How To Iron A Shirt
Ironing a shirt properly is worth knowing how to do, and it's easy to learn. Just follow the steps in this short guide, and you'll never look crumpled again. Learn how to iron your shirt properly with the help of VideoJug.
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Step 1:
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You will need
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Step 2:
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Iron your shirt
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Ironing isn't that bad. If you do it properly it doesn't take as long as you think.
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Step 3:
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Put up your ironing board
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Find a spot for your ironing board close enough to a power socket so that you will not be stretching the power cord. Make sure the ironing board is sturdy and set to a comfortable height for you.
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Step 4:
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The shirt
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Iron your shirt before it's fully dried but after washing it. The creases will be easier to iron out and it's less likely to crease once you start wearing it.
If you've just thrown the shirt in the wardrobe and forgotten about it after it's been laundered you should moisten it again.
A good way to remoisten a shirt fully is to spray it with water, roll it up and place it inside a plastic bag. After an hour, the dampness will have penetrated the fabric.
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Step 5:
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Prepare the iron
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If you've got a steam iron, fill it with water.
Distilled Water has had all the impurities removed from it. Using distilled water will avoid the inside blocking up with lime scale.
Plug in the iron.
The heat you use will depend on the material the shirt is made of. Check the label on the inside seam of your shirt to identify what temperature the iron should be set to. A 100% cotton shirt needs a high setting, cotton blends should have a medium setting and synthetic fibres should be ironed at a low temperature.
Adjust the temperature dial to the correct setting and allow it to heat up.
Don't leave an iron unsupervised, and make sure that it's on a non flammable surface.
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Step 6:
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Organise the pile of shirts
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If you have lots of shirts to do, do them in order of the heat they need, starting with the shirts which need the coolest temperatures first.
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Step 7:
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Get ready
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Unbutton the shirt, including the cuffs.
For dark colours and synthetic fabrics you should iron on the inside to stop it from becoming shiny.
Place the shirt on the ironing board.
You can iron in what ever order you like, but most people like to start at the top and work down. The collar and shoulders are quite tricky, so if you do them first, then you don't have to redo areas you've crumpled in the effort.
Have a spray bottle filled with water ready. Spray it on difficult creases to make them easier to iron.
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Step 8:
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Collar
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Lay the collar flat on the ironing board, and iron the outside first. Turn the shirt around and fold the collar as you would if you were wearing it, and iron in the fold. In small places like the collar, it is sometimes easier to use just the tip of the iron
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Step 9:
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The shoulder yoke
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Next do the shoulder yoke, this is the part which connects the collar to the back of the shirt.
Place the shoulder yoke over the narrow side of the ironing board and iron from the shoulder seam to the centre of the back. Turn the shirt round and iron the opposite shoulder.
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Step 10:
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Cuffs
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Place the cuffs on the ironing board. iron the inside of the cuff first, then the outside.
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Step 11:
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Quick fix
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If you're in a big hurry, or just lazy, and you will be wearing a jacket all day, you could just iron a little more of the front of the shirt, and be finished as no one will see the rest of it anyway.
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Step 12:
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Sleeves
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However to do it properly you should now move onto the sleeves.
Use the seam as a guide to help you get the sleeve folded over as smoothly as possible before placing it down. Place the arm along the length of the ironing board, cuff open side first, and use the palm of your hand to flatten it out. Iron it and then turn it over and do the other side.
Once finished repeat with the other cuff and sleeve. Make sure that you are covering all the areas of where the sleeve meets the shoulder.
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Step 13:
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Front
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The front and back are the easiest bits, just lay out one of the front panels on the wide end of the ironing board. If the shirt has a pocket on it, iron that first.
Iron the shirt slowly, don't iron in new creases. Make sure you go all the way to the seams. Then iron the area around the buttons.
When you've finished one side, do the other! Make sure your not crumpling the shirt anywhere else while you are doing this.
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Step 14:
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Back
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Finally do the back. Open out the shirt fully so there is no material caught under the back. Spread half of the back of the shirt on the wide end of ironing board, and iron.
Then move the shirt down to iron the other half of the shirt.
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Step 15:
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Finish
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Finish by re-ironing the collar.
Don't forget to switch your iron off, and let it cool down for a few minutes before putting it away.
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Step 16:
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Put it away
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If you're not wearing the shirt straight away, hang it up on a good hanger so you don't re-crease it.
If you want to fold your shirt let it cool first. Button up the shirt down the front and button the cuffs too. Turn the shirt over, and straighten it out. Fold both of the sleeves back from halfway along the shoulders. Then fold the sleeves so they are neatly within the back of the shirt. Finally fold the back of the shirt up one third, and another third. Turn the shirt back around, and there you go!