HOW TO IRON A SHIRT: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Learn how to iron a shirt with our step-by-step guide. Don’t let any type of shirt or crease stop you! We've got you covered with our tips

If there is one household task that divides society, it's ironing. On the one hand, some love ironing and say it relaxes them, but on the other, and being realistic, it’s the group that speaks for most people, are those who hate ironing. In fact, more and more clothing doesn’t require ironing thanks to the fabric it is made of and that makes life easier. But, above all, one tedious garment for this task is, without a doubt, the shirt.  

How to iron a shirt in simple steps

• Before you start, heat the iron to maximum temperature with distilled water. 
• Once the iron is hot, the first thing to iron is the neck and cuffs of the shirt. Iron it inside out so you don’t leave marks. 
• Next task, ironing the sleeves. To iron the sleeves of the shirt, you can do it with or without a crease, to suit your taste. You can also use the typical ironing board connector specifically for shirt sleeves which enables you to turn the sleeve over to make it easier. 
• But if you don’t have one of these external gadgets, spread the sleeve onto the ironing board and iron one side and then the other. Be careful when nearing the cuff since, if not stretched properly, the folds will be creased. 
• If you don’t want a crease in the sleeve, don’t reach the end of the top side so you don't mark it. Then fold it as gently as possible and, without marking the edges, iron that area. 
• When you’ve done the sleeves, move to the main body. 
• Always start with the left side of the shirt, and the rest should be between your body and the ironing board. As you progress, the ironed part will end up on the other side, preventing creases. 
• In the body area, iron from the bottom to the top of the shirt so the narrower part of the iron reaches the smallest areas. Always leave the neck area for the narrowest part of the iron. 
• Turn the shirt until you reach the other side.
• Once you have ironed the body of the shirt, iron the shoulder area and it will be ready to wear or hang in the wardrobe!

Tips for ironing your shirt

One of the main tips for ironing shirts is the way you wash and hang them to dry. If you do this properly, you will save time and effort when ironing.

So, when it comes to washing a shirt, the best thing to do is use a washing programme that hardly spins or deactivate the spin cycle to minimise creases.

Hang it out to dry as soon as the washing machine stops. When you remove it from the washing machine, pull the sleeves and body, and hang it on a coat hanger to air dry.

These small details help you to minimise the creases in the shirt and make ironing easier. 

NOTE! If the shirt is white, it's best not to iron it to place it in the wardrobe as it may turn yellow. Ideally, iron just before you wear it.