A basic rule of thumb is that delicates, synthetics and silk should be ironed at low temperatures, wool on medium, and linens and cotton on high. Ironing isn’t hard when you get the hang of it. You can get a shirt done in less than 5 minutes. And boom–you’re ready to take on the world. The three lions is the emblem of the Football Association – which would have had to ask for permission to use it due to its royal association.

I like that it comes with a jug for pouring water in without spillage. A big red light flashes slowly to let you know it’s heating up, which takes a couple of seconds. The excess heat from your iron can also cause your clothes to have a slight sheen if you don't turn them inside out first, which is far from ideal. Protecting the outside of your garments means they will likely last you a little bit longer too. Place the shirt on the board and fold the sleeve so that the crease will form from the shoulder point. If there are permanent folds on the shirt, make sure the sleeve is folded along those crease lines before you start ironing. Stretch the sleeves and smooth out both layers with your hands to prevent new wrinkles from forming. Personally I recommend Steamfast’s compact travel iron. It is incredibly small, lightweight, hot, produces an decent amount of steam, and is value priced. However what impressed me most was the great customer service I recently received from this American business. I was having mechanical problems (or so I thought–turns out I didn’t know how to use it properly) and thought it was going to be a hassle to exchange it as I had waited 8 months to report the problem. Instead, I spoke with a very nice customer service rep who resolved my issue and within minutes shipped me a new one–no questions asked. You have to love that! Of the three major garments worn for tailored clothing, a dress shirt is the easiest to iron and the best one, to begin with when learning how to iron correctly. Preparations begin in the laundry room. Though you would never throw a suit into the washing machine, cotton dress shirts will obviously find their way into the wash, and how you handle them when they come out can help with effective ironing.You should never use circular strokes when ironing as this can stretch out your clothes and ruin the way they fit you - nobody wants a baggy shirt or oversized party dress. Starting with the t-shirt collar, lay the upper portion of the shirt (the collar, chest and sleeves) flat on the ironing board. Smooth out any wrinkles. With the iron, press all the way around on the collar. You don't need to spend loads to get a great iron. See our expert round-up of the top five cheap irons. 2. Over-drying your clothes If you’re ironing a large number of shirts or other articles of clothing, start with the garments needing the lowest temperature. Then move to the garments (cotton and linens) that require the highest temperatures. The reasoning is that it takes an iron longer to cool off than heat up, and it decreases the likelihood of damage to your clothing.

Take either sleeve by the seam and lay the whole sleeve flat on the ironing board. Then simply move your iron from the top of the sleeve (where it is connected to the body of the shirt) to where it meets the cuffs. Breville’s iron isn’t called the DiamondXpress for no reason: you’ll find actual crushed diamonds in the soleplate, which Breville says improves longevity as well as glide. The iron is light and has a slightly smaller soleplate than some of the others we tested; however, the soleplate is wide and multi-directional which makes it very easy to manoeuvre around an ironing board. It was also one of the most stable irons in a standing position and has a nice, soft handle that feels comfortable in the hand. There’s also plenty of steam produced, making it easy to remove wrinkles without too much effort. A towel can be used as a ironing board pad, rolled and used inside sleeves as a makeshift sleeve-board, or simply to clean up excess water sprayed on the shirt. Place the yoke on the edge of the ironing board, with the reverse side facing up. Start from the top of the yoke and iron downwards 4. Sleeves For a long sleeve shirt with cuffs, start by opening one cuff and laying it flat on the ironing board. Iron the underside of the cuff first then flip it over and iron the outerside. Use tip of iron to get into the pleats around it. Repeat for the other cuff.You want the shirts to be moist (not soaking wet). This will enable you to dry iron without having to worry about your iron’s steam function. Ideally you have recently pulled the shirts from the washing machine; if they are already dry, however, just take them and thoroughly mist them with the spray bottle. Once finished, place them in a plastic bag to better diffuse the moisture and prevent evaporation.

If you’re looking for supplies and want quality equipment that will last decades, shop where your tailors and dry cleaners shop. North Carolina’s B&G Lieberman is a great supplier of all things tailor or cleaner-related; I called them just the other day, and their 86 year old founder still answers the phone! You’ll find anything from quality buttons to suit brushes to industrial strength steam irons through them. Don’t start ironing immediately, however, give the iron some time to reach the proper temperature. Ironing prematurely can cause water to sputter and spit from the underside of the iron onto your clothes; any rust inside the iron also has a tendency to spill out if the iron is put in the horizontal position too soon. You don’t want this to happen on a white shirt that is waiting to be pressed. 5. Press the Cuffs and Sleeves

Our pick of the best steam irons for a pain-free ironing experience

Don't overload your washing machine This can cause clothes to crease. Make ironing easier by leaving plenty of room for clothes to tumble around in the washing machine or dryer. So yesterday I discovered the lyrics in Three Lions – It’s Coming Home aren’t ‘Jewels remain still gleaming’. It’s actually ‘Jules Rimet still gleaming’. Whoopsie. Classic steam irons should be more than powerful enough for everyday household use, letting out steam to moisten and relax the fabric before you remove the creases. Careless ironing could ruin your favourite silk blouse or linen trousers. Here's how to iron different fabrics without damaging them: How to iron acetate Instead, use the vertical steam function on your iron or a garment steamer to freshen it up while it's still on the hanger.

Separate fabrics by type Rather than reaching for whatever's at the top of the pile, separate the clothes into different fabrics. This means you don't have to fiddle with the settings so often. If that's not possible with your current ironing board, our guide on how to choose the best ironing board will help you find a new one. DO: Separate fabrics by type

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If the item you're ironing isn't inside out and it's difficult to remedy (or you just don't have the time), you can always just cover it with a clean pillowcase before ironing to make sure it doesn't get too much direct heat. The self-cleaning function to stop scale building up is clever too – just select the self-clean button and hold it over a bowl to allow water and steam to wash scale and dust out of the soleplate. This works, but it does take time, so I’d have to say I prefer the in-built filter of the Tefal Pure iron as a point of comparison. Depending on your needs you’ll want the best steam delivery system you can budget. Why? A good steam iron can be used indirectly on wools and other more delicate fabrics and save you thousands a year in pressing and dry cleaning costs in addition to what I mentioned above. is standard for a handheld steam iron and proved more than adequate in my tests. Cordless models, as Teresa says, tend to be less powerful at 2400W. My best buy, the Tefal, is an impressive 3100W. What are the different types of steam irons? Iron acrylic when it's completely dry, or you might stretch it. Don't use steam. How to iron cashmere