Are you struggling with ironing clothes? After a hard day at the office, it isn’t easy to iron. For a beginner, ironing could be a nightmare. So to save you from this crisis, I’m giving you some tips.
Why don’t you take a look at these tips? Are you ready?
Let’s go!
Pick a Good Iron
There are so many renowned irons in the market. Try to pick the best and efficient one. Don’t think too much about the price. Instead, consider this purchase as an investment for your home and family members.
If money is not a problem for you, buy a steam generator iron. This iron can process clothes much quicker. This is because it has a larger water tank, allowing you to iron hours after hours. In addition, its powerful steam burst can offer you wrinkle-free clothes in minutes.
Buy An Ironing Board
Buy an ironing board that fits you. Are you worried about spacing in your tiny apartment? Don’t worry. There are so many types of ironing boards in the market. Choose one that suits you the best. You can pick-
- Small ironing board
- Medium ironing board
- Large ironing board
- Extra-large ironing board
- Over-the-door ironing board
- Wall-mounted ironing board
- Tabletop ironing board
- Ironing blanket.
However, you can use a reading table or your bed too. But, ironing on these surfaces is tricky. For example, ironing on the bed may cause a fire. Therefore, buying an ironing board is a must for a newbie like you.
Read The Instruction Manual
Perfect ironing isn’t an easy task. So, try to read and understand the instruction manual of your iron. It will help you to understand the optimal temperature and steam settings for your clothes.
A modern-day iron comes with many options, like auto shut-off, self-clean, anti-calc, and anti-drip. Understanding those features assist you in reducing the ironing time by a significant margin.
Moreover, clean your iron regularly according to the manual. A clogged iron can never process clothes easily.
If you lost your manual, visit the manufacturer’s website to download it.
Use Washer And Dryer Correctly
Using the perfect setting in the washer and dryer can make the ironing process a lot easier. If you can’t set the ideal setting, ironing will be tough and damage clothes for good. Therefore, follow the instructions below-
- First thing first, check clothing tags before washing them. If the label says gentle wash, do it.
- Don’t overload your washer and dryer with clothes. If so, some delicate fabrics may ruin. Don’t go crazy in such a situation.
- Avoid using cheap detergent. Rather pick a liquid softener.
- Use laundry bags. It will save your clothes from the rough movements in the washing machine.
- After washing, always air dry clothes instead of using the dryer. Using a dryer at a hot temperature may permanently damage some clothes, like polyester, spandex, and linen.
Iron Clean Clothes
Before ironing, always check whether clothes are dirty or not. Ironing dirty clothes is a huge waste of time. Moreover, ironing will fix the stain or dark spot on the clothes permanently.
Therefore, if your garments are dirty, clean those first.
Use a Pressing Cloth
It’s totally common if you don’t know what pressing cloth is? Pressing cloth is a material that protects your clothes from extreme heat of soleplate.
Unfortunately, some fabrics can’t endure high temperatures. So using pressing clothes for those fabrics is a must.
Always use pressing cloth for ironing silk, new synthetic, PVC, and leather fabrics. Using a pressing cloth means-
- Smooth finishing of your clothes.
- It protects your dress.
- Protect clothes from shiny marks.
- Protect soleplate of iron from starched cloth.
- Quicker ironing.
If you don’t have pressing cloth, use silk organza, 100% cotton shirt, or old bed sheet cover. It’s so simple! You don’t need to buy them online or from the store.
Turn Clothes Inside Out
Hot soleplate can ruin the surface of softer fabrics. Therefore, it is the best practice to iron those clothes inside out. Follow this rule for-
- Silk
- Rayon
- Linen
- Satin
If you are a fan of polyester fabric, turn them inside out too. Although polyester is renowned for its stiffness and durability, it can’t endure high temperatures.
Slightly Damp Clothes
Ironing damp clothes is always easier compared to ironing dry clothes. Dry clothes are difficult to process. You have to spend too much time removing wrinkles from them.
Therefore, try to damp clothes before ironing. However, moisten them slightly, not fully. Fully damp clothes force iron to consume more electricity.
Use Wrinkle Release Spray
When you visit the superstore next time, buy a wrinkle release spray for ironing. It can easily remove creases from clothes. However, you can prepare this spray at home by mixing distilled water with rubbing alcohol and fabric softener.
This spray works magically on clothes. But, try not to use them more often. If so, the fabric will be rough due to rubbing alcohol.
Spray Starch
Spray starch adds a protective layer to your clothes. During ironing, such a layer makes the ironing process easier. In addition, your clothes get a professional look if you use them. So, buy those from the store and enjoy ironing.
However, frequent usage of spray starch can-
- Reduce lifespan of clothes.
- Make them less flexible.
- Grow skin disease.
Hang Clothes For Hours
You shouldn’t wear clothes just after ironing them. If so, wrinkles will develop in fabrics easily.
Therefore, hang those garments in the open air for hours. It will keep garments fresh. Use your roof or balcony to air dry them.
Practice a Lot
You can’t expect to iron like a professional within few days. Instead, take time to learn this skill. Don’t be impatient. Burning clothes during ironing is natural.
I damaged my favorite leather jacket in the beginning phase. So, don’t get disheartened. Even expert people burn their clothes too!
Therefore, Practice iron on old clothes at first. Keep the temperature at a lower level.
Remember, ironing polyester or cotton clothes is always difficult. Therefore, try to get professional laundry for these clothes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Ironing So Difficult?
Some of you may complain that ironing is a difficult task. However, if you know how to iron properly, it won’t be that hard. Ironing is hard because-
- You may use washer and dryer in the wrong way. Wrongly washed clothes are always difficult to process. So, understand the perfect setting for your cloth. For example, don’t use extremely hot water for washing polyester or other synthetic fabrics.
- You may not use mesh washing bags during wash. Use these bags to protect clothes from sharp objects, like zippers of other garments.
- You may allow wrinkles to develop. After washing, quickly move clothes from the dryer and air dry them. If you keep your clothes in a dryer or washer too long, new wrinkles may develop.
- You may use a table, kitchen table, or bed to iron clothes. That’s why ironing seems too difficult to you. Buy a sturdy ironing board that is not too short. On a smaller surface, you can’t iron comfortably. Hence, iron on a standard-sized ironing board to enjoy it.
- You may use a cheap steam iron. Steam iron worth $30 never works better for a pile of clothes. So, pick an iron of renowned brands like Morphy Richards, Sunbeam, Rowenta, Black + Decker, or Hamilton beach.
How Do You Enjoy Ironing?
For me, ironing is one of the most boring things to do. But, you can make the whole process fun by doing the following-
- Pick a robust iron that heats up quickly and has a powerful steam boost. Ironing your clothes with such iron is always enjoyable.
- Buy all necessary equipment to iron clothes. It would help if you bought a sturdy ironing board, pressing cloth, wrinkle-release spray, and scented water to do iron. So, buy those and enjoy ironing.
- Try to watch news or sports on the television to enjoy this moment. However, be careful as multi-tasking may be dangerous for you.
- Fix a short time limit to iron your clothes. Such timing will keep you motivated and help you to focus on ironing.
- Iron your garments once every week. Don’t pile up your clothes, and try not to iron them in one day. If so, the task will be boring.
- After washing, take clothes out of the washing machine as soon as possible to iron them. Ironing such damp clothes is so easy and enjoyable.
- Try not to iron every clothes. Some clothes, like handkerchiefs, undergarments, or socks, need not be ironed.
- Use scented ironing water to make the moment lovely. There are so many flavors available in the market. You can pick jasmine, green tea, or lavender-flavored water.
- Give yourself a treat after ironing! You can drink coffee or visit the city park after processing clothes to enjoy the moment. Take your kids with you!
Can you iron clothes straight from the washing machine?
Yeah, you can iron clothes straight from the washing machine. Ironing damp clothes are always easy to process. Also, moisture in the clothes helps you to smooth wrinkles fast. So, remove clothes from the washing machine as soon as the cycle ends.
If you want to use a dryer, don’t over-dry clothes. Fully dried clothes are hard to giving shape. Moreover, synthetic fibers can be melted at higher temperatures.
Where should I iron my clothes?
One should use an ironing board for ironing. Using other mediums for ironing can make the process lengthy. However, if you are an expert, you can use-
- Your bed.
- Reading table
- Tiled floor
- Heavy carpet
In contrast, for a beginner, using an ironing board is a must.
Bottom line
Mastering a skill takes time. You can’t expect to learn a specific skill overnight. Ironing isn’t an exception in this scenario. You’ll see improvement if you iron once every week or month and follow these tips and tricks.
So, how is your ironing going on? Let me know by leaving a comment!
Happy ironing!
