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Guide to Iron a Shirt Effectively
One of the things that can easily ruin a good impression—or even a fashionable look—is wearing a creased shirt that will make you look unkempt and untidy. Whether you are heading out for an interview or going to a business meeting, people will have a bad impression of you when they see creases on your shirt.
There are times, even, when interviewees fail to get a job that they are qualified for just because their employers found them “untidy”. People have the tendency to believe that how well you keep your shirt straight and ironed out can say a lot of how you do your job.
Since various types of shirts are a staple in both men and women’s wardrobe, it is important to know how to iron a shirt effectively. While most may think that simply gliding your iron over your shirt can straighten the fabric out, many times this does not work seamlessly.
In this article, we will look at some tips that you can use on how to iron your shirt effectively and keep it looking crisp all throughout the day.
How to Iron a Shirt Effectively
While your mom may make ironing seem like an easy task where she can iron a shirt easily in a matter of minutes, this is not the case for most of us. Moms have a way of knowing how to properly iron a shirt, as proven by their years of doing it again and again.
So unless you have been ironing your own shirts for a while, this task is something that you need to learn about and not just do.
Here are a few and important tips on ironing your shirts:
Buy the Right Iron
While it may sound simple, picking an iron is not as easy as you may think. The types of fabric your clothes have and a number of clothes that you need to iron are factors that you should consider when choosing an iron.
Nowadays, steam irons are quite popular since the apply steam onto the clothes to help relax and smoothen the fibers. This makes it easier for ironing and removing creases since you will no longer have to repeatedly go over the same spot to smoothen it.
Since there are different types of iron plates, you should try researching over the internet to see which one works well for other users. As a general rule, the costlier ones are not necessarily the best ones. Try purchasing a best iron box at your local store to see if it fits well in your hand and if it has just the right weight.
Get an Ironing Board
Often skipped by some people, an ironing board that is sturdy and well-padded can do a lot on how you can iron your shirt effectively. When you iron your shirt on top of your bed, your clothes will just move around easily, making it hard for you to remove the creases.
A good ironing board will let you iron your clothes easier to achieve that clean and crisp look for your shirts.
Use Fabric Conditioner
Whenever possible, use a fabric conditioner when washing or rinsing your clothes. Not only will they smell better, it will also make ironing them easier. Fabric conditioner can help in preventing tight creases from happening to your clothes so you will have less ironing to do.
Check Your Shirts’ Labels
Ever wondered why there are different heat settings on your iron? This is because different types of fabric need different types of heat when being ironed. Before ironing, sort your shirts according to fabric: cotton, synthetic, linen, etc.
Start with your pieces of clothing that require less heat then move on up to those pieces that require more heat. In this manner, you can prevent damaging your clothes with too much heat.
How to Iron Different types of clothing:
Cotton shirts
When ironing cotton shirts, it is best to iron them slightly damp. Glide your iron in lengthwise motions to avoid damaging the fabric. If you have a thick cotton shirt, you can iron both sides to get better results.
Cotton-Blend shirts
For this type of shirts, you should use low heat to prevent damaging the material. Steam irons with low heat can be very effective for this type of shirts. To be safe, iron your cotton-blend shirts inside out.
Linen Shirts
When ironing linen shirts, use a warm iron and spray both sides of the shirt before ironing. This lets you glide through the fabric easily and remove creases without the need to press the iron onto the fabric too hard.
Polyester Shirts
For polyester and other pieces of shirts that have delicate materials, use a handkerchief or any cloth that you can place in between the shirt and your iron to prevent damaging the material. Since polyester and silk fabrics are very sensitive to heat, direct contact with your iron plate can cause burn marks on your clothes or even put holes on your shirts.
Other Tips to Follow When Ironing a Shirt
When you have ironed your shirt, there are other things that you have to do to keep them crisp and free from creases. Most of the time, creases can still occur when you store your clothes, thereby defeating all the purpose of ironing your clothes to make them look clean.
Here are some useful tips to follow:
Identify which shirts should be hanged
Long sleeved shirts and shirts that have delicate fabrics should be changed to prevent them from getting crease marks when folded.
Fold your shirts properly
After ironing, make sure that your fold your shirts properly. Folding them in whatever way will leave creases and fold marks which defeat the purpose of ironing them.
Remove lint and pills
If your shirts have lint and pills, remove them a.s.a.p. as these can destroy the look of your ironed shirt. Try using the Philips GC026/30 fabric shaver which removes lint, pills, and makes your shirts look clean and well-kept.
By following these easy tips and techniques on how to iron your shirts effectively, you will never have to look messy every again.
You will make the best impression and get the job or business deal that you want!
