Help with the Ironing

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated August 21, 2023)

My grandma loves to iron and sometimes I just don't understand why. However, there must be something about it that works for her. Ironing doesn't have to be a favorite pastime of yours, but it also doesn't have to be drudge work. If you can keep in mind a few simple guidelines for your ironing you should be able to take out much of the frustration and enjoy your wrinkle free, crisp clothes!

Whenever you cook you preheat the oven and it's the same thing with ironing; whenever you iron you should preheat the iron. Turn it on a few minutes before you actually start ironing and then it will be ready to go when you're ready to go. Ironing on a merely warm iron won't do anything for your clothes and you'll probably have to start over anyway. Also make sure you have the iron on the right heat setting for your clothes. It would be a huge disappointment to accidentally melt your clothes because you didn't take note of the heat setting!

You want to prevent stretching when ironing. You are less likely to stretch your garments if you iron them with lengthwise strokes. To take out wrinkles move the iron slowly across the garment and slowly wiggle it back and forth to make sure you're ironing it the most effectively. With most delicate items you should definitely take your time and make sure you're really ironing it, but with more casual or cotton items, pressing it (ironing with simple, quick strokes) usually will suffice.

Also be mindful of the other materials on your clothing. For instance a lot of clothing today has stamped on images that may look cool, but could ruin your shirt and your iron if you iron directly onto them. The key to avoiding ironing disasters like that is to have a spare piece of thin fabric by your iron and use that as a buffer between the stamped image and the iron. If you don't have a pressing cloth, you can just avoid the stamped image and iron that section of the shirt from the backside.

Ironing—when you have the right know how—can be mindless work that still makes you productive. You don't have to love it or even fully enjoy it, but it doesn't have to be miserable. And one last tip to keep in mind is to put on a movie or a favorite TV show while you iron—a good rerun of Gilmore Girls can do wonders for your attention span!

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

Ants Hate Lemon Juice and Bay Leaves

Many people aren't aware that ants hate citrus ingredients and plants such as bay leaves. Use lemon juice and bay leaves ...

Discover More

Some Plants Can Kill Your Pets

Just like certain plants can harm us, certain plants can also harm your pets. Become knowledgeable about what your pets ...

Discover More

Supervise Pets Outdoors

It's great to take your pet outdoors and give it a breath of fresh air, but there are a few things you need to remember ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

How to Iron a Permanent Crease

Some clothing requires a permanent crease, but how exactly do you iron them? They can definitely seem a little ...

Discover More

Tips for Ironing when Packing Ironed Clothes

When you go on vacation, it's inevitable that your clothes will get wrinkly, regardless of whether you ironed them ...

Discover More

Cleaning Your Iron Hot Plate

Especially after multiple uses, an iron hot plate can get dirty and often that dirtiness affects the effectiveness of the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is nine minus 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.