How to Professionally Iron a Man's Dress Shirt

A professionally ironed man's shirt is pressed smooth with crisp creases.

Nothing looks more professional on a man than a starched and ironed dress shirt. If you've never ironed a shirt before, the thought of doing it yourself can be scary. Ironing shirts at home, however, is easy, and with a little practice, it becomes even easier. The nice thing about ironing your own shirts is that you don't have to wait days to pick them up at the dry cleaners.

Things You'll Need

• Spray bottle
• Clean towel
• Ironing board with pad
• Measuring cup
• Distilled water
• Spray starch
• Clothing iron

Instructions

1. 

   A mist of water helps remove big wrinkles from your shirt.

   Fill a spray bottle with cool water and turn the nozzle to the mist setting. Lightly mist the shirt. Roll it in a towel and allow to sit for 15 minutes, so the moisture can distribute and release any big wrinkles in the fabric.

2. Set up your padded ironing board in a clean location where no one will run into it, or the shirt won't dangle off the sides where it could pick up stains.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of distilled water into the water reservoir of your iron. Use distilled water, especially if you have hard water to prevent hard water deposits forming on your iron.

4. Heat the iron to the hottest setting for the type of fabric your shirt is made of. Each heat setting usually lists fabrics. Use the hottest setting to get a crisp, professional look.

5. Lay your dress shirt on the ironing board, the underside of the collar face up, at the narrow end of the ironing board. Spray a light coating of spray starch on the underside of the collar. Iron from the right point of the collar to the middle, then from the left point of the collar to the middle.

6. 

   A well-ironed shirt collar lays flat against the neck.

   Turn your shirt over so that the inside of the shirt faces up. Iron the other side of the collar the same way; starting at the right tip and pressing toward the middle, then ironing from the left point toward the middle again.

7. Position your shirt so that the right shoulder is directly over the narrowest end of the ironing board. Lightly spray the yoke, the upper portion of the back of the shirt, with the spray starch. Iron the right half of the yoke from the outer edge toward the middle. Switch over to the left shoulder of the shirt being placed at the narrowest point of the ironing board, then iron the left hand portion of the yoke in the same manner.

8. Place the left sleeve flat on the ironing board with the seam of the sleeve at the side. Hold onto the shoulder with one hand and the cuff with another. Gently tug the sleeve straight to smooth any big wrinkles. Mist the sleeve with spray starch. Iron from the shoulder seam down to the cuff, then repeat with the right sleeve.

9. Begin ironing the body of the shirt with the left side. Lay the left side of the shirt over the ironing board so that the rest of the shirt is hanging over the edge. Smooth the shirt with your fingers and spray with starch. Start ironing near the collar, lifting and moving the collar out of the way.

10. Iron the remainder of the left side, then move the shirt over to iron the left half of the back of the shirt. Start right below the yoke and move downward. Be sure to iron toward the side seam and the tail. Continue until you make your way around to the right side of the shirt.

11. Smooth the right side of the shirt with your hands. Spray with spray starch. Use the tip of the iron to iron around each button for a professional touch. Iron the remainder of the right front portion of the shirt, starting under the collar and moving down to the tail.

12. 

    Hang your shirt to keep wrinkles at bay.

    Hang the shirt on a hanger to keep it wrinkle-free and looking crisp.

Tips & Warnings

• Before heating and using your iron, wipe the iron plate down with straight vinegar and a clean cloth to remove any spray starch or water deposits.

• Ironing too fast can result in ironed-in wrinkles. Take your time and iron slowly. Mist mistakes with plain water and iron again.

References

• Garment Care: How To Iron a Shirt Like a Pro