So many of us have got used to taking shirts and blouses to the dry cleaners that ironing is fast becoming a lost art.The prospect of ironing a shirt without managing to crease the bits you’ve just done, fills a lot of people with dread, but it’s actually very easy. Follow these simple steps and you can have shirts and blouses that looks as good as a professional job.
It’s all about doing the sections in the right order.
- Start with the shirt unbuttoned. Begin with the collar, working from the points inwards so you don’t get the points all crinkled up.
- Move to the shoulder ‘yoke’ – this is often a separately sewn in section.
- Next do the sleeves – cuffs first then each flattened side, lining it up from the armpit to the cuff
- The back
- Finally do each front panel, taking care either side of the buttons.
I learned this method from my Mum. Coming from a large family we all had to help with the chores and I much preferred ironing to doing the vaccuum-cleaning or washing the floors.
My Mum always got me to fold the shirts after ironing them – laying them face down and folding inwards lengthways to meet in the middle of the back, then folding the sleeves on top, turning the shirt over and folding in half.
Nowadays I prefer to hang shirts and blouses on a hanger, unless I am packing for a trip then the folding is required – interleaving the layers with some protective tissue paper or spare polythene bags to minimise risk of creasing.
