How to Iron Suit Pants

Freshly ironed suit pants provide a professional appearance.

Wearing wrinkled suit pants gives others the impression you do not care how you look, and that spells disaster if you are going on a job interview or trying to make a good impression at the job you already have. If you want your suit pants to have a crisp, fresh appearance, you can iron them at home. The most important part of ironing at home, is using the proper temperature setting for the fabric. An iron that is too hot will damage the fabric, while an iron that is too cold will not remove the wrinkles.

Things You'll Need

• Ironing board
• Spray starch
• Iron
• Hanger (optional)

Instructions

1. 

   Iron dress clothes for a crisp, clean appearance.

   Turn the iron on so it will be ready when you are done preparing the ironing board and pants.

2. 

   Small end of an ironing board.

   Pull the ironing board legs out and make sure they are locked in place. Make sure the ironing board is on a flat surface when you set it up. If it tips over while the hot iron is sitting on it, someone could get badly burned.

3. Open the waist of the pants and fit them over the small end of the ironing board. Mist the seat of the pants with starch and, using a light pressure, run the iron over the seat of the pants. Turn and adjust the pants until the entire belly and seat surface has been starched and ironed.

4. Hold the pants by the top, with one hand at the back seam and the other at the front closure. Shake the pants once, to make sure the legs are straight. Drape the pants across the ironing board. Open the legs outward, so you can iron one at a time.

5. Keeping the ankle seam straight, line up the side seams and the seam that runs up the inside of the pant leg. This is usually the hardest part because you have to feel through the layers of fabric to make sure the seams are lined up.

6. Spray a light coat of starch onto the pant leg. This will help them retain the fresh look. Slowly run the iron over the pant leg, but do not cross over the seams until you have ironed the outer part. Iron the leg seams after you are sure the rest of the leg is straight. Repeat on the other leg.

7. If you are not putting the pants on immediately after ironing, hang the pants on the hanger, keeping the legs flat and the leg seams lined up straight.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the label inside of the suit pants to determine the proper temperature when you are setting the iron.

• Ironing has an extra bonus for long-stored suit pants--clothing that has been stored can have moth larvae in the fabric fibers, and ironing kills clothes moths during any life stage.

References

• How to Iron Clothes: Ironing Clothes Help
• Clothes Moths: Prevention