My spine is arthritic, so I have a problem standing for long periods. I started a few months ago to use my chair, which I use for sewing and at the computer, for ironing also. If your ironing board is an adjustable height, you can sit down and lower it until it's comfortable.
I always set mine up where I can lay the finished items on my bed. The ironing basket sits on the floor next to me. It makes it so much easier. I either watch TV or play music whilst I'm ironing.
By Marty Dick from Houston, TX
This page contains the following solutions.
When ironing fabric that is especially wrinkled, wet a cloth, wring it out, and rub it along the fabric as you iron. This method adds a little moisture without making it too wet and works much better than even a steam iron.
Cover an old rolling pin with thin batting and use it inside sleeves to press the seam allowances.
No ironing board or room for one? Iron your clothes over small square or round pillows. Placing the fabric over the pillows to iron is perfect for corners and hard to reach spots that need stretching out.
Hubby found an electric pants presser for $20 at a thrift store. I am learning to use it to "press" his khaki work pants, which come out of the wash all wrinkled.
My sister and I were away and she had a meeting to go to. Her shirt was quite wrinkled. After hanging it in a steam filled bathroom she used her hair straightener to touch it up.
When ironing on a regular ironing board, most of us use the narrowing of it and never think about the wide end. For ironing men's shirts I use the narrow end for the collar cuffs and the shoulder ironing the endside of each first and then the outside.
If you, like me, still have things you will not wear without ironing, I have an idea that will make the chore a little more pleasant. For the past several years, I have been spraying the clothes with scented linen spray as I iron them.
When you need a pair of men's pants pressed and take the shine out use cold coffee on a cloth and set it on the pants and press. This also puts a deep crease in the pants that will last a while.
As I really dislike ironing, I never do a wash load until the previous wash load has been ironed. That way it's always under control. Hope this helps someone.
A friend of mine gave me this tip: Ironing your clothes for the entire work week so you're prepared for each work day with no wardrobe surprises and it saves on your electric bill.
Instead of using the sprayer in your iron, try using a spray bottle. A spray bottle on mist offers you much more control when applying water.
For heavily wrinkled jeans, iron them on a damp towel. It will create steam on both sides and iron the jeans much faster. This also works well on thick cotton clothing, like sweatshirts.
Instead of dampening the clothing you are ironing, try spraying your ironing board's cloth cover. It will spread out the moisture more evenly.
Use some sort of a pressing cloth when ironing delicate fabrics and don't use high heat. Lightweight cotton towels work well as a pressing cloth. Just lay the pressing cloth on the item you wish to iron and it will help protect it from the heat.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Tips for ironing clothing. Post your ideas.
Fill a trigger spray bottle with water and keep it with your ironing supplies. Always handy.
Reuse a detergent bottle (cleaned of all detergent traces) by filling it with water for filling your steam iron.
By Syd
My ironing tip is - don't! As you gradually replace your clothes get rid of any item that needs ironing and replace with items that don't. Line drying or hanging immediately when removing from dryer also cuts down on creasing and the necessity to iron - leaving washing in 'ironing baskets' lead to very creased clothes and produces more ironing! I have only 2 cotton shirts that need ironing and I usually don't bother ironing those if I'm not going anywhere special. My iron is used for sewing projects and my ironing board lives out in the back shed I use it so infrequently. Unless you need to look very smart for work or socialising ironing is a total waste of time and effort in my opinion. Give yourself permission to free yourself from this boring repetetive chore - unless you enjoy it of course!
Regards
Jo
Ironing table cloths: Fold cloth in half length wise and iron one side of cloth, avoiding the center fold. Turn cloth over and iron the other side. When both sides are complete, place cloth on the ironing board down the middle and press the middle crease. Makes table cloth ironing a LOT easier. Also, Magic Sizing comes in mighty handy and can be purchased at a Dollar store for guess what ... a dollar!
I love mixing 1 part fabric softener to 5 parts water and spraying my laundry with it before ironing. It not only makes my clothes smell wonderful, but it makes pressing a snap and the items stay wrinkle free. I also use it to freshen my curtains and bedding and closets.
By AMY-TROY, OHIO
I love to iron! I take some items out of the dryer a little before they are completely dry and then iron them with a little lavender water spray. The aroma is so very nice and
does linger nicely on the clothing. It also makes the iron glide easily over the fabrics.
Where does Sadiesnana get lavendar water for ironing??
I love my steam iron, but hate all of the mess and time it takes to fill it. Does anyone know a really fast and easy way to fill a steam iron without getting water all over, etc.?
Thanks!
I use deionised water in my iron because the water round here is so hard. I add a few drops of lavender oil to the water, shake it up well and then put it in my iron. I also use tap water with lavender oil in a spray bottle. You could use any essential oil, but I like lavender and it's the cheapest.
I'm with Jo Body on this: unless you enjoy the chore, don't iron. Although it requires a bit of extra time and effort while doing laundry, don't over-dry garments. Use the air dry or fluff setting on the dryer or stop it while your clothes are still damp. Hang your shirts / blouses, slacks, dresses, skirts on hangers, to air dry (and help humidify your home) and they simply don't get as wrinkled. Sweaters? Hang them if you have hangers with padding or lay them flat on towels on the floor (in low traffic areas of course) and even the thinnest sweaters won't get wrinkled.
Sure, although I use our steamer if the wrinkles are not too bad. I can't afford to get everything pressed at the dry cleaner.
To help your iron glide more easily over clothing run it over a sheet of waxed paper first. This is a page about the benefit of using waxed paper on your clothes iron.
Ironing a narrow strip of fabric such as a ribbon can sometimes be frustrating. This page offers some suggestions for making that job a bit easier.
Using a reflective ironing board cover can cut your ironing time in half. This is a page about making your own reflective ironing board cover.
Using aluminum foil when ironing clothing can make the task more effeicent. The is a page about ironing with aluminum foil.
