Try asking around how to iron men’s shirts correctly, and you will get a ton of very different answers. The exact methods may vary a little, but there are some general rules of ironing. They help to execute the task properly, which in turn provides for a flawless appearance.
Preparations
If you have moderately dexterous hands and a good head on your shoulders, you can easily learn how to iron any things, including men’s shirts. We will describe this process as detailed as possible so that it becomes clear to you, like in the video, what to do and when.
Before you begin ironing, the shirt must be washed and properly dried. The fabric should be damp, and if the shirt did get too dry, you can even spray it with water from the spray bottle.
Next, we need to look at the care label to know what temperature the iron should be set at. If there is no label or tag, then iron on the second position (marked by two dots) through a moistened calico cloth. You can read more about the ironing modes below.
It is most convenient to use an ironing board, but if you don’t have one available, then you can use any stable hard surface by laying a piece of dense fabric on it and covering it with a light cotton sheet.
Ironing process
Begin ironing with the back or the front sides. The sleeves must be ironed last. It does not matter when the collar is ironed. Sometimes it is ironed first, sometimes – last.
Note that there is another option that is often shown in the videos – to start ironing from the sleeve. There is no fundamental difference, just perform all the actions in the order shown.
Many people have a question on how to iron a shirt so that the just-ironed part does not wrinkle. The answer is simple: when a fabric heated with an iron cools down, it wrinkles significantly less. Therefore, you need to iron, gradually moving from site to site. Here is an example of how to iron a men’s shirt with a long sleeve.
- Start to iron on the right side on the front. Do not iron over of the buttons. Insert the nose of the iron into each space between the buttons, smoothing the space around them.
- Then go to the back, paying attention to all the pleats and seams.
- Iron the left side on the front, pay special attention to the bar with buttonholes.
- Pay attention to the shoulder seams and yoke. Iron it correctly by moving the shirt over to the rounded part of the board. This will make it possible to smooth out the folds on the back, if any, and prevent bending on the shoulders.
- Then smooth the collar and finish all with sleeves.
A shirt with a short sleeve is ironed similarly, but work with a sleeve is easier and faster. It can be pulled over the corner of the board and immediately ironed on both sides. You don’t have to make creases, just make sure to deal with the wrinkles.
Ironing the collar
If the collar has a removable insert, then it must be pulled out before ironing. First, iron the collar from the wrong side, moving the iron from the center to the corners, then turn the shirt over and iron from the front. In order for the collar to take the correct shape, you can bend it and slightly iron the fold.
Sleeves
Let’s describe in detail how to quickly iron the sleeves so that they do not have wrinkles. There are 2 basic methods you can see in videos. One method uses a small attachment, and in another, a long-sleeved shirt is ironed on the edge of the ironing board. The desired end result is the same – a sleeve without creases.
- Lay the sleeve down on the board. Begin to iron the cuff from the inside out with the buttons undone. Then, iron the cuff on the front side so that there are no creases and wrinkles left on it.
- Flatten the sleeve and iron it long ways on the seam side, which means on the inside.
- Then the turn the sleeve over and iron on the edge of the board, bringing the iron just slightly short of the fold line. Watch the video to see exactly how it’s done. To avoid creases, you can iron the sleeve on a special narrow attachment for the board, gradually turning the sleeve in a circle.
- When you are done with one sleeve, move on to the other.
If you notice that a wrinkle has formed during the operation, dampen the spot with water and go over it with an iron again
Choosing the correct setting
Now let’s focus in more detail on how to iron a shirt based on the composition of the fabric.
If the composition includes polyester or a shirt made entirely of polyester, then use the lowest setting (110-120°). Also do not forget that the fabric should be a little damp – it will be easier to iron it this way. Viscose can be ironed in a similar way.
- Cotton is usually ironed at the two dots setting (150 °). Turn on steam, if necessary.
- A linen shirt should be ironed at the highest temperature of the iron (3 dots), which is usually 200-220 °. To iron linen well, you can use steam and apply pressure to the iron.
- If your shirt has wool in the fabric, it should be ironed from the wrong side through gauze, because a hot iron can leave on it. Choose the setting with two dots.
- A delicate silk shirt should not be ironed at all. It is dried without squeezing, hanging on a coat hanger. If there is a need to still slightly iron it, then use the weakest setting.
- If there are lace elements or embroidery, then you should iron it from the wrong side. Iron lace through wet gauze, carefully smoothing each element.
| Fabric | Temperature, ° |
| Silk | 110-120 (●) |
| Synthetics | 110-120 (●) |
| Cotton | 150-200 (●●) |
| Wool | 150-170 (●●) |
| Linen | 200-220 (●●●) |
Unusual ironing
Sometimes you will need to iron a shirt without an iron due to power outage, sudden breakdown of the device, material being too delicate, and so on.
Some fabrics are wrinkle-free. Those can be washed without too much wringing and hung up on the hangers, with the collar and cuffs buttoned and straightened. When dried in this way, they do not need to be ironed at all.
You can get the shirt damp by hanging it in the shower with hot water turned on. Steam from the water will act like an iron. In general, any steamer can iron clothes well.
Another method involves the preparation of a special solution. You must mix conditioner or fabric softener, table vinegar and clean (preferably distilled) water. Take all ingredients in equal parts and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the shirt with this solution, and hang it on a hanger. When the solution dries, all the wrinkles will disappear and your clothes will be smooth and beautiful.