Ironing is probably the most difficult and complex household chore, and it must be carried out in accordance with certain basic rules that help avoid damaging garments and allow us to go out looking neat. Most outfits require ironed clothes; there are very few that call for crumpled garments. For important events, an elegant dress code is almost always required, with well-ironed clothes and shirts.
With this in mind, we offer our guide to ironing shirts, as they are the most difficult garment to manage. Let’s be clear from the outset: both for the final result and to extend the life of the shirts themselves, it is essential not to get the movements wrong, as we will now explain. Likewise, remember that the choice of material setting and temperature on the iron makes a difference and must also be correct; otherwise, you risk irreparably damaging your shirts.
After washing your shirts and letting them dry on the drying rack, it is advisable to hang them on a hanger with only the top button fastened so they don’t develop additional creases, which would then require more effort to remove.
Furthermore, a useful tip to make the job easier is not to wait until the shirts are completely dry: if they are still slightly damp, they are easier to iron. For this reason, the very first step before running the iron over your shirts is to spray them with starch, which moistens and prepares the fabric for ironing, making the process smoother.
1) Collar
Always start with the collar, which must be fully opened and ironed on both sides, inside and outside, working from the points towards the centre. This helps prevent the collar from arching unnaturally.
2) Shoulders
Using the steam function on the iron, thereby preventing further creases from forming, iron the shoulders of the shirt: start from one side and work towards the centre, then continue from the other side.
3) Sleeves and cuffs
The cuffs must be opened and ironed first; from there, move up to the underarm to iron the sleeve thoroughly, and of course repeat on the other sleeve. Then close the cuffs and run the hot iron over them again.
4) Front – Chest
Here you should first iron the inside, the side without buttons, and then the outside. On both sides, move the iron from the bottom upwards and be careful when you are near the buttons so as not to damage them or leave marks on them.
5) Back
The back of the shirt should also be ironed by moving the iron from the bottom upwards, but only once! Passing the iron several times can create small creases, which is exactly what we want to avoid! To make this easier, it is essential to lay the shirt on the ironing board leaving the two front plackets with buttonholes and buttons to the sides.
Finally, let’s clarify that the best way to store freshly ironed shirts in the wardrobe is to hang them up, but we know that this is not always possible for reasons of space or otherwise. In such cases it is important to fold shirts properly to avoid having to iron them a second time before wearing them. What you need to do is button the shirt starting from the collar, fastening every other button; then lay the shirt face down on a flat surface, which can also be the ironing board, and make a fold starting from the shoulder. You should take hold of the shirt at the shoulder and fold it carefully along the board so it lies parallel. Then repeat on the other side and run the hot iron over the folds, and finally take hold of the bottom of the shirt and make another fold, this time towards the collar.
