I have not ironed clothing in a very long time. Simply because I am one to promptly remove clothing from the dryer so it doesn't have time to get wrinkled. But I find myself needing to do some ironing in the immediate future as I have purchased some clothing that just can't be worn without the wrinkles being ironed out. Even with hanging them up promptly after being dried, they still look "mussed". I have gone through and reviewed some basic instruction for ironing and I thought I would share my findings with those of you that are not "up" on the basics.
1. Check the label in the clothing. It will usually list what setting the garment should be ironed on. If it's something that shouldn't be ironed, it will also say that.
2. If the iron has a water reservoir, fill it with distilled water. Use this instead of tap water so you don't have hard water build up or deposits.
3. Set the iron on the correct setting. Sit it upright on the ironing board. Don't lie it flat. Let it heat up. Most irons have a light that comes on when it's heating up and the light will usually go out when it's at the correct temperature.
**If you are ironing more than one garment, start with the one that needs the coolest setting and work your way up to the ones that need the high settings.
4. If your ironing board doesn't have a silver cover on it, then you can place a piece of aluminum foil on the pad. This helps the opposite side of the garment to heat up as well and is like ironing both sides at the same time. This cuts down on the total ironing time.
5. If you are using spray starch, then get it out now. You would spray a small area right before ironing it, and keep repeating until the garment is ironed.
6. Put your garment on the ironing board. Start with the inside unless the garment is cotton or silky rayon. Then you would start with the outside.
7. Now you are ready to iron. Remember to keep the iron moving, never let it sit still. If you have a stubborn wrinkle, spray a bit of water on it and iron over it with steam. Begin with the large areas and work your way to the small areas and corners. If you are ironing a shirt, you would start with the side away from you and once you have it ironed, move that section off the board AWAY from your body so you will not rub up against it and cause wrinkles to form.
8. Turn the garment over and iron the right side if needed. It's actually best to iron both sides but there are cases where you wouldn't. Cotton and silky rayon shouldn't be ironed on the wrong side at all. If you are in doubt about ironing a garment, then iron the wrong side only. But only if the tag says it can be ironed. For delicate fabrics, vibrant colors, or dark colors, try to get all the wrinkles out by only ironing the wrong side. Dark colors can take on a shine when ironed on the right side.
9. Hang the garment up immediately. If you have no other garments to iron, turn off the iron and dump the water out of the reservoir. Remember to sit the iron up right when you place it back down on the board. Keep it this way until it is cool and can be put away safely.
Things to remember:
1. Clean your iron regularly. Use a soft, damp cloth. This keeps the steam vents open and unclogged.
2. If you want, you can lightly spray your garment before ironing with water. A moist garment will iron better.
FINAL TIP: The steam from an iron is HOT. Keep your hands away from it. The same goes for the bottom of the iron.
