Tip #1: Double the Heat
Use aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. You’ll cut ironing time in half, because the aluminum reflects the heat of the iron, effectively smoothing the underside of your clothes as you run over the topside.
Tip #2: Clear Water
Even if the instruction manual states that you can use tap water, always use boiled (and cooled) or distilled water in your iron (even though some claim it doesn’t make a difference, we swear by this method). This will keep deposits from clogging up the iron, and eventually, spewing out onto your clothes.
Tip #3: Inside Out
Always iron black and dark garments inside out to avoid getting a sheen on the fabrics from the iron.
Tip # 4: Order Counts
Iron cuffs, hems, and collars first and do them inside out to keep them from puckering up and losing shape.
Tip #5: Get it Straight
Always iron using straight, back and forth strokes; never use circular movements. This can stretch out your fabrics and will shorten the life of your clothes.
Tip #6: Don’t Squash Your Style
If there are fabric designs or embroidery on your fabric that you want to avoid flattening, cover your ironing board with a towel and lay the fabric so they design is face-down; then iron.
Tip #7: Keep it Clean
Clean your iron regularly to prevent deposits from ejecting and ruining your clothes. You can clean a warm iron plate with a cloth dipped in a water baking soda solution, and use Q-tips to remove deposits from the holes in the iron.
Tip # 8: Hang it Up
Hang up your ironed clothes immediately after ironing to make sure all that hard work you just did sets in immediately and you don’t risk wrinkling the fabrics again.
Tip #9: Keep it Separated
If you want to prevent the effect of your ironing on the underside of your fabric, slip a thin piece of carboard inside your clothes to keep the front and back separated.
Tip #10: Perfect Pleats
While ironing, use paper clips to hold the shape of pleats. Just be sure to iron over them gingerly so you don’t damage your fabrics.
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