Ironing instructions: rules for preparing clothes, methods of ironing different fabrics, life hacks

Not all housewives manage to perfectly iron clothes with sleeves and small details. While you iron your sleeve, the front or back of your blouse may wrinkle. And sometimes it turns out even worse - in the most visible place of your favorite dress, the fabric suddenly shrinks or a hole with scorch marks appears. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to perform this seemingly well-known action in a strictly defined sequence, observing a number of rules. We'll tell you how experienced housewives do it and their secrets of working with an iron.

Workplace organization

Before you get started, it's worth spending a little time on some preliminary preparation. This will save time and effort in the future.

1. The surface of the ironing board should approximately be located at a height equal to the distance from the person’s elbow to the floor. Using smooth and multi-stage height adjustment, you can find a comfortable level for yourself. If you can adjust the position of the board, you can iron things not while standing, but while sitting on a sofa or chair.
2. The soleplate of the iron and the steam chamber must be clean. The reservoir should be filled with filtered or boiled water.
3. The work surface should be well lit. During the day, the board can be placed closer to the window.
4. A stationary work place significantly saves time using folding and retractable boards, which do not need to be moved to the work area from the place of permanent storage each time.
5. It is more convenient to use a large ironing board.
6. The socket, if it is not built into the ironing board, should be conveniently located, and the cord should not interfere with operation.
7. It is advisable to have a place where to put already ironed items and where to place a hot iron.
8. The work surface must be safe and stable.
9. The cover on the board should be soft, firmly and securely fastened, and not move when ironing along with the fabric. It's inconvenient, constantly distracting and slows down your work.
10. Before starting work, clothes must be sorted into separate piles depending on the recommended ironing temperature. This way you won’t have to constantly change the temperature and switch the thermostat.
11. It is advisable to prepare clothes hangers in advance.
12. To prevent ironing from seeming so monotonous and tedious, you can do it while listening to music or in front of the TV.

If there is a lot of laundry, but, on the contrary, there is very little time, you can compromise and come to an agreement with yourself - first of all, iron the things that are needed. Everything else can be put aside for a while or you can skip this stage of caring for clothes altogether - carefully roll everything up after drying and put it in the closet.

Some safety rules

Before ironing things, remember what troubles can happen when working with an iron, these include: skin burns, fire spread, electric shock.

To prevent adverse consequences, follow simple rules:

1. Before you start working with an electrical device, check that it is working properly. Pay special attention to the plug and insulation of the device.
2. If the iron is working properly, plug it into a power outlet. Keep your hands dry to avoid electric shock.
3. When processing items, make sure that the cord does not touch the sole of the hot iron.
4. To avoid burning the skin of your hands, do not touch the surface of the device. Do not wet your clothes too much, as the steam will rise up and you can get burned.
5. To avoid fire, do not leave the device turned on unattended.
6. You only need to unplug the iron from the outlet using the plug. Do not pull the cord.

Remember: safety first!

How to choose the right temperature setting for your iron

The choice of temperature and ironing method is influenced by the composition of the fabric. A hint is provided by the care instructions on the labels attached by manufacturers to the side internal seams, to the back of the neck (jumper, T-shirt), and in the waistband area (skirts, trousers).

If the clothing does not have a label with recommendations, it is better to test the material before the first ironing: select the minimum temperature on the regulator, carefully iron the clothing in an inconspicuous place and see how the fabric reacts.

If the structure of the material begins to change and shrink, you cannot iron it. If nothing happens and the creases and folds do not disappear, you can slightly increase the temperature and iron the tested area again. Repeat these steps until the optimal temperature for the fabric is selected.

You can focus on the following indicators:

• linen fabrics can be ironed at temperatures from 190 to 230 °C;
• cotton products – from 165 to 190 °C;
• viscose – from 85 to 115 °C;
• silk – from 115 to 140 °C;
• wool clothes – from 140 to 165 °C.

If you have to iron a lot of clothes and linen from different fabrics, you need to start with those that require a minimum temperature, gradually increasing the parameters to maximum values.

Items with decorative details, embroidery, and sequins can only be ironed from the inside out.

Saving moisture

Water can give complex shapes a look. There are several known uses:

1. Just moisten the item from a spray bottle and put it on yourself. Complete the procedure 20-30 minutes before leaving.
2. Sprinkle a thin T-shirt or blouse with water and shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
3. Wet hands will help you quickly get rid of small wrinkles. You need to simultaneously move your palms along the fabric on both sides with slight pressure.
4. Knitted sweaters can be revived by a damp towel. Terry textiles are immersed in a container of water and wrung out. It is spread out on a horizontal surface, and then clothes are laid out. The moisture will be absorbed into the fibers and the unevenness will disappear within a few hours. All that remains is to hang the item on wide hangers to dry.

Secrets of successful ironing

1. The fabric is carefully laid out on the board, avoiding the formation of folds and creases, which will be difficult to remove later.
2. On items made of thin fabrics, you first need to press the seams to eliminate small gathers that form on them after washing and drying.
3. In order not to spoil the clothes, you should iron them carefully, gently sliding over the surface of the material, without pressing the iron strongly and repeatedly to the same place, having previously set it to the desired temperature.
4. It is better to iron clothes from the inside out.
5. The iron must be pulled away from you, directed along the warp threads. This way the fabric stretches less. This rule also applies to models cut on the bias.
6. To prevent seam allowances from being printed on the front side of the garment, you can place a sheet of paper under them. If prints do appear, you can iron the fabric again under the allowances on the wrong side. It is recommended to do the same when smoothing pockets.
7. It is better to iron things in one layer to avoid creases and folds. To do this, you can use a special small board for smoothing sleeves, a small pillow, a thick roll of a folded towel, or the narrow part of the ironing board itself.
8. The fabric should be slightly damp. Dry laundry is very difficult to iron. At the same time, if it is not completely dry and wet, yellow spots may form on it when ironing.
9. Difficulties arise when smoothing out small folds and tucks. The latter are ironed from the inside out, running the iron along the seams, as if in the air, and holding the edge of the part on both sides. But here you can’t do without an assistant.
10. To avoid distortions, duvet covers, sheets and other large items should be joined at the corners and ironed away from the face, neatly folded into four layers.
11. If there is lint on the fabric, you need to iron it in its direction, and not against it.
12. To prevent clothes from becoming deformed, it is recommended to iron them from top to bottom, starting with small parts: cuffs, darts, collars, pockets and waistbands. After that, move on to the sleeves, back, and shelves.
13. When ironing knitted and knitted items, do not move the iron cloth over the surface. To prevent the material from stretching, the iron must be moved from one place to another.
14. After ironing, it is not recommended to immediately put clothes away in the closet. You need to let it hang on a hanger for some time and cool. Ironed and immediately folded items may develop new wrinkles when stored in a closet.

Recommendations for ironing specific fabrics

1. Nylon is a very delicate fabric, so it does not need to be ironed. To straighten such a product, it is simply moistened and placed on the dryer.
2. Viscose is ironed dry.
3. To the knitwear from losing its shape, iron it carefully without stretching it.
4. To make chintz products shine, they are ironed from the front side. If this is not necessary, then iron it on the wrong side.
5. Fleecy materials (drape, velor) are straightened using a steam iron.
6. To the linen , iron it with a damp, hot iron using the steam function.

Why use gauze when ironing

Ironing some fabrics requires the use of additional materials: gauze or other material.

Gauze or cotton cloth soaked in water is used as a protective layer for very thin fabrics that cannot be ironed at high temperatures. For example, the permissible temperature for chiffon is 60 °C. Typically, the minimum setting on the iron regulator is 100 °C.

Iron very dry clothes through damp gauze if the iron does not have a steam function.

The fabric is used for ironing dark clothes so that shiny shiny stains from the iron do not remain on them. If streaks (shiny areas on clothing) do appear, they can be removed by wiping with a wet cloth.

It is convenient to iron thick areas of clothing through gauze and steam out folds. If you soak a fabric in a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon per liter of water), wring it out, lay it over the folds, you can iron creases on dress pants or hard folds that will retain their shape for a long time.

What to do if there is no iron or the product cannot be ironed

An iron is a device that is difficult to replace with anything in clothing care. But sometimes it also breaks down or is simply not available at the right time.

There are alternative methods for cases when there is no iron, or the clothes are very wrinkled and look unsightly, but the manufacturer has put a “do not iron” sign.

1. You can smooth out wrinkles and folds with steam by hanging clothes over a bathtub or basin of hot water for half an hour. Then it needs to be dried flat.
2. Lay the clothes on a damp terry towel, covering with another one on top.
3. Use a steam generator or a special clothes humidifier.
4. Moisten the clothes and put them in a bag for half an hour so that the moisture evenly saturates the fabric. Then smooth it out with your hands, especially on problem areas. And dry on a dryer or hanger.

Bring a leatherette bag back to life!

With these accessories, things are more complicated, because you won’t be able to iron the bag. But you don’t want to walk around with a wrinkled face? Then the following methods are for you.

• “Warm bath” is definitely a universal method. The only difference is that you should first fill the bag with newspaper or a towel.
• Water. You can moisten the bag with warm water, also fill it with newspaper and leave it to dry naturally (!).
• Hydration . Serious folds should be lubricated with glycerin or nourishing cream. For a light colored bag, you can use milk.

You should not use a hairdryer or heating devices for drying, because... In this case, the lining may shrink, and the bag will become covered with waves.

If your things are ironed and neat, then you will certainly inspire respect and trust from your interlocutor or partner. Be careful, because you can't make a first impression twice!

How to iron certain types of clothing

Blouses (shirts)

First, iron the cuffs, then the entire sleeve, back and yoke, shoulder seams and line of sleeves, collar - first from the inside, then from the face, moving the iron from the ends to the middle. Next, alternately - the right side of the fastener, then the left, if the product is fastened. If there is no fastener, first you need to iron the right side, then the left and the middle of the fabric last.

Skirt

Press the seams first from the inside, then from the face. Iron the bottom of the skirt without pressing the iron on the cut line. Iron the top of the product and iron the patches, folds and other details that are on the skirt.

Trousers

Iron seams, pockets, folds from the inside out. Turn it inside out and iron the waistband, the top of the trousers, the inside, then the outside.

Jeans

They are most often not ironed. But if necessary, do it from the inside out.

Kids' things

Always iron from the inside out at maximum temperature.