Chiffon is a very delicate and soft fabric, often used in evening wear and festive attire. Ironing chiffon dresses or blouses can be hard, because the fabric wrinkles and creases easily, and high temperature can cause dark stains on chiffon that you can never get out. So, how to iron chiffon in a proper way?
Selecting ironing settings
Chiffon should be ironed at a low temperature setting. The optimum ironing temperature is 60-120C. Some modern irons have specific settings for certain types of material, including the setting for delicate fabrics, such as chiffon. You can also use the silk setting. Make sure that you pay attention to the label with manufacturer’s washing and ironing instructions before ironing your favorite dress or blouse.
It is not recommended to use steam when ironing chiffon, because irons pump out steam at high pressure, which can stain the fabric.
Skilled housekeepers recommend using a garment steamer, because it treats chiffon with care. When using it, hang the item on a hanger and steam it, then let it hang for at least an hour. After steaming, the fibers will soften and the shape of the item will be restored.
Can I avoid ironing?
If you were careful with the item during washing (that means no twisting, no wringing, no wrinkling, etc.), spread it out before drying, and it dried vertically, than you probably won’t need to iron it. But it very much depends on the quality of chiffon: the thicker and heavier the fabric is, the more difficult it is to restore its shape and iron the wrinkles out (for example, it is relevant to jacquard chiffon).
Many housekeepers also recommend steaming chiffon this way: put the item on a hanger in the bathroom and fill the room with steam (turn on the hot shower or run a bath). In these conditions your dress will restore its shape and you won’t have to iron it.
You can ‘iron’ blouses, scarves and headscarves in the same way. But this method won’t do for pleated items, like a pleated skirt.
If you don’t want to iron your chiffon pieces, always hand wash them. If you are washing in a washing machine, choose no-spin cycles. After washing, spread the fabric, smooth the creases out with your hand, and flatten out the collar, cuffs, frills, and pleats. This way you will make ironing easier or won’t have to do it at all.
It is easy to do so with small kerchiefs and scarves. Chiffon will look like new much longer if you don’t iron it.
General advice: take notes!
- The item should always be slightly damp when you iron it, meaning, don’t over-dry the item;
- Iron chiffon from the wrong side of the fabric, using wet gauze or a special ironing cloth;
- Set the lowest temperature;
- Cover particularly wrinkled areas with an ironing cloth and steam them, but hold the iron away from the chiffon;
- It is very convenient to use garment steamers for this delicate fabric, especially when it comes to chiffon curtains;
- Check the iron soleplate for chips and burn marks – they can leave snags and runs in the chiffon;
- Do not spray chiffon with water – it can leave streaks and stains; moreover, moistened fabric is easier to burn;
- Do not rub chiffon when washing, it can stretch the fabric, it will become even thinner, and the iron will simply burn through it. If the fabric is very dirty and has some stubborn stains, you should take the item to the dry cleaning;
- Be especially careful when ironing flocked materials or a shiny metallic fabric: they can stick to the soleplate of an iron;
- Do not dampen the gauze that you use when ironing chiffon (if the item itself is slightly dampened, of course, otherwise – moisten the gauze with water and wring out properly).
- Irons with metal soleplates without modern coatings heat up unevenly and can ruin the fabric or leave dark stains on it.
Never store chiffon clothes folded! It will be very hard to iron out the creases caused by long storage In such position.
If you hand wash the item, don’t stretch and twist it: better leave it without wringing it out. Never dry chiffon clothes in the washing machine or in the dryer – they will be very hard to iron.