Published 8/21/09 3 months ago | Views 157 Grade C Home & Garden / Housekeeping

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Grade C Views 157
Last edited 2 months ago

There is an art to correctly ironing a shirt. Many people prefer to send it out to be ironed, because it is difficult to iron a crease-free shirt. However, when you find you absolutely must have that shirt ironed now to wear tonight, there is no time to send a shirt out to be laundered, you have to know how to do it yourself.

Step 1

Start with a freshly laundered shirt. When your shirt comes out of dryer, shake it out, smooth it with your hands and hang it on a shirt hanger. Button the top button.

Step 2

Allow your iron to reach the proper temperature. A shirt that is wrinkle-free takes a cooler setting than the hot setting for cotton. Be careful not to burn the shirt. See manufacturer's settings.

Step 3

Lightly spray the hanging shirt with sizing or spray starch (optional) then remove the shirt from hanger. Unbutton the top button.

Step 4

Lay the collar out flat on the ironing board and press. Iron from the points of the collar inward to back of neck. Do the underside of the collar as well.

Step 5

Press the yoke and shoulders. Position your ironing board inside the shirt and into the arm. If your ironing board does not have a small board to insert into the sleeves, then put the sleeve on top of the ironing board, both sides together flat, and iron. Turn the shirt to iron the backside. Reposition for the opposite shoulder. Then turn the shirt, and do the rear side of the yoke and shoulders.

Step 6

For a long-sleeved shirt, press the cuffs next, similar to the collar instructions. Turn the shirt to press the other side.

Step 7

Lay one sleeve out flat on the ironing board. Align the sleeve following the bottom seam as guide. Press carefully, moving both layers of fabric flat as the iron glides across front surface of sleeve. Repeat for the other sleeve. Turn the shirt to do the other side of sleeve.

Step 8

Position the body of the shirt on the square end of your ironing board, button panel first. Press from the bottom tail progressing upward to the collar. Do not allow puckers or folds to press into fabric. Turn the shirt to iron the inside of the body of shirt also.

Step 9

Move the shirt position to the next body panel, half of the back. Press from the tail progressing upward to the collar.

Step 10

Move the shirt position to next body panel, the other half of the back. Press as before.

Step 11

Move shirt position to the last body panel, other half of the front, the buttonhole panel. Press as before.

Step 12

Return pressed shirt to hanger, Button top button and third button.

Tips

Cotton content shirts press best and take a hotter iron setting.
If you have a steam iron, use distilled water purchased at any grocery store. It will prevent clogging from the build-up of minerals.
To find out if the iron is hot, put your fingers in water, and flick it on the iron. If it sizzles, you know the iron is ready and hot.
You may want to iron the back or inside of the fabric as well as the outside. It makes a neater, smoother look, minus creases. Start ironing the underside, or inside the fabric first, so as to eliminate creases while ironing the outside.

Warnings

Air freshener is not a substitute for spray sizing.
Remember to unplug your iron when finished, stand it on the top of the stove to cool off, and store out of reach of children.