Ironing Clothes
November 29th, 2006 (Cleaning)
1. Spray starch makes ironing easier by smoothing out the iron’s “glide” over the fabric.
2. Don’t iron a garment if it’s soiled or sweaty. The heat and steam will set stains.
3. If your iron starts to stick, make dark fabric shiny, or leave any kind of residue behind on lighter fabrics, stop ironing and clean the soleplate according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. The dial on the iron will usually indicate what fabrics to iron at what temperatures.
5. Don’t iron over rubber or buttons (they could melt) or zippers (they could scratch your soleplate’s nonstick surface).
6. Most irons have a little groove just above the soleplate that allows you to iron “around” the buttons of a shirt.
7. If you’re ironing a fabric like lightweight linen or an expensive dress shirt, especially a white one, put a clean cloth or towel between its surface and the iron to avoid scorching.
8. Keep your ironing board cover clean; steam from your iron may lift any stains and transfer them to an item you’re ironing.