Comments on: How to Iron a Shirt

on 5/26/2007 Clean your iron of starch residue with white vinegar. Use also to get ironed in wrinkles out by dabbing lightly onto wrinkle and re-ironing. Warning, it doesn't smell that great, so let it evaporate before wearing.

on 1/21/2007 rain water? lol

on 9/13/2006 Don't use rain water. Over time the acid in the rain will eat the shirt away. They got away with it in the old days because there wasn't the same pollution there is today.

on 7/12/2006 Consider turning shirts inside out to iron. There are two reasons: The seams will be crisper because the seams are stitched from the inside (thus they line up perfectly). Also (especially with colored shirts) spray starch residue is on the inside. No need to worry about unsightly starch reside.

on 2/7/2006 My Mother was visiting me one day when I was ironing, she had seen I was using distilled water. She told me in the old days people used rain water; it is the same as distilled. I tried it, and my clothes had a nicer feel to them.

on 1/23/2006 When you get buildup on the iron, rub it (while cold) with a wet Magic Eraser from Arm & Hammer. It cleans it right up.

on 11/22/2005 Saliva contains enzymes which break down starch, so when you add saliva, you're basically breaking down the starch. Whether this is good or bad depends on your situation.

on 11/22/2005 If you're staying in a college dorm, and some poor clueless kid has no clue how to dewrinkle his (or her) shirt for a big event that night, charge them to iron it! It can be the perfect business while in college...

on 11/22/2005 If you're having a meal and gravy falls on your shirt, immediately put this area in your mouth and try to wash it with your own saliva. You will see that the stain disappears completely.

on 11/22/2005 Using the large end for the shirt back and front panels reduces the time on the shirt. The large end resembles shoulders of a person and therefore allows a much greater area for ironing.

on 11/22/2005 I once sneezed on a shirt while ironing, needless to say it made a mess, but I discovered that the part I accidentally ironed before wiping off the mess came out much smoother and flexible than usual. Ever since then I've sworn by it. Just a little bit of saliva around the folds does a world of good. Hold the mucus though!

on 11/22/2005 Instead of having to carefully navigate around the buttons on your shirt to iron it, flip the shirt so that the buttons are facing down, then iron the shirt from the inside. You save lots of time this way, and the shirt is perfectly pressed.

on 11/22/2005 Cotton clothing will get that extra crispness if lightly sprayed with starch before ironing. Do these items at the end of the ironing session, the starch may adhere to the iron. Clean the iron base immediately after ironing these items. Use soap or a light abrasive scrub pad to clean your iron.

on 11/22/2005 If your iron gets a sticky residue and doesn't glide smoothly over your shirt, iron a used dryer sheet to remove the residue.

on 11/22/2005 Many shirts today have spandex that make the shirts "stretch" (Banana Republic, the GAP). Be careful with these shirts. You can iron with high temperature, but do not pull or stretch the shirt while ironing. This will damage it permanently!