off afterwards with a clean cloth.
3. Use the Correct Heat Settings For Your Garment
It’s super important that you use the right temperature setting when you’re ironing. The last thing that you want to do is to ruin a shirt with too much heat! Remember, different fabrics have different needs. Before you start, always check the care tag label—that way, you’ll know exactly what temperature to use.
Assuming that you have a bunch of clothes, it might be a good idea to separate them based on their fabric. In doing so, you’ll be able to iron them all at once with the proper setting. Here’s a tip—always start with low-temperature items, before increasing it for other garments. In some cases, you might want to protect the item by laying a pressing cloth over it.
4. Cover Your Ironing Board With Aluminum Foil
Want to cut down your ironing time? If so, you might want to line your ironing board with aluminium foil. Don’t worry, it won’t melt—it’ll actually make the job a lot quicker and easier! How it works is that the foil will reflect the heat straight onto the underside of the clothes, almost like a second iron. That’s right, you won’t need to turn your shirt over, you’ll only need to iron one side! For the best results, make sure to put the shiny side up—that will allow for maximum heat reflection.
5. Iron Cotton When It’s Still Damp
You should only iron clothes that are dry, right? Wrong! Well, at least for cotton. As it turns out, the fabric should be ironed when it’s still damp—that will help to reduce creases (they can be difficult to get out if the garment is dry). Forgot to iron it when it’s dry? No problem—you can just moisten it with a spray bottle! Ultimately, it’s the steam that will help the creases to fall out.
6. Iron in a Well-Lit Area
You want maximum visibility when you’re ironing—you wouldn’t want to iron for an hour just to realize that your clothes are actually still creased, would you? For this reason, you want to make sure that you’re ironing in a well-lit room—that will make the job easiest, quicker, and you’ll get better results! Remember, the darker it is, the harder it is to spot creases, especially if you’re working with light-colored items.
7. Hang Up Your Clothes Immediately After Ironing
Don’t want your freshly ironed items to develop wrinkles and creases? Then hang them up immediately when you’re finished. Here’s a tip—keep some coat hangers nearby when you’re in front of the ironing board. That way, you’ll be able to hang up the garments right away after you’re done.
Alternatively, you can fold the items up on a flat surface—that will also help to prevent your clothes from getting wrinkled before you store them away.
8. Never Iron Dirty Clothes
It’s not a good idea to wash a stained shirt without first pre-treating the spot. Well, guess what? The same thing goes for ironing. Put it simply, you never want too iron dirty clothes—that will only “set in” the stain (i.e. it might become permanent). Fortunately, this is easy to avoid; simply make sure that the shirt you’re working with is clean before you start ironing.
9. Iron Inside Out Whenever Possible
The heat from the iron can cause certain fabrics to become singed or shiny. As you can imagine, it can be quite noticeable. Luckily, there’s an easy way to prevent this problem—simply turn your garment inside out. That will prevent your item from developing a slight sheen!
10. Remove Creases With Vinegar
Vinegar is a miracle worker when it comes to your clothes. Not only is it a great deodorizer, but it can also be used to get rid of creases and wrinkles! Ultimately, what you want to do is to mix equal parts of water and white vinegar in a small spray bottle. Give it a good shake and apply it to the creased areas on your shirt. From there, you just have go over the fabric with your iron. With that, the wrinkles will come straight out! It’s super easy.
