Just bought my first iron

[Tony in Tarzana]

I'm 45, have been single all my life and I just bought my first iron. Got an ironing board, too.

The flat part goes downward, right? I've noticed it gets really hot, is that normal?

Seriously, any tips and secret methods of de-rumpling my life would be appreciated.



(Note: I did NOT post this in the Powder Room! lol )

 

[dr greg]

the flat

I always start with the placket myself, and don't be afraid of mixing up your own starch in a spray bottle, the idea beyond the 'stiffness' is that the dirt adheres to the starch and is washed out with it, adding to the life of the garment, so be liberal with it on the inside collar.

 

[jake_fink]

Rule #1: Do not test iron for on-ness by licking it.
Rule#2: Keep iron filled with water; steam does more than elbow grease.
Rule# 3: Start with collar and yoke.
Rule #4: You will never iron sleeves as well as your nearest laundry service can press them.
Rule #5: Your hands will look more masculine with a few hash marks on them, so burn away. (The iron burn is the new dueling scar.)
Rule #6: The world is full of fine ladies and gentleman who iron better than you do, find one, move him/her in, and get used to offering to do the dishes.*








*You will eventually learn that "offering" to do the dishes and actually doing the dishes are not one and the same.

 

[matei]

Ironing - I think it is an important skill that all men should have, along with shoe shining.

Although I ironed my own duds when I was a kid, my skill was perfected when I was in the Army.

I can usually spot who makes the effort and who doesn't! Nothing cries out "lazy slob" like a man with a super wrinked dress shirt.

A sharp-creased, crisp shirt looks great and makes a good impression. Of course by the end of the day it will lose some of its crispness - one should always make the effort!

Some people use lots of starch when they iron. I used to, but no longer. For some reason it made wearing shirts in hot weather unbearable, built up a nast residue on my iron and even discoloured some of my shirts.

To each his own!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Keep the base plate of the iron clean. There is nothing worse than realizing that there's some kind of melted goo on the bottom that you've just transferred indelibly to your favorite garment.

Hanging a garment in a steamy bathroom can often substitute for an ironing if you discover you hate ironing as much as I do!

 

[fortworthgal]

I just spent a couple of hours ironing a bunch of my husband's uniform pieces the other night. You'll never be able to match what the cleaners can do as far as pressing goes, but for pieces that you just don't want to send out - like vintage clothing or uniforms, or for quick touch-ups - you can't beat doing it at home.

I agree, steam makes things easy!

Dont' be afraid of starch and sizing. Just make sure you let that if you use them, you let the starch soak into the garment *before* you start using the iron (probably a good 30 seconds or so after spraying), or you'll end up with a flaky mess!

 

[Snookie]

Start with clothes as wrinkle-free as possible. If they've sat in a wrinkled heap, even in the dryer, it's going to be much harder.

Using the steam setting will get out the remaining wrinkles, but don't push your iron too hard or it can't make the steam fast enough, and will pee all over your shirt.

I've never heard that about starch helping to lengthen the life of the garment -- interesting!

 

[mikepara]

Start wearing..

.. shell suits and throw the iron away!

1. Don't dive in on the wrong setting! you may / will scorch your clothes at best, melt them at worst!

2.Try it out on a part of the garment that you may not see when worn until you get used to the settings. especially if its a much loved item.

3.Use brown paper over your trousers for a non shiny razor crease.

4. Don't leave your ironing to mount up. Do it in regular amounts. or the task will become daunting and you'll end up only ironing the item your wanting to wear instead of having a locker / wardrobe full of nicely ironed choices.

5. Beware of tram lines.

 

[mysterygal]

Tony, you'll have to tell us how your ironing went! Really, it's quite simple, just one of those chores that are somewhat dreaded. Tips: Fill the iron with water, usually there is a steam setting, when the iron is fully heated up, hover the iron over the item of clothing that you wish to iron and let the steam from the iron dampen the cloth for a couple of seconds, then put the iron down onto the clothing and iron out wrinkles. DO NOT let the iron rest on clothing for too long! it WILL burn! Also, another trick I've learned (probably works like Lizzies shower trick) but, put your wrinkled clothing into the dryer along with a damp washcloth...dry on high heat for a minute or two...and most times the clothes come out wrinkle free.
Tony, just want to add, I really applaud you for this brave feat!

 

[Paisley]

Clean your iron out with vinegar and water once in a while, or else use only distilled water.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Thanks, everybody! When I was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol some 30 years ago, I used to help my mom iron my uniform. That was about the last time I'd used one. Funny thing was, she didn't use steam, even though the iron (with a cloth-covered power cord!) did have that capacity.

I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I started out with a cotton casual shirt, and then tried my hand at a linen shirt I just got, with passable results. The linen needs a few more washings before it stops feeling like burlap.

And I've watched enough old TV shows to know not to leave the iron on my clothes. lol

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

How about touching up a wool suit between pressings? I'm guessing lots of steam and lower temperature.

 

[silvershadow]

ironing

How about touching up a wool suit between pressings? I'm guessing lots of steam and lower temperature.

Be careful of steam on the lapels...they can get bubbly. I won't tell you how I know that.

My favourite time is when my wife and 1 year old daughter go out for a walk. A stack of 78s goes on the record changer (on the radiogram I saved from the dump when I was a kid) and away we go with the ironing of at least twenty shirts...I save them up. Because I never ever wear a shirt without a sports coat or a suit, I only do the collar, front and sleeves. I don't worry about the back, as it's never seen. It saves a lot of energy on my part.

 

[AllaboutEve]

How about touching up a wool suit between pressings? I'm guessing lots of steam and lower temperature.

ALWAYS use a pressing cloth for dark coloured wool, ideally a wool pressing cloth otherwise you may end up with a horrible kind of "shine" on the fabric that you cannot budge.
Go easy on steam and temperature as it may shrink, check your garment labels for the correct iron temp.
Always empty your steam iron after use, and store flat not upright.
Good luck!!!!

 

[G. Fink-Nottle]

My advice is

1) Send out the shirts to a laundry. For less than $2, they are ironed perfectly.

2) Get a Steamer. It's worth every penny.


I came upon #1 after a female co-worker asked if I owned an iron (I did, indeed, and used it for all my shirts). I learned about the steamer from Mrs. Fink-Nottle.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[scotrace]

Two More

Fill it with distilled Water and keep the bottom plate clean. The distilled water thing changed everything for me. The drinking water here is so full of minerals it's a meal in itself. Iron after iron tossed out because no amount of cleaning would remove the gunk, which would accumulate and poop out in a blob on some nice white shirt.

Most important:
Set up the ironing board in front of the TV and start a William Powell film while the iron heats. You'll plow through all your shirts without noticing the time spent.

Works for me!

 

[nightandthecity]

yep, I second the distilled water suggestion. Many years ago I nearly ruined a pair of 1930s chinos with a splurdge of crap that suddenly came out of my iron! Now it's distilled water. Distilled barley is quite good for getting through a pile of ironing too, but don't put it in the iron....

 

[colleency]

Clean your iron out with vinegar and water once in a while, or else use only distilled water.

Read your manual that came with the iron to find out what kind of water to fill it with.

 

[dhermann1]

Ironing shirts

I haven't ironed a shirt in years, but I used to do all my own shirts. The way I was instructed, and which works for me, is to always do the YOKE first. That is, the shoulder area. Everything hangs from that. Then I just go around the body, one front. back, other front, then the sleeves, and finally the cuffs. Iron the cuffs from the INSIDE, then touch up the outside.