How to Iron Clothes: Steps for Ironing Shirts and Pants

Ironing is the process of moving a hot iron along material to remove creases and wrinkles. Ironing can keep your clothes wrinkle-free and looking neat and crisp. Ironing is typically for articles of clothing worn for more professional and formal occasions, such as dress shirts, dress pants, and blouses. (Some clothes, like socks, undergarments, and t-shirts, are meant to have a looser or casual look and do not require ironing.) Some people opt for dry cleaning to handle pressing their clothes, but with an iron, ironing board, and spray bottle, you can easily master ironing techniques at home.

Ironing and steaming are both methods of removing wrinkles from fabrics using heat, but the execution differs. Steaming involves putting clothes on a hanger and moving a steamer up and down along the material to add heat to its surface and remove creases. Ironing involves pressing fabric with an iron on a flat surface, moving the hot iron along the material to de-wrinkle it. Both irons and steamers have adjustable heat settings for different materials.

Different fabrics require unique ironing tips. Consider the varying heat settings for the following fabrics:

• Acetate: Acetate is a fabric associated with more formalwear. Its material is often used in wedding dresses and other expensive clothing. As such, it's vital to iron on low heat with the article of clothing inside-out.
• Corduroy: With corduroy, delicately iron in the direction of the pile to maintain the piece's texture. Iron on a low setting and use a fair amount of steam.
• Linen: Linen materials, like bed sheets or pillow cases, tend to wrinkle easily. Linen bedding or clothing items do not have to be ironed, but if you want them extra crisp, iron on high heat while the linen is still damp to take out the creases.
• Rayon: Rayon is made of cellulose, typically from wood pulp. Steam can damage the material, so iron rayon fabrics on low heat.
• Silk: Silk is delicate, so you'll want to place it between an ironing cloth or tea towel and a sheet. Gently move the iron in lines on a low setting and avoid setting the iron in one space for too long.
• Wool: Wool should not be ironed directly; put a damp cloth over it and iron it on a low or medium setting without pressing too hard on the top cloth.

Follow these steps to iron your shirts properly:

1. 1. Wash your shirts. Before ironing your shirts, be sure to clean them in the washing machine on the appropriate setting; overcrowding the washing machine can make your shirts more wrinkled.
2. 2. Sort your shirts. Different shirts will require their own treatments. Make your ironing more efficient by grouping like materials together (cotton, silk, corduroy, etc). Turn your delicates—materials like silk, satin, and chiffon—inside out for protection.
3. 3. Set up your materials. Unfold your ironing board and turn on your iron. Your iron may flash a light on or off when it is ready for use. Some fabrics should be damp for ironing (polyesters, cotton); you can spritz them with a spray bottle. Other materials should be dry (such as silk and acetate).
4. 4. Iron from the collar down. Unbutton the shirt if it is a button-down. Begin at the middle underside of your shirt collar and iron to the edge. Move the iron back to the center and then iron to the other end. Repeat this movement on the back of the shirt.
5. 5. Iron the placket. Using the tip of the iron, carefully iron around the buttons along the length of the placket.
6. 6. Iron sleeves from the cuff. When ironing the sleeves, move from the cuff to the shoulder. To iron each part evenly, hang one side off the edge of your surface and iron from the shoulder to the back on each side.
7. 7. Hang up the shirt. Hang your shirt up and keep it a few inches away from other shirts so it has room to cool. This will also keep it from rubbing against other items and creasing. Turn off your iron when done, let it cool for at least ten minutes, and then put away your materials.

Ironing clothes can take time. Follow these steps to ease the process of ironing pants:

1. 1. Organize your pants by material. Different materials will require particular treatments. Grouping like materials together (cotton, silk, corduroy, etc) can make the task of ironing more efficient. Be sure to turn your items with delicate fabrics, like silk and lace, inside out for added protection.
2. 2. Set up your iron and ironing board. Unfold your ironing board, turn on your iron, and dial up the temperature settings to what your clothing will need. Fill the water tank with distilled water—tap water can cause a buildup of minerals in your iron. Your iron may have a light go or off when it is ready for use.
3. 3. Iron the waist area first. Turn pockets inside out and iron those first. Drape the legs off the board. Then, iron the waist moving from left to right; the waist area can get bunched up, so you’ll want to smooth that out before ironing the legs.
4. 4. Iron up and down the pants. Next, iron from the waist down to the ankle. Fold the pants in half with one leg resting on top of the other. You’ll want to move in an up-and-down motion, running the length of the pants to iron evenly. Apply direct contact as needed to smooth out creases.

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