Ironing Basics
There are certain items of clothing and household linen that need to be ironed while others not: you can’t wear a shirt or finely embroidered blouse
that isn’t ironed, but you can live without linen or sheets being ironed - although that can be one of life’s little luxuries!
- Make sure your ironing board is well padded and the ironing board cover is clean.
- Your iron sole plate should be clean and residue free.
- Wait until the iron is hot enough to steam the water before starting to iron.
- Always use the correct temperature setting on the iron for the particular item (check the wash care label).
- Test the heat on hidden area of material first, such as the underside of a hem, to avoid scorching your garments.
- Put the item on the ironing board and flatten it out.
- Use one hand to keep the garment in fixed position while the other hand moves the iron.
- Move the iron deliberately in sliding motion over the fabric, barely applying pressure to it.
- Never leave the hot plate of the iron facing downwards. Always set the iron on its stand when you let it rest.
- Iron garments needing the lowest setting first and progress to those needing the highest. Use the one-dot setting for acrylic, silk, polyamide
(nylon), acetate and polyester; the two-dot setting for polyester blends and wool and the three-dot setting for cotton, linen, viscose and denim.
- Iron thicker areas of the garment first in order to avoid creasing the thinner, more delicate parts as you continue to iron the rest of the garment.
- Have on hand a sprinkle or spray bottle or sponge for sprinkling water, and spray starches.
- Press cottons and linen items while they are still slightly damp, using a hot steam iron setting.
- Use a steam iron setting on untreated cottons, viscose and silk.
- For minimum ironing, use perma-pressed clothes and blended fabrics. Remove from the dryer as soon as the programme has finished,
fluff out and fold or hang the items neatly.
- Always hang or fold laundry as soon as it is dry to minimize the creases and therefore reduce your ironing load.
> Ironing Tips
> Pressing Basics
> Iron Care
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