Iron correctly: Everyone should know these simple rules

Not that great at ironing, but have no idea where you’re going wrong? With our five tips explaining how to iron, we’ll introduce you to ironing step by step, so you’ll be able to have crease-free shirts and blouses faster in the future and save a lot of money rather than using the ironing service at your local laundromat.

Did you know that there is a lot you can do in advance to make ironing safer and more comfortable? Being well prepared saves time and prevents damage to your garments, so it’s a good idea to keep the following points in mind:

1. Set up your ironing area: make sure you have enough space around your ironing board. If you’re cramped, it’s easy to trip over the cable and yank the iron away.

2. Have everything you need at the ready: do you have an ironing board, an iron and a spray bottle filled with water handy? Things such as a heat-protecting cloth (e.g. made of cotton) can also be helpful to protect very delicate materials. And don’t forget headphones, the TV remote and something to drink – these are essential to keep you happy while ironing.

3. Descale your iron: an iron with a build-up of limescale can lead to small chalky particles landing on your clothes instead of pure steam, or it can impair the steam function. It’s therefore advisable to descale your iron regularly by using a special descaling agent or a mixture of water and vinegar – be sure to check the iron’s instructions so you don’t damage anything.

4. Pre-sort your laundry: separate your garments by material. This saves you the trouble of readjusting the temperature and prevents you from making mistakes such as accidentally ironing a woollen jumper on the hottest setting.

By taking the time to prepare, you’ve already done most of the work and can now focus on the actual ironing itself.

Nothing is more annoying than ruining a much-loved garment because you blindly switched the iron to the highest setting, so be sure to check the care instructions on the label before you start ironing.

There, you’ll find an iron symbol with small dots to tell you what temperature your clothes can tolerate:

• One dot (80 to 110°C): usually intended for synthetic materials such as polyester or delicate fibres, i.e. those that require low heat.

• Two dots (110 to 165°C): medium heat, often suitable for fabric blends or easy-care cotton.

• Three dots (165 to 220°C): maximum temperature, usually only suitable for linen or pure cotton.

When in doubt, iron your clothes one level cooler. This way, you won’t risk ruining the garment and can slowly increase to a higher temperature.

You’re probably familiar with how strenuous and time-consuming ironing a dry shirt can be, since every crease is stubborn. The magic word here is ‘moisture’. Steam irons were invented precisely for this purpose; the steam makes the fabric more supple, allowing creases to be removed more quickly.

There are three ways to smooth out clothes with moisture:

• Iron with a steam tank: if you have a steam iron, simply fill the tank with water (ideally water with minimal lime or distilled water) and turn on the steam function. Make sure the water is fresh and descale your iron regularly to prevent limescale build-up from forming.

• Spray bottle: if your iron doesn’t have a steam tank, a simple spray bottle is enough to lightly moisten your garments. Make sure that the bottle has as fine a mist as possible and dampen the garment regularly with the water. Then smooth out the material with the hot iron.

• Steamer: using a steamer is a very gentle method for smoothing out individual, ultra-delicate garments. With it, you spray a steamy mist all over your garment to remove any creases; steamers work without any mechanical pressure.

Even though moisture is supposed to protect your clothes, you should still be careful when using steam on particularly fine fabrics. Very smooth, shiny materials in particular are often sensitive to too much moisture and can get water stains.

We’ve all experienced those unsightly shiny spots on dark trousers or jackets. These patches are often caused by excessive heat or by direct contact with a hot iron.

To avoid this, simply turn delicate clothing inside out before ironing to reduce the risk of shiny spots forming. You can also place a thin cotton cloth, a tea towel or a special ironing cloth between the garment and the iron. This also protects delicate fibres from direct heat. Especially with polyester, silk, satin or wool, this step is worthwhile in order to prolong the life of your garments.

Imagine you’ve painstakingly ironed the creases out of a shirt, folded it immediately and after 10 minutes, it’s creased again. How frustrating. The mistake here is folding your garment while it is still warm, since dry, warm fibres tend to crease again quickly when pressed directly against each other.

It’s therefore a good idea to leave your freshly ironed laundry to cool for a few minutes on the ironing board, a clean chair or on a coat hook before folding and putting it in your wardrobe. This doesn’t take much time, but it can save you a lot of trouble and keeps the creases at bay.

You now have the most important ironing tips up your sleeve. But sometimes if you’re in a rush, you might get careless or make avoidable mistakes that not only damage your clothes but, in rare cases, can even be dangerous.

Here are three things you definitely shouldn’t do when ironing:

1. Leaving your iron unattended: never leave your hot iron switched on when you leave the room! This is not only dangerous – think fire risk – but can also leave scorch marks on the fabric or ironing board. If you need to step away for a moment, at least position the iron vertically or turn it off completely.

2. Ironing too hot: many people tend to set the iron to the highest setting straight away because they think it will speed up the ironing process. In reality, however, doing this makes you more likely to damage the fabric. A scorch mark can happen quickly and delicate fabrics may begin to shine or warp – effects that cannot be undone.

3. Using hard water: if you use a steam iron or spray bottle to moisten the clothes you’re about to iron, be sure to use soft water or distilled water. Hard tap water causes limescale residue to form inside the iron, which can later leave white or yellow stains on your clothes and clog the steam holes. Regular descaling is therefore a must.

Some garments are either very delicate or extremely stiff and hard to work with. It takes a little dexterity to smooth them out without ruining anything.

• Fine silk: it’s best to use a low heat setting and put a cloth in between the iron and the garment. A single stain caused by too much steam can be enough to permanently ruin a light-coloured silk dress.

• Thick linen: moisten the fabric beforehand or iron it while still slightly damp using a high heat setting (as long as the care label allows). This helps you to smooth out stubborn linen creases relatively quickly.

• Woollen jumpers: be careful, because in most cases wool should not be ironed at all, at least not directly. A burst of steam from a slight distance can help to straighten the fibres. Otherwise, it’s best to turn the garment inside out or use a cloth.

If a piece of clothing is very creased, you could also use a steamer before ironing. The rising moisture loosens the material without overheating it.

Not every piece of clothing needs to come into contact with an iron, which will be like music to the ears of those who hate ironing. There is a whole range of fabrics and fibres that are naturally crease-resistant or almost smooth themselves out by simply giving them a shake:

• Synthetic fabrics: polyester or polyamide often only end up with a few creases that smooth out themselves when the garments are hung up to dry.

• Fabric blends: cotton and polyester blends crease less than pure cotton.

• Knitwear: many knitted items made of wool or acrylic smooth out themselves after washing if they are laid out flat to dry. Chunky knitwear, in particular, does not crease.

As practical as it may be, not everyone wants to spend their free time behind the ironing board. Even if you don’t have much time or simply hate ironing, there are effective alternatives for keeping your clothes crease-free:

One well-known trick is to hang a creased top in the bathroom while you take a hot shower. The rising steam loosens the fibres and slight creases disappear almost by themselves. Although this method is no replacement for ironing, this tip can be worth its weight in gold for spontaneously getting rid of creases.

Instead of carelessly throwing your shirt into the laundry basket after washing or tumble-drying, shake it out thoroughly and hang it on a clothes hanger immediately. Many fibrous materials will have significantly less creases if you use this method. Easy-care shirts or fabric blends in particular often look tip-top afterwards.

We’ve all been there: only a specific area of your garment has creases and the rest looks good. Instead of setting up the ironing board, you can spray a special smoothing spray onto the affected area and smooth it out gently. Then use a medium-thick towel or a little bit of heat from your hair dryer to work out the crease – a perfect alternative to ironing small creases.

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