If you’re anything like us, your mum or dad showed you how to iron a shirt back in the day. Since then though, you’ve done a whole lot less ironing than you’d like to admit…maybe even none at all.
But now you’re away at uni. Or you’re starting a new office job. And you’ve got a bunch of creased shirts that need an iron. Where do you even start? It’s probably at this point where you wish you’d got some practice in…
To help you out, we’ve put together some useful pointers about how to iron shirts. You’ll go from scruffy to smart in no time.
Check out the best way to iron a shirt, how to iron cotton shirts, how to iron polyester shirts and how to iron silk without ruining it. Let's get ironing.
How do you iron a shirt at home?
First things first, you’re going to need an ironing board. And an iron. Make sure you get one that suits you. The best iron for shirts is really going to differ from person to person. If you’re only ironing a few times a month, there’s no point getting an iron with a load of bells and whistles on it. Go for something simple instead.
Once you’ve got those, there are a couple of things to do before you get going:
Wash your shirt - you want to make sure it’s nice and clean before you iron it. If there are stains, ironing over them could make them set in, making it even harder to get rid of them
Check the care label – different materials can handle different levels of heat. You don’t want to burn your shirt and leave a mark. Most irons have multiple heat settings. So set it to the right one before you start ironing
What iron setting should I use?
You can find out by checking the iron symbol on the care label:
Iron with a cross through it – don’t iron
Iron with one dot – iron on a cool setting
Iron with two dots – iron on a warm setting
Iron with three dots – iron on a hot setting
Set up your ironing board at a comfortable height. It’ll probably have adjustable legs, so you can make it as high or low as you want. We’d put ours in front of the telly too. That way, you can get through your latest box set obsession while you tackle your stack of ironing.
Put some water in the iron, plug it in, and let it heat up. Set it to the right setting, following the instructions on your care label.
Most ironing boards will have a metal section on one side. This is where you’ll need to put your iron whenever you’re not using it.
Lay your shirt on the ironing board. Some people swear by putting it inside out (because ironing on the inside helps to keep the outside in better shape).
Start on the collar first. Flatten it out and move the iron from the centre outwards, as this is the best way to stop creases. Do the underside, then the outside.
Once that’s done, do the sleeves next. Unbutton and press the cuffs flat against the ironing board. Then put each sleeve across it. Smooth them out and make sure the seam is nice and flat. Using the narrow part of your iron, start at the cuff and move backwards going up the arm.
Flip the shirt over so that the back is facing upward. Get it as flat as you can and iron in long smooth motions from top to bottom.
With the shoulders, it’s a lot easier if you hook them over the pointy end of your ironing board.
Now do the front. Iron the rows of buttons by pressing the narrow point of the iron in between each of them. You’ll have to do each side, working from the outside heading toward the middle. Be careful around any pockets too.
Switch off your iron and let it cool.
Get rid of any leftover water from the iron, as this’ll stop a build up of limescale.
Hang up your shirt to keep it smooth and free of wrinkles.
If you’ve done it right, you’ll now have a super smart shirt without any creases. And don’t worry if it took a while. The more you do it, the faster you’ll get. You’ll soon be smashing through piles of clothes in no time.
Before you start, have a look at the plate on your iron. You want to make sure there’s no dirt on it or burn marks, and that it’s as clean as possible. If it’s not – and your cotton shirt is white – you’re going to transfer all the muck straight onto it.
Put your iron onto a cotton setting (usually a medium to high heat) and choose a steam option too. Now let it heat up.
When it’s nice and hot, get rid of any leftover dust by running the iron over your board. And check that steam is coming out of the iron properly. You want a lot of steam because hot moisture is great at tackling super tough cotton wrinkles.
Now you’re ready to start:
Put the shirt on the ironing board and start with the collar. Move from the outside point heading inwards, doing both the under and inner part of the collar.
When you’re ironing cotton, try and move the iron length-ways with longer strokes, instead of going in a circular pattern.
Do the cuffs, sleeves, and shoulders next. You’ll be able to do it even quicker if you open up the cuffs. That’s because it’s way easier ironing over a flatter surface. And you’ll have more access to the other bits of the sleeve too.
Iron the cuffs in the same way you’ve done the collar. Do the inside, then the outside. You’ll end up with a much crisper finish.
With the sleeves, press the iron carefully along them without applying too much pressure.
Once that’s all done, move onto the body – starting on the front. With the point of the iron, press it in between each of the buttons, moving from the very bottom heading upwards. Just make sure you don’t go over the buttons themselves.
Now flip it over and iron the back.
Finally, run the iron along the bottom of the shirt for a neat, smooth look.
All your creases should now be gone. Hang the shirt on a padded or thick wooden hanger if you’ve got one. Hanging it up lets it cool down and means it’ll keep its shape until you wear it. Wearing it right after ironing can make the wrinkles come back, so give it some time before you put it on.
Expert top tip:
Want an extra crisp looking shirt? Turn it inside out first and give the inside a quick iron. Then you can start on the outside. If your shirt is made of heavyweight cotton, you’ll get an even better result.
Polyester is absolutely everywhere (it’s one of the most common materials in the whole world after all). So, it’s going to be pretty likely you’ll have a shirt made out of it.
But it’s got one downside. It’s really sensitive to heat. If it comes into contact with a high temperature – like if your iron is too hot – it can melt and get damaged. And then you’ll be down a shirt.
Look at the care label on your shirt first. Some of them might recommend that you don’t iron it. But if it says its ok to do so, it’s better to use a steam iron. That’s because steam is a lot gentler on polyester. Plus, when combined with a damp cloth, it can get rid of creases and wrinkles without you having to apply heat straight onto the fabric.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Read the steam setting and temperature suggestions on the care label.
Set up your ironing board and put some water in the iron.
Plug in your iron, switch it on and give it time to heat up.
Grab a thin cloth and run it under a tap – you’ll want it to be slightly damp, as it’ll help get rid of wrinkles without damaging the shirt.
Undo every button and put the shirt face down on the ironing board, with the collar lying flat.
Put the damp cloth on the collar – keeping it between the iron and the shirt.
Iron the back of the collar, starting at the edges while moving towards the middle.
Open up both cuffs and iron them from the outside in. Try not to iron over any of the buttons.
Lie out each sleeve and smooth them both down with your hand. Starting from the cuff, move the iron up toward the shoulders. Just make sure you’ve got the cloth over each section while you do it.
Now move onto the back of the shirt. While you iron, move the shirt around the board so that you’re getting every part of it. Then do the shoulders.
Swap the shirt over so it’s frontside up. Move the iron lengthways up each side, being careful around the buttons.
Next, tackle the front of the collar. Do it in the same way you did on the back, ironing it from the outside in.
And now you’re done. Don’t fold the shirt though. Hang it up straight away instead. When the shirt is still warm, wrinkles can appear while it cools. But when you hang it up, gravity helps to remove any that might be left over.
Can you iron silk in the first place? Yes, you can. At a first glance though, you’re probably worried about burning the fabric. After all, if you’re not doing things properly, silk can burn pretty easily. That’s because it’s a delicate material. And to get the wrinkles out of it, you’ll need to be careful when ironing silk.
How to iron silk:
Your fabric should be slightly damp before you start ironing. This helps silk to keep its integrity and texture. So, the best time to iron silk is just after you’ve washed it. If that’s not possible though, grab yourself a spray bottle. Then you can spritz the silk with water as you go
Turn the material inside out to protect the fabric. This’ll limit the contact the iron makes with the silk
Smooth it out so that it sits flat on your ironing board. You can get rid of any wrinkles with your hands
Get a small cloth or any lint-free material that you can use to cover the silk. This will work as a barrier while you iron - it’s not smart to iron silk directly. Make sure it’s either white or a light colour too. It’ll stop any colour from leaking into your silk
Choose the silk setting on your iron (if it has one). That way you won’t run the risk of damaging the silk. High temperatures can yellow the material. And at that point, you can’t save it. If your iron can, you should also use the steam function too
Starting from one end of the fabric, put your cloth over the silk and press down the iron for a couple of seconds. You don’t need to move the iron from side to side at all. Just hold the iron still in one spot. Don’t press for too long though, as you’ll damage or burn the silk if you do
Give the silk some time to cool and lift the iron straight off it
Then move to the next section of the material and repeat step 6 and 7 until you’ve ironed the whole thing
Let the silk cool down and dry before you take it off your ironing board. Turn the silk the right way round again before you hang it up
And voila. That’s the best way to iron silk.
At what temperature can you iron silk?
You’re going to want to use the coolest temperature you can when ironing silk. And that goes for any kind – whether that’s clothes or your bedding. If you’ve got a modern iron, it should have a special setting for silk. The temperature will be about 150 degrees. But, like we’ve said already, just double check the care instructions on the fabric to see if it’s ok for you to iron.
Need some advice on all thing’s irons? Head over to ShopLive. Our in-store experts can help you iron out any issues. Whether that’s getting the most out of a specific kind or upgrading to a new one.
