By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Step1
Follow the flow of the fabric and eliminate puckering, folding and stretching. The item will be much easier to press.
Step2
Add a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, between the ironing board and the pad. The foil reflect the heat towards the garment and your ironing will go faster. Remove the foil when you're finished.
Step3
Start with the delicates, which require the lowest heat setting. This reduces the time you have to wait for the iron to cool down.
Step4
Sprinkle or spray linens with a little water and roll them up in a damp towel. Allow them to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and then unroll and press.
Step5
Press pants from the top down: waistband and pleats first, followed by pockets and hard-to-reach areas, and then the crotch. Hold the pant legs by the cuffs, match the inseams and find the creases. Iron both legs, working from the wide end of the ironing board in long strokes.
Step6
Pull ribbons under the iron, rather than trying to run the iron back and forth over a ribbon. If possible, remove any ribbons before pressing the item.
Step7
Iron a shirt by first pressing the double thicknesses, including the collar,cuffs, yoke and button placket.