How to Iron Clothes Efficiently
Ironing your clothes is a household chore that you might not look forward to, but is essential for maintaining wrinkle-free garments and a polished appearance. Today there are more clothes made out of synthetic and permanent press fabrics on the market. As a result, ironing clothes has become a lost skill. Learning how to iron your clothes efficiently will not only expedite the process, but will save you the often costly expense of having your garments professionally pressed by a dry cleaner. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Purchase the best equipment that will help you iron your clothes more efficiently. Look for an iron with consistent temperature that has a wide choice of settings for different fabrics, remains stable when propped upright and contains a misting spray, recommends GoodHousekeeping.com. Make sure the iron has an automatic shutdown feature if you forget to turn it off. Buy an ironing board that has adjustable legs that allows you to adjust its surface at a comfortable height for you.
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Plug your iron in and allow it to preheat. Check the labels of your garments for heat setting instructions while ironing and to learn what the fabric is. Set the iron to the correct fabric and heat settings. Spray a little water on the hot iron, and if it sizzles, the iron is ready to use.
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Fill the water reservoir of your steam iron with distilled water to prevent the steam jets from becoming blocked with mineral deposits contained in hard, tap water.
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Stretch the clothes flat along the ironing board before ironing. Iron clothes that require low heat first, then move on to clothes that need medium heat and finally high heat, which saves time having to wait for the iron to cool between garments.
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Iron your clothing with smooth, consistent strokes. Iron dresses and skirts from their hems up and iron shirts from their collars down. Iron only one layer of a garment at a time to prevent creases from developing underneath the clothing while you're ironing its top. Make sure to keep the iron in constant motion, to avoid burning the fabric.
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Keep a spray bottle filled with water nearby if you're not using a steam iron. Dampening the fabric with a little water before ironing will help deep wrinkles and creases come out.
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Allow a starch-sprayed garment to sit for a few moments before ironing to prevent it from burning.
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Use a sleeve board inside sleeves and cuffs to prevent wrinkles while ironing. Use a empty paper towel tube or rolled-up towel pushed inside the sleeve, if you don't own a sleeve board.
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Tips & Warnings
Line your ironing board with aluminum foil under its cover. The foil will reflect the heat of the iron, so you'll be ironing both sides of the garment at the same time.
Keep your iron and sole-plate clean.
After ironing your garments, hang them immediately.
Never iron a soiled garments, since it will set the stain and make it more difficult to remove.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit iron image by Robert Grzywaczewski from Fotolia.com
