You might think that ironing doesn’t require any specific instructions, but there are six things you should avoid doing during this household chore. Avoid these common mistakes so that you can iron faster and better without damaging your clothes.
Ironing becomes a lot more pleasant when it is efficient and you do not have to stand behind your ironing board for hours. It makes a big difference if you do not make the following common mistakes:
- Setting the wrong temperature
- Don’t turn it inside out
- Ironing clothes that are too dry
- Ironing dirty clothes
- Do not clean the iron
- Using the wrong iron
We understand if ironing isn’t your favorite part of housework. Especially in large households, ironing can feel like an endless chore that sometimes leaves little to be desired. For example, some wrinkles in clothes seem impossible to iron out, and even if you do manage to iron them out, they’ll probably have new ones in them after an hour of wearing them. However, ironing doesn’t have to be that annoying, provided you know how to iron as efficiently as possible. Don’t do these things!
1- Setting the wrong temperature
Perhaps your iron is always set to the same temperature. That may seem convenient, but it is not always conducive to ironing. For example, delicate fabrics such as silk and synthetic materials can scorch or melt at too high a temperature. On the other hand, high temperatures are necessary for certain fabrics to smooth out stubborn creases. To choose the right temperature for each fabric, it is important to always check the care label. Is there a line through the iron symbol? Then it is better not to iron the garment at all.
2- Do not turn laundry inside out
To enjoy your beautiful fabrics for as long as possible, turn them inside out before ironing. This way, the fabric wears out much less quickly on the outside and the structure and color are better preserved. Always iron collars, cuffs, and hems on the inside to prevent details from being damaged. The same applies to dark fabrics: the heat of the iron can leave shiny spots on them.
3- Ironing clothes that are too dry
Do you always iron your laundry when it is completely dry? Don’t! That way, ironing takes much longer than necessary. It is smarter to iron your laundry when it is still slightly damp. Then the iron moves more smoothly over the fabric and the creases come out a lot easier. Are you reading this too late and is your laundry already dry? Then mist some moisture over it with a spray bottle or use the steam function if your iron has one. Please note: some fabrics, such as silk, are sensitive to water stains and are therefore better ironed dry.
4- Ironing dirty clothes
If a worn garment no longer looks neat but you don’t want to wash it yet, you should be extra careful when ironing it a second time. The heat of the iron can ‘bake’ any stains into the fabric, making them harder to remove. So iron around stains or think of other ways to make the garment look neat again. For example, you can hang it up in the bathroom while you take a (warm) shower or steam it vertically with your iron. There are also special sprays for wrinkles available.
5- Not cleaning the iron
If limescale and dirt build up in the steam holes of your iron, the appliance will not be able to do its job as well. Therefore, do not forget to clean and descale your iron regularly, about once a month. Descaling can be done by filling the water tank, heating the iron, and then emptying it over a sink. Many irons also have a special cleaning button that helps to forcefully blow limescale and dirt out of the appliance. The soleplate of your iron can also get very dirty, which is of course not handy if you are ironing freshly washed clothes. We have collected three tips for cleaning the soleplate.
6- Using the wrong iron
These tips are all useless if your iron is not of good quality. After all, an outdated or cheap iron can have all kinds of defects that do not make ironing any easier. But what is a good iron? A good iron has, among other things, a nice wide soleplate with a pointed tip and an effective steam function. Do you have to iron mountains of laundry every week? Then treat yourself to a steam generator. This is an iron with an external reservoir that can hold up to two liters of water, allowing you to iron uninterruptedly. An extra nice thing about this type of iron is that you remove it from the water reservoir before ironing, making it extra light in weight. So ironing may not be so annoying after all!
