How To Make Ironing Easier

Few people like ironing. It is a chore getting wrinkles out of shirts and dresses. You need to damp your clothes, heat up your iron and go over wrinkles again and again in order to get rid of them. So, how to make ironing easier and a little faster? We believe taking small steps along the way helps to reduce the monotony of the chore. At least, the task will seem less daunting and hence, you will be more willing to tackle it head-on.

Below are a few tips on making ironing easier and faster. Different people will have different habits and preferences but adopting even one or two of these tips might just lighten the chore somewhat.

Tips On How To Make Ironing Easier

Don’t Pile It Up

This may seem like an obvious solution but many people just have the tendency to delay their ironing until the clothes pile up. As the pile gets bigger and bigger, the dislike for the chore will also increase. Eventually, the ironing will still get done because you need to wear your clothes but the process will definitely be less than pleasant.

So, if you can, do the ironing in small loads is best. Then, you can finish it much faster rather than stuck at the chore for a few hours. Yes, you would have to do it more often but spending 15 minutes to iron 2 shirts every day is definitely easier than standing for 2 hours or more to iron a week’s worth of clothes. Tackling small loads each time will help to reduce the dreadful feeling that comes at the end of each week.

Iron When Clothes Are Damp

You need to spray your clothes with water and leave them to dampen before ironing to get the best results. So, an easier way is to cut off this step completely by ironing them straight out of the dryer. Don’t dry them completely in the dryer but take them out while they are still damp. Not only you will save electricity, but you will also be able to smooth out the wrinkles easier when ironing.

Get An Ironing Mat

There are magnetic ironing mats that you can get to put on top of your dryer. Since the mat is rolled out and ready to be used, you are more likely to iron simple stuff like T-shirts immediately after retrieving them from the dryer. If you need to set up a full size ironing board, you probably won’t do it. As a result, T-shirts and other small items will just get added to the pile of clothes that need to be ironed later in the week.

So, with an ever ready ironing mat to take care of the simpler stuff, the pile of clothes will be smaller when you finally take out your stand alone ironing board.

Invest In A Good Iron

There is a difference between a cheap $20 iron like the Black Decker SmartTemp and a $100 model like the Rowenta DW9280 Steam Force. If you want a good press, an iron that is too light will not do the job which is what most cheap models are. Wrinkles cannot be easily erased and you will end up feeling frustrated as you go over the wrinkled spot over and over again. The results may be mediocre and yet, much time are wasted as you need to keep ironing the same spot to remove all the wrinkles.

Hence, how to make ironing easier is to invest in a good iron. Yes, it will cost you a bit of money, but the results will be better and the time spent will also be lesser as wrinkles are much easier to remove. You may not need a $100 steam iron with all the bells and whistles but getting one of the best $50 steam irons would be a great start.

Get A Larger Size Ironing Board

Ironing board comes in different sizes. If you are not sure of the features, you can check out how to choose an ironing board and some of the best ironing boards that are available in the market. Basically, a larger ironing board will have a bigger ironing surface. What this means is that you can work faster as you don’t need to adjust the garment that you are ironing as often.

Moreover, a larger working area will accommodate bigger size clothes better. It is definitely easier to iron pants using a longer board than a tabletop one. Therefore, invest in a larger size and sturdy ironing board to make your chore easier to do and faster to complete.

Hang Up Your Wet Laundry

Hang up your clothes after washing and pull them to straighten up. This will help to reduce the creases and the weight of the wet clothes will also smooth out the not so stubborn wrinkles.

You will still need to iron what you hang up later on, but at least some of the lines would have disappeared by then. If you are not so fussy, you might even be able to skip the ironing. If not, there are still less wrinkles to tackle when the ironing is underway.

Know What Setting To Use

Check your clothes label to find out the correct heat and fabric setting for your iron before you begin. If it is too hot, the fabric may stick to the soleplate or even get scorched. However, when the correct setting is used, the ironing will be smooth and easy to handle.

If you are not sure what setting to use, start at the low end of the scale and work your way up. You can also iron inside out. This will minimize the risk of damage to your clothes.

Learn How To Iron Correctly

There are plenty of resources on YouTube to teach you how to iron shirts, pants and dresses quickly and effectively. There is no hard and fast rule and different people will have different styles. So, see how others are doing it and experiment to find what suits you best.

Once you have practiced a few times, ironing will become much easier and faster. When the technique is in place, you won’t struggle to get a perfectly ironed shirt or pants.

Lastly, there is no need to be a perfectionist. A minor crease or wrinkle here and there doesn’t matter that much. Otherwise, ironing will take a long time and you might just end up feeling frustrated. So, take it easy and enjoy the chore as much as you can!