If you learn how to iron a shirt properly, including the collar and cuffs, you will always be able to make a respectable first impression. The key is to start with a damp or lightly misted shirt so that you can relax the fibres, before working from the top to the bottom so that you don’t re-wrinkle the fabric. After the collar and the cuffs, you work through the sleeves, shoulders, and yoke before finishing with the front and back panels.
Why you need to learn how to iron a shirt
Learning to iron a shirt is an important life skill that it is easy to skip mastering because you feel like it doesn’t really matter or you don’t have time. The truth, however, is that a heavily wrinkled shirt will always stand out for all the wrong reasons, and even if people don’t mention it, they will certainly notice it.
While a light degree of wrinkling works for lightweight shirts worn in informal settings when you are looking for the lived-in look, work attire is completely different. If you want to look the part at the office or in a job interview, or to make sure the kids look their best at school, knowing how to iron a shirt is key. We’re going to guide you through everything one step at a time so that you can get to grips with our proven approach.
Start by ironing the collar
The first step in learning how to iron a shirt is to pop the collar once the top button of the shirt has been undone. Next, you need to lie the collar flat on a stable, clean ironing board, taking care to make sure that the inner side is facing you.
Take care to work across the collar in a smooth motion from the outer points toward the middle. This will prevent the collar from curling or bunching up. Using the tip of the iron for the tips of the collar will also help. You then finish this section of the shirt by flipping the collar over and folding it down so that you can lightly press the top surface.
Iron the cuffs once they are unbuttoned
Knowing how to iron shirts requires you to unbutton the cuffs and flatten them out on your board. You start with the inner surface of the cuffs before flipping them and working over the outside in a smooth motion.
Care needs to be taken to use the tip of the iron to work around the buttons. If you touch them or press directly onto them, they will likely melt or crack, depending on what they are made of.
How to iron the sleeves on a dress shirt
The first step is to lay one sleeve flat on your board, taking care to align the two layers of the sleeve to get the resulting crease right. Work from the armpit down to the cuff in a smooth motion. If you want a formal crease, you can then finish by firmly pressing down on the folded edge of the sleeve with your iron. Then repeat for the other sleeve.
How to iron a shirt by tackling the shoulders and the yoke
Now that you know how to iron shirt sleeves, it’s time to work on the shoulders and yoke. Place the first armpit over the narrow end of your board to hold the shoulders and yoke in place before pressing the area flat. Repeat for the other armpit to achieve a smooth finish.
How to iron a shirt by finishing the front and back
Drape the back of your shirt over your board, working across it from top to bottom in a smooth, continuous motion that finishes at the hem. When you’re ready to work on the front, start with the side the button placket is on, taking care to use the tip of the iron to navigate around the buttons. You then finish with the front panel, again working down from the shoulder area to the hem in a smooth motion.
Practicing your new shirt ironing technique
The best way to master how to iron a shirt is to practice on a couple of your older shirts to begin with. Setting your ironing board up somewhere with plenty of natural light where you won’t be disturbed will give you the time and space you need to really concentrate. Although the technique described above is not overly complex or hard to master, you will only cause yourself extra stress if you make your first attempt at ironing on a brand-new expensive shirt that you need for work tomorrow morning.
With a little bit of practice and patience, you will be able to get to grips with all of the key points above. Perfect if you want to avoid common pitfalls like curling up the corners of the collars or rewrinkling the sleeves when attempting to iron the main body of the shirt.
Final thoughts on your ironing setup
Even those who already know how to iron a dress shirt will naturally be looking for new approaches that save them time and energy. One of the downsides of conventional ironing is that it is time-consuming and labour-intensive, and there are no shortcuts that you can take if you want the same level of quality at the end of the process.
An alternative is to hand much of your ironing over to an automatic ironing machine. These handy machines gently steam the fabric to smooth out the wrinkles at a much lower heat than ironing. Their hands-free operation means that they are perfect for hectic family households and busy professionals who need to be able to multitask.
If you would like to learn more, GINETEX, the International Association for Textile Care Labelling, has produced an online guide on fabric care symbols.
FAQs
How long does it take to iron a shirt?
You can expect to spend around 5 minutes ironing a full-sleeve shirt with buttons once you have mastered the correct technique. The first few times you try it, things will likely take a bit longer, but this is nothing to worry about.Â
What should you do with a shirt once it’s ironed?
Tossing the shirt back onto your side surface will just put the wrinkles straight back into the fabric, so always have a hanger handy. Hanging up the shirt while it’s still warm will ensure that the weight of the shirt pulls the fibres straight so that wrinkles are much less likely to occur.
Can you use an automatic ironing machine to iron a shirt?
Yes, automatic ironing machines based on steaming will remove wrinkles from any size and fabric, and generally speaking the typical operation time is 5 to 10 minutes. The machine works automatically so that you can multitask while your shirt gets the refreshing touch you want.
Should I iron shirts wet or dry?
Shirts need to be lightly damp so that the fibres are relaxed enough to slip past one another during the ironing process. Attempting to iron a dry shirt by increasing the temperature and pressure you apply to the fabric greatly increases the chances of damaging the fabric.
