How to iron a long-sleeve shirt correctly: with an iron, without an iron, and what modern equipment is available. How to properly iron a long-sleeved shirt

Every time you go to work or find yourself in a crowded place, willy-nilly, you pay attention to men who walk around in a wrinkled shirt. They wear expensive clothes, fashion brands, but all this fades when a person is sloppy. This is especially common among junior office workers who just yesterday went to university. It’s good if a mother knows how to iron a shirt correctly, and someone has a wife who monitors her husband’s neatness. However, there are men who have neither the knowledge nor the desire to iron shirts, believing that it is a waste of time. Is it so?


The fact is that both young and adult men, for the most part, do not know how to iron a shirt correctly. There is nothing wrong with this, but many people hide behind excuses, saying that this is not a man’s business and in general nothing is visible under the jacket. But a man must be self-sufficient and be able to iron not only a shirt, but also sew on a button if necessary. And by the way, an unironed shirt, as you can see from under the lapels of the jacket, especially the collar of the shirt.

The importance of a business man's neatness is difficult to question when it comes to an interview for a new job or a meeting with a business partner. Remember the saying: “you’re greeted by your clothes, but you’re seen off by your mind”? By having a neat appearance, you demonstrate your discipline and order. If even your appearance suggests that you do not pay attention to even such simple little things and do not take care of yourself, then who will want to deal with you?

In fact, ironing a shirt is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. With a modest amount of knowledge, you can iron one shirt in less than 5 minutes. If my arguments convince you, then I suggest you study several recommendations on how to properly iron a shirt.

How to iron a shirt correctly

The first thing to do is turn the shirt inside out. This way you will achieve better results, especially on shirts made of thick cotton fabric.

Read the label, which has the recommended temperature for the iron (iron symbol, no dot). If there is no such icon, then look at the type of fabric and set the temperature on the iron, according to the instructions from the iron manufacturer. As a rule, on irons the temperature regime is indicated from 1 point to 3. Sometimes the type of fabric is written next to a particular point.

Most shirts are made from cotton or cotton with another type of fabric added. Make sure there are no synthetics in the shirt, otherwise you may burn the shirt from the hot iron. If there is no label, then try starting ironing at a low temperature. If the folds are not ironed well, increase the temperature a little. As soon as you feel that the iron is starting to glide poorly, immediately stop ironing and reduce the temperature of the iron.


For ease of ironing, I recommend not drying the shirt too much, but leaving it slightly damp. Not wet, so that it’s dripping, but a little damp, as if you were caught in the rain a couple of hours ago and are almost dry. Believe me, ironing your shirt will be much easier. From my experience, I can add that after washing the next batch of shirts (usually there are 5-6 pieces), I let them dry overnight, and in the morning, a little damp, I put them in a pile and try to iron them for 2-3 days. During this time they do not dry out completely and can be easily ironed over the weekend. If this is too difficult or inconvenient for you, simply spray water directly while ironing the shirt.

Immediately after ironing the shirt, hang it on the back of a chair or directly on a hanger in your closet. Don’t throw your ironed shirt on the sofa or anywhere else and ruin your work.

Ironing shirt sleeves is, in my opinion, the most difficult task, so the best thing to do is start there. Sleeves can be sewn in different ways and this can make ironing easier or more difficult. Take the sleeve along the seam and place it on the ironing board. Try to smooth out the underside of the sleeve so that there are no strong folds under the top layer of fabric. I'm right-handed, so it's more convenient for me to lay my shirt in such a way that the cuff of the shirt starts on the right, and the rest of the shirt starts on the left. The first step is to iron the sleeve so that there are no wrinkles left. Please note that when you have ironed along the seam, you need to move it back a little (imagine that there is a roller in front of you, not a sleeve, and turn this “roller” a little) and iron again, but this time do not touch the edge sleeves After that, I iron the cuff by laying it flat on the ironing board. Carefully go around the buttons and folds that form at the junction of the cuff and sleeve. Do the same with the second sleeve, being careful not to wrinkle the ironed part.

If you have a special stand for ironing sleeves (like a mini ironing board), then ironing the sleeve becomes even easier.

Why do I start ironing from the sleeves, and not like the rest of the Internet from the collar or front of the shirt? The fact is that after ironing the front and back of the shirt, you will then be forced to fold the already ironed part in order to iron the sleeves. It often happens that you can’t iron a sleeve the first time (reasons: a cold iron, the water in the iron has run out or we forgot to pour it, a complicated shirt or delicate fabric, your hands just don’t work properly in the morning, and so on), and you have to go there - here fidget your shirt in order to achieve a good result. As a result, the shirt is wrinkled again and needs to be ironed.


Start with the part where the buttons are sewn. Place the shirt as shown in the picture and iron the shirt thoroughly. Pay attention to the area close to the collar, as this part is visible from under the tie.

Attention! Gently iron around the buttons. Do not iron the buttons themselves, they may melt (if you decide not to turn the shirt inside out).

Next, drag the shirt so that you have the back of the shirt (usually half the back or 2/3 of it). Iron the entire area, focusing on the area near the collar of the shirt. I recommend not ironing patches and labels that are made of synthetics. If the iron is hot, the edge of the label may melt a little, and then harden and scratch your neck if you do not wear undershirts.

Once you've ironed the back of the shirt, move to the front of the shirt, where there are no buttons (this is usually the right side of the shirt). Carefully iron the chest pocket area and the pocket itself (if there is one). Again, iron the area near the collar well.

The next step is to stroke the shoulders of the shirt. To do this, place the shirt on the narrow part of the ironing board, so that only the left or right shoulder can be ironed. Try to reach the difficult areas with the tip of the iron to avoid wrinkles. Once you are done with one shoulder, move on to the second.


4. Iron the shirt collar

If you forgot to remove the pits from the collars (this is done before washing), then remove the pits now. It happens that they are sewn into the collar, then don’t do anything with them. Place the collar of your shirt with the inside facing you. Try to get rid of all the wrinkles at the corners of the collar, as this is the part that first catches the eye of people around you.


5. Check the folds and hang up the shirt

Look to see if there are any wrinkled areas on the shirt. If everything is in order, hang it on a hanger and place the shirt in your closet.

  • If you are unsure of the type of fabric the shirt is made from, always start ironing at a low temperature. You may spend a little more time ironing, but you won’t burn it.
  • Always iron around the buttons, not over the buttons. Even if the buttons are under the fabric (if the shirt is turned inside out), still go around the buttons when ironing.
  • You should not iron a dirty shirt if it has not been washed. If you iron stains on a shirt, it will be extremely difficult to wash the shirt, if at all.

Cleaning the iron

If you, like me, have hard water at home and mineral deposits constantly accumulate in the iron, then I recommend cleaning it occasionally. To do this, pour a solution into the water tank: 1 part water, 1 part acetic acid. They say you can also use citric acid, but the concentrate will be much more expensive than simple table vinegar (vinegar concentration is about 70%). Pour the solution, heat the iron and place it on the ironing board with the sole of the iron down, so that steam comes out from under it. When all the water runs out, look at how much dirt has accumulated in the iron. Repeat the procedure if necessary. To prevent this from happening, fill with purified water if you have a flow filter or bottled water, if possible.

Knowing how to iron a shirt correctly, you will never be afraid of a mountain of wrinkled shirts. Practice a little by ironing a couple of dozen shirts, and the time spent ironing one shirt will be reduced to an insignificant 3-4 minutes. Simultaneously watching TV or listening to the radio will help to diversify the process of ironing wrinkled shirts. I hope you have the patience to learn this not difficult but necessary skill.

Ironing and ironing is a necessary treatment for most fabric products, because clothes and linen not only acquire an attractive appearance, but also with the help of an iron you can correct defects that form during washing and wearing.

Despite the fact that more and more fabrics are appearing that do not require ironing, we will probably not give up using an iron any time soon. Indeed, in addition to the above advantages, there is another, no less important one - high temperature contributes to the death of various bacteria, as well as dust mites.

Another question is that many of us don’t like to iron. When it comes to handkerchiefs or pillowcases, you can still put up with it, but ironing men's shirts For some it becomes almost torture. However, if you or your husband work in an office where a dress code is required, this process cannot be avoided.

Meanwhile, ironing a shirt is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Today we will tell you how to do this.

In our article "How to iron fabrics" We told you how to iron various fabrics, so we strongly recommend reading it so as not to make mistakes and not spoil your favorite item.

How to choose iron temperature

How to iron a shirt

Before you start ironing, you need to select the correct temperature setting for the iron, depending on the type of fabric:

  • Pure cotton – 150 C
  • Flax – 200-230 C
  • Viscose – 120 C
  • Cotton with polyester – 110 C
  • Cotton with linen – 190-200 C
  • Silk – up to 160 C

How to iron a shirt

It is best to iron a men's shirt when it is slightly damp. If the shirt is dry, you can wrap it in a damp towel or cloth for an hour or, after moistening it, put it briefly in a plastic bag. It’s good if you have a spray bottle with clean water on hand so that you can spray it on the fabric if necessary.

Start by processing those parts shirts , where the material is sewn in two layers, that is, from the cuffs and collar.

How to iron a shirt

The collar is first ironed from the inside and then from the front side. It is stretched and ironed from the ends in the middle, and on the fold as well, until the collar is completely dry.

To prevent it from becoming wrinkled in the future, a cut-to-shape piece of cardboard or other hard material is placed under it. Don't throw away these tabs when you unpack the shirt you just bought; they might come in handy.

Following the collar, the under-collar area and the double yoke should be straightened and ironed. To do this, it is convenient to pull it over the edge of the ironing board.

The cuffs, like the collar, are ironed first from the inside, then from the front side. Iron the fold on the cuffs, then straighten the entire sleeve and iron from the shoulder to the cuffs from the front side. You can use a special small ironing board to iron the sleeves.

It's time to stroke the back. It is folded in half, the fold is leveled, and first one and then the other side of the back is ironed. After this, lay out and iron the strip in the middle.

The front of the shirt is ironed like this: first the stripes with buttons and loops, and then only the halves themselves. Carefully iron between the buttons with the tip of the iron, trying not to touch them, because the high temperature can cause them to melt. Please note that the front halves of the shirt may have pockets that also have buttons; be sure to go around them so as not to ruin them.

A woman wants her man to look perfect, to be always clean and tidy. However, not only young housewives often have problems with how to properly iron men's shirts. However, with proper skill, this action will take no more than 5 minutes.

Ironing rules

There are a few tips that will make the process much easier.

  1. It is best to dry shirts on hangers, flattened. Then folds and “wrinkles” do not form, and the fabric does not wrinkle.
  2. Shirts are ironed wet. To do this, they can be moistened with a spray bottle or not allowed to dry completely. When using the first method, the shirt can be placed in a plastic bag, this will ensure uniform moisture.
  3. How to properly iron a shirt if the fabric of the product is dark-colored? The shirt must be ironed from the inside out. Otherwise, the fabric will quickly fade or begin to shine. This rule also applies to products made from shiny materials.
  4. For each type of fabric, you need to set your own ironing mode. If you overheat the iron, you can scorch or burn through your shirt. If the temperature is insufficient, you will not be able to get rid of “wrinkles”. And not all materials react equally well to steam and moisture.
  5. Shirts are ironed according to the principle “from smallest to largest,” that is, first the smallest details (cuffs and collar), then sleeves, fronts, and finally the back. If you follow this order, then the already ironed parts will not wrinkle, and you will not need to redo the work many times to achieve the perfect result.

Preparation

How to iron a shirt correctly? First you need to prepare everything you need so as not to be distracted. What will you need?

  1. An iron, preferably with a non-stick coating, a spray bottle and a steam function.
  2. A large ironing board and a special small one for sleeves. It is possible, of course, without the latter. But its presence will greatly simplify the alignment of sleeves, and will also avoid the appearance of “arrows”.
  3. Water for the spray bottle. Running around the apartment with a hot iron is not only inconvenient, but also dangerous.
  4. Towel. It should be light or white (so as not to accidentally stain things), made from natural materials, preferably cotton. It can be used as a backing for a board. You can also iron through it to avoid water stains on clothes and loss of color. If there is no special small board, it is recommended to put a towel in the sleeve instead.

Ironing mode

Each type of fabric has its own temperature and humidity level, this must be taken into account in order to obtain the optimal result. If the composition of the fabric is unknown, then you need to start with minimum temperatures.

If it contains polyester, then the iron must be heated to 110 degrees. In addition, it is not advisable to iron artificial material with a lot of steam. This parameter should be set to minimum.

Crinkled shirts are also ironed at 110, but without steam at all, so that they do not become flattened.

Viscose can withstand heating up to 120. It is tolerant of steam treatment. But it is better not to wet it with a spray bottle, as unsightly water stains may remain.

How to iron a shirt made from natural fabrics correctly? Cotton will require a temperature of 150 and a large amount of steam.

A cotton and linen shirt will be ironed at 170-180 with steam.

Linen is the hardest material. Its processing requires maximum temperatures (up to 210-230) and a lot of steam. You will also have to make some effort to get all the folds straightened out.

We should talk separately about how to properly iron men's silk shirts. First, they must be dry. It is not advisable to wet them with water, as this will leave stains. Secondly, minimum temperatures are used for such shirts. Typically, silk shirts are ironed well, so it is better to do without steam, otherwise the product may become shiny. By the way, for the same reason, ironing should be done from the wrong side.

In order

So, everything is ready. We can get down to business. Below we will talk about how to properly iron a shirt. Photos will illustrate this process.

Collar

The smallest detail is ironed first, but it is always visible. First from the wrong side. The iron moves from the edges to the center, which will avoid ironing out creases in the corners. Then the shirt turns over and everything repeats. You should not iron the collar along the fold, as it will take on an irregular shape and look terrible. This oversight is almost impossible to correct or disguise.

Cuffs

Next, you need to consider how to properly iron your shirt sleeves. You need to start with the cuffs. They are ironed in the same way as a collar, having first been unbuttoned and straightened on the board so that “arrows” do not form. Double cuffs are first unrolled and ironed flat. Then they are folded and ironed along the fold.

Sleeves

Next, move on to the most problematic part. Many people are tormented by the question of how to properly iron a long-sleeved shirt. Definitely - without "arrows". They are considered a sign of bad taste. An exception can be made only when the requirements for clothing include a clause about “arrows” on the shirt. In other cases, the sleeve should be perfectly even.

To prevent ironed folds from appearing, the fabric must be straightened on the board. To do this, the sleeve is folded in half. Focus on the seam. You need to iron it in the direction from the shoulder to the cuff. You should not go close to the edge so that “arrows” do not appear. When the sleeve is ironed on one side, you should lift it and unfold it so that the seam is at the bottom in the middle. Now the remaining part will be ironed. All operations are repeated with the second sleeve.

It is most convenient to use a special small board, but if you don’t have one, you can also use a rolled up towel. By the way, this will help avoid the appearance of “arrows”, and the process will significantly speed up.

Shelves

These are the front parts of the shirt. You need to start from the side where the buttons are. First you need to iron the areas around them. Under no circumstances should you iron over buttons, as unsightly marks will remain. Then the iron moves from top to bottom, from the shoulder. The same procedure is repeated on the other side. The pocket is ironed in the opposite direction: from bottom to top. This will prevent wrinkles from appearing.

For those who do not know how to properly iron a shirt with cufflinks, we can say that all tips are universal. The most important thing is not to iron over them, so as not to leave unsightly marks.

Back

At the end is the most voluminous, but at the same time the simplest part of the shirt. The shirt needs to be placed on the board and leveled so that there are no “wrinkles”. It is advisable to have one sleeve next to the long edge of the board. The iron will move from top to bottom. First near the shoulders, then to the edge. When one half is ironed, you need to put the shirt so that the other sleeve is now near the edge of the board. If there is an unironed part in the middle, then it will be ironed at the end. Usually this is a very small area.

The last stage is inspection

The shirt is ready. However, before hanging it or putting it on, you need to make sure again that there are no unironed areas. If none were found, the work was done “excellently”. If there are a couple of folds, you need to iron them again. That's all, now there will be no problems with how to properly iron a long-sleeve shirt.

Ironing a shirt correctly means bringing it into perfect condition. This is when there are no folds or dents on it, all small details have clear contours, and the fabric “crunches”. In such clothes, any man can feel very confident and pleasant, feeling the care of his mother, wife or sister. Not all housewives know how to properly iron men's shirts. You will have to practice in order to choose the right ironing strategy for yourself and achieve the highest quality result.

To make a man look neat, you just need to iron his shirt

The process of ironing a men's shirt will be discussed a little below. Initially, it is necessary to prepare it so that later there are no difficulties and you do not have to redo the work done several times.

You can start ironing only when it is free of stains and dirt. It will be easier to iron an item that is not completely dry. Dry shirts will have to be moistened with a spray bottle or sprinkled with water for better ironing.

It is preferable to iron from the wrong side of the item. This action will contribute to a better result. You can avoid unpleasant shine on the front side and scorching from an overheated iron.

It is also important to set the heat on the soleplate of the iron correctly. Information about this is indicated on tags and labels. If there are no such recommendations or they have not been preserved, you need to start working with the minimum heating of the iron, gradually increasing it.

Men's casual wardrobe

Shirts can be ironed in any order. However, there is a possibility of large parts being crushed while working on small ones, if they were processed earlier. Therefore, the following sequence of work with parts of the product is proposed so that the process is simple and the result is of high quality:

  1. Collar.
  2. Sleeves and cuffs.
  3. Shoulders.
  4. Shelves and back.

Direct ironing

Iron the collar. The collar is the detail on which the gaze of others lingers first. Therefore, it is necessary to iron your shirt collar with special care.

Ironing the collar

Initially, you should remove the inserted bones, if this was not done before washing. There is no need to touch the sewn up bones. The collar is positioned with the inside facing the owner. Ironing is performed without the use of steam, carefully smoothing out wrinkles in the corners of this part.
Having understood the specifics of the procedure, how to iron a collar, you need to start processing the sleeves. Next, we will carefully study how to iron shirt sleeves.

Rules for ironing sleeves and cuffs. The most difficult thing for housewives to figure out is how to properly iron a long-sleeved shirt, because you can easily smooth out additional wrinkles and not carefully process all the small parts. These parts of clothing are difficult to iron and require painstaking work. The specified procedure can be performed in two ways:

  1. On the surface of the ironing board.
  2. Using a special narrow nozzle or stand for ironing sleeves.

Ironing sleeves

In the first case, the sleeve is laid out on the ironing board tabletop. The underside of the sleeve along the seam is carefully leveled so that folds do not form in the upper part. Next, you should iron the sleeve fabric to prevent folds and arrows. Afterwards, the seam of the sleeve moves slightly so that it is possible to iron the fold of the sleeve without touching the edge. Now you can iron the cuffs on both sides. It is necessary to carefully iron the buttons so as not to melt them.

In the second case, the sleeve is put on the nozzle. By turning it in a circle, the surface of the sleeve is ironed on all sides. Short sleeves of a shirt are ironed in the same way as long sleeves, but the process is simplified by the absence of cuffs.

Treatment of the shoulder area of ​​the shirt. The shoulders are ironed next, placing them one at a time on the tapering part of the ironing board. You need to try to use the nose of the iron to get to difficult areas, avoiding wrinkles.

Ironing the shoulder area

The nuances of ironing shelves and backs. The shelf with buttons is conveniently located on the working surface of the ironing board. The area adjacent to the collar is ironed especially carefully. After all, she is immediately noticeable because of the tie. The fabric around the buttons is carefully ironed with the tip of the iron. It is necessary to avoid contact between the iron and buttons, as the latter may melt.

Gradually pulling the shirt, you need to smooth out the back and move on to the second shelf. Attention is also focused on the area near the collar, and then the chest pocket and the area around it are ironed.

Final ironing stage

Labels and stripes are usually made of synthetics, so ironing them is not recommended. They can melt from the heat of the iron and cause discomfort to the skin when worn.

The influence of fabric composition on the ironing process

The type of fabric and its composition directly affects the rules for ironing a shirt. Some features are presented below:

  • Synthetic fibers (polyester) and viscose are ironed using the soleplate of an iron with minimal heat so as not to leave any marks or shine on the fabric. This is especially true for dark materials.
  • Cotton fabrics should be ironed on medium heat setting. The steam supply is turned on only when it is needed.
  • Linen items can withstand the highest temperatures. This is the only way they can level up qualitatively. It is permissible to press down on the iron and turn on the steam.
  • Woolen shirts are ironed from the wrong side, placing several layers of gauze between the product and the sole of the device. The iron heats up to medium.
  • Silk shirt models must not be ironed in any way. There is no spinning of items after washing; they are hung on hangers to drain moisture.

Excellent result of long efforts

Ironing without an iron

Sometimes situations arise when you need to resolve a dilemma: how to iron a shirt without an iron, but with an excellent final result. For example, if the device breaks down or there is no electricity. Unusual ironing options will be irreplaceable:

  • Fabrics that wrinkle easily are washed in the usual way. After a gentle spin, they are hung on hangers, the buttons are fastened, and the collar and cuffs are straightened. It is permissible not to iron a completely dried item.
  • Steam treatment can perfectly straighten shirt fabric. Any steam generator or bath with boiling water or very hot water over which the product is hung will do.
  • The chemical composition is an equal ratio of fabric softener, vinegar and purified water. The composition is poured into the spray bottle, and a shirt hanging on a hanger is sprayed with it. After drying, the material will straighten out, acquire softness and beauty.

After completing all the steps, you cannot immediately put the ironed item of clothing into the wardrobe or put it on when going out. It must cool completely and dry.

Now all the ways to iron a shirt have been considered. By following the above recommendations, all work will be completed quickly and efficiently.

Every woman often faces the problem of how to properly iron a shirt. It seems that everything is simple, but you stroke it on one side, turn it over to the other, and not a trace remains of the results of your labors.

Women can be roughly divided into two groups: those who love ironing, and those who consider this activity useless. Representatives of the first group claim that at these moments you can focus on certain thoughts, reflect, and tune in to something positive.

It is logical to assume who copes better with the task. Perhaps the whole secret of success in something like ironing a shirt is that you need to approach the task with nice mood?

How to iron a shirt correctly - preparation

  • So, turn on your favorite music and get started. The golden rule says: stroke with love, and then everything will work out for you!
  • First of all, you need to prepare a workplace, the ideal option is ironing board with a perfectly smooth and flat surface.
  • Of course, we can’t do without the help of an iron! Irons with a steam generator are very easy to use, in which, by pressing a button located on the handle, steam is supplied to the heating surface through small holes in even portions.
  • To avoid accidentally burning your shirt with an iron, you should select the most optimal ironing mode for the appropriate type of fabric. Cotton - 150, linen - 220, polyester - 110 degrees.
  • Remember that it is best to iron your shirt when it is barely damp. If it dries out, it will be very difficult to iron. To correct this situation, the shirt should be sprinkled with water and placed in a plastic bag for a few minutes to soften it.

How to iron a shirt correctly - ironing

So, let's proceed directly to the ironing process. The parts that have a smaller area are ironed first on the shirt.

The iron must be moved along the grain line, This will prevent the fabric from stretching.

How to iron a shirt correctly - video

Many women prefer to iron several shirts at once. To maintain their neat appearance, it is best to hang them in the closet on a hanger.

Someone may be horrified by such a considerable description: how long! But this is just a description, and the process itself will not take you much time. Try ironing your shirt correctly once, and you will see how you can save time while getting impeccable results!


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