Help!

[Just-Legal]

Ok, so here's the thing:

I suck at ironing. I mean, totally suck, I have a white shirt I just washed and tried to iron for work tomorrow - on highest heat with steam and spray, and its STILL creased.

Anyone got any ironing tips?

 

[Carnevil9]

Do what I do. Wear T-shirts.

 

[Misty_Morning]

Spray some water on it. Iron it in long strokes. When the water has evaporated spray some starch on it and run the iron over it again.

 

[Just-Legal]

Do what I do. Wear T-shirts.

love to, but the dress code at work is a nightmare

Misty: Uhm, where do I buy starch?

 

[sweeteuphoria]

Well, it depends what kind of shirt it is. dress, cotton, polyester, pullover, permanent press...

each type has its own heat setting for ironing. what did the label say? My advice would be to dampen the shirt, say with the mist from a spray bottle. turn the heat down on the iron and the steam feature off. try ironing again. Make sure the shirt is flat, don't iron through double layers. hope this helps.
sweet

 

[sr71plt]

Can't help this time. But from now on you might buy permanent press dress shirts. They even make tuxedo shirts that way--and I've had a whole bunch of dress shirts customed tailored from permanent press material--and no one in my house has ironed a shirt in nearly 40 years.

 

[Misty_Morning]

love to, but the dress code at work is a nightmare

Misty: Uhm, where do I buy starch?

You can get a can of starch in just about any department store or crocery store in the US. I would assume that to be the case in the UK as well since it really is a necessity with ironing cotton clothes.

Look in area where the laundry detergent and stuff is located.

Be careful that you don't spray too much starch on it, or it will flake and sometimes discolor if your iron is too hot.

Before venturing out to a store, just call them and confirm that they carry starch for ironing. Just a suggestion.

 

[Just-Legal]

Well, it depends what kind of shirt it is. dress, cotton, polyester, pullover, permanent press...

each type has its own heat setting for ironing. what did the label say? My advice would be to dampen the shirt, say with the mist from a spray bottle. turn the heat down on the iron and the steam feature off. try ironing again. Make sure the shirt is flat, don't iron through double layers. hope this helps.
sweet

Cheap and nasty to be honest, all we can afford.

It said iron on high heat, but I've burnt shirts before >.< So I always start low heat no steam and go from there. No luck

 

[Just-Legal]

You can get a can of starch in just about any department store or crocery store in the US. I would assume that to be the case in the UK as well since it really is a necessity with ironing cotton clothes.

Look in area where the laundry detergent and stuff is located.

Be careful that you don't spray too much starch on it, or it will flake and sometimes discolor if your iron is too hot.

Before venturing out to a store, just call them and confirm that they carry starch for ironing. Just a suggestion.

I'll do that Thanks

 

[matriarch]

love to, but the dress code at work is a nightmare

Misty: Uhm, where do I buy starch?

Spray starch in the house cleaning materials in any grocery store......Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Somerfields...........even the bigger Boots stores. They all sell it.

Good luck. I know exactly what you mean.

I usually resort to my mum's old method, I take a cloth napkin, or a cotton handkerchief, soak it in cold water, wring it out, then lay it over the shirt, and press....don't iron, just hold it there. There'll be a lot of steam, but it's worth it. Move the cloth about to cover all the creased areas, until the cloth is dry. Then start all over again if necessary. The shirt will probably be damp by now, don't matter, just put it on a hanger and leave it overnight. It'll be perfect in the morning.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Do what I do. I wear nothing that needs ironing. If I absolutly HAVE to wear something that needs ironing, I send it to the laundry. The asians there do a decent job and I don't have to bother with it.

 

[glynndah]

http://www.ehow.com/how_4180_iron-shirt.html

Pure cotton shirts are difficult to iron. The trick is to get them damp before you begin and then use a very hot setting. Spray them thoroughly with the iron, or take them straight out of the wash. Start at the back and work outwards. Use the curve at the end of the ironing board to stretch the shoulders over to iron this tricky bit!

Tip on ironing pure cotton clothing. First, you sprinkle the garment. lay it on your kitchen table, and take your hand and put it into a bowl of water and then sprinkle water gently on to the garment getting damp, not wet...then roll the garment up and put it into a plastic bag,stick in the fridge for half hour or so can be left for days and be perfectly safe.

When you start to iron the shirt, lay the shirt on the ironing board,flat between the two sleeves, iron this YOKE first, the iron the sleeves, the take and turn the shirt, putting the top front yoke on the ironing board, left and then right does not matter which you do first , then turn the shirt,long ways one side at a time and proceed to iron.

If you want the shirt to look like it came from the laundry, use spray starch, the kind that says heavy starch and spray and iron, spray and iron, no wrinkles, it takes time but this is not a hard thing to do, I have been ironing since I was 13, my mother worked in a laundry pressing shirts and she makes them look just like the came from the cleaners , just practice and patience, but you will so be rewarded nothing is sharper than fresn starched and ironed garments..

(Cut and pasted from some website someplace...I got tired of editing it. Sorry.)

 

[Just-Legal]

Its not cotton, I think its Polyester

Edited to add: good link tho!

 

[gauchecritic]

hang it to let it dry. Then wear it.

This usually only works for blokes because they wear jackets over shirts.

But seriously, a lot of the wrinkles will fall out if you hang it to dry.

 

[buxxxom]

Sweaters usually require little ironing, so I choose them a lot of the time. Summer weight sleeveless or short sleeve twinsets go with just about anything. Those plus Downy spray and a tumble in the dryer get out most of the wrinkles.

 

[only_more_so]

Ok, so here's the thing:

I suck at ironing. I mean, totally suck, I have a white shirt I just washed and tried to iron for work tomorrow - on highest heat with steam and spray, and its STILL creased.

Anyone got any ironing tips?

The best advice I ever had on dress shirts is to hang them up immediately after the dryer stops tumbling. That way you avoid getting the creases in them in the first place.

I've found that it helps to let the iron linger a little longer than you might think. That's why it's best to use the appropriate iron setting to prevent melting/scorching.

 

[Jack_Elation]

This ironing is some kind of elaborate art or science learned over many years. I can do t shirts and pants skill factor +2 but luckily my girlfriend is there for the tricky skill factor +5 stuff.
We hang most of our washing as it's so bloody hot here most of the time, I find shirts are easier to iron if you fold them neatly in half after you get them off the line as well, a tip one of my friends mom taught me. I can't get my girl to do that though, she doesn't care for neat folding of unironed clothes.

 

[Vermilion]

Seriously J-L - not worth even *trying* to iron polyester, it'll probably burn or melt and it takes so damn long to do anything on the low setting required for synthetic fabrics. Do as Gauche said. Hang it up on a broad shouldered hanger to dry and the majority of creases should fall out.
If all else fails, press the collar and top shirt front lightly and wear a jumper over the top.
x
V

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I'm lazy in the ironing department so I run in an grab the offensive article out of the dryer while hot and still partially wet. (I also add dryer balls to the laundry to help. I still use softener though.)

I then iron it quickly leaving it still slightly damp and hang it up on the padded hanger to let it finish dryer. Though with some of the articles I find it I can catch them while damp and hot and give them a good flick they don't need ironing.

Dryer Balls~ ttp://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!20332?src=gatop&sq=dryer%20balls

(I hate it that it wouldnt let me add that link hidden under the dryer balls. )

 

[SensualCealy]

If its polyester, you likely melted the fibres making the crease.

Do you have a pressing HAM? Football shaped thing made of sawdust covered in ticking? If not, find something made of cotton Pillowcase etc, and wrap it around a thin towel with a bowl under it, use Mat's method but gently pull as you press to stretch out the crease.

If this doesnt work, donate the shirt to the second time around store, and buy yourself a new cotton one! lol sorry for your miss fortune!
C