How to Iron a Shirt

Co-authored by Sergey Paramonov

Last Updated: November 23, 2024 Fact Checked

There are lots of ways to iron a shirt, but using the right technique can give you a crisper, crease-free finish. Most people save ironing just for their dress shirts, but you can also iron t-shirts as well. This wikiHow will give you tips on how to iron both types. It will also show you how to prepare you shirt for ironing to get the most out of your ironing.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Preparing Your Shirt

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When your shirt comes out of dryer, shake it out, smooth it with your hands and hang it on a shirt hanger. Button the top button.
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Fill your iron. Fill the iron with filtered tap water, or tap water mixed with distilled water at a 50/50 ratio.^{[1]
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Research source} Tap water contains small amounts of minerals which build up in your iron over time. This leads to clogging. If you notice that your iron occasionally spits too much water out, it is because it is clogged.
- Distilled water, on the other hand, can cause your iron to corrode more quickly due to the way water molecules combine with carbon dioxide in the surrounding environment.^{[2]
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- Check your manufacturer's suggestion. Some irons are safe to use with unfiltered tap water, while others are safe to use with distilled water. When in doubt, a 50/50 blend or filtered tap water would be your safest bets.
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A shirt that is wrinkle-free takes a cooler setting than the hot setting for cotton. Be careful not to burn the shirt. See manufacturer's settings.^{[3]
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If you are ironing more than one item, you will want to either fold those items as you complete them or hang them. This will prevent them from wrinkling again while you finish the other items.
Lightly spray the hanging shirt with sizing or spray starch (optional) then remove the shirt from hanger. Unbutton the top button.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Ironing a Dress Shirt

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Iron from the points of the collar inward to back of neck. Do the underside of the collar as well.^{[5]
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Position your ironing board inside the shirt and into the arm. If your ironing board does not have a small board to insert into the sleeves, then put the sleeve on top of the ironing board, both sides together flat, and iron. Turn the shirt to iron the backside. Reposition for the opposite shoulder. Then turn the shirt, and do the rear side of the yoke and shoulders^{[6]
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Turn the shirt to press the other side.^{[7]
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Align the sleeve following the bottom seam as guide. Press carefully, moving both layers of fabric flat as the iron glides across front surface of sleeve. Repeat for the other sleeve. Turn the shirt to do the other side of sleeve. Ensure that you pull the iron across the fabric in one direction only, away from where you are holding it down so that the creases are mildly stretched out of the fabric.^{[8]
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Press from the bottom tail progressing upward to the collar. Do not allow puckers or folds to press into fabric. Turn the shirt to iron the inside of the body of shirt also.^{[9]
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Press from the tail progressing upward to the collar.^{[10]
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Press as before.^{[11]
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Press as before.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Ironing a Tee Shirt

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Fit the shirt into the ironing board like you were putting it on a person. The fabric should lie flat but not be too stretched.^{[13]
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Smooth out major wrinkles with your hand and make sure everything is as flat as possible.^{[14]
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Iron the shirt correctly. The main trick with ironing a tee-shirt, as will any knit fabric, is that you should not move the iron in the normal circular or arced motion. Instead, press the iron to one spot at a time and do not move it around when it is touching the fabric (as much as is possible).
- Knit fabrics stretch easily if you push and pull the fabric by moving the iron while it is hot.
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Lay the shirt as flat as possible until it cools, making sure that all wrinkles are smoothed out.^{[16]
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Fold the shirt. Fold the shirt or hang it to prevent wrinkles from forming before you wear it.

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Tips

You can make ironing a buttoned shirt easier by flipping it inside out and ironing behind the buttons.

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To find out if the iron is hot, put your fingers in water, and flick the water on the iron. If it sizzles, you know the iron is ready and hot.

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Keep washed and dried shirts on hangers and not in a crumpled heap in the ironing pile.

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Warnings

Air freshener is not a substitute for spray sizing.

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Remember to unplug your iron when finished, stand it on the top of the stove to cool off, and store out of reach of children.

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