Picture this.
You get up in the morning and every single business shirt you and your family own are ironed to perfection.
No, you don’t have a magic fairy completing your ironing overnight. Instead, you’ve read our guide to ironing business shirts and concluded that a crisp, properly ironed shirt is essential for looking your best.
To iron shirts well, you will need top quality equipment.
Start by purchasing an iron. It’s important not to skimp on the price tag. A cheap iron may seem appealing in the short term, but you should consider your iron as a long term investment.
Look for one that allows you to add water (for the extra steam it produces) and consider a Teflon coated bottom for ease of use.
After choosing your iron you will need an ironing board. Look for one that suits the space you have available. If you are super tight on space, you can also consider a small board that rests on a table or bench.
Once you have both of these, set yourself up in a comfortable spot and get ready to iron.
Ensure your iron is on the hottest temperature (check the tags of your shirts if you’re iffy about iron temperatures) then follow these steps:
Collar – open the collar up and iron the underside first. Work from one side to the other and then flip the shirt over and do the same on the other side.
Cuffs – unbutton the cuffs and lay them flat. Iron the inside of the cuff first and then the outside. Take care not to iron the buttons when doing these tricky parts.
Front – start with the side of the shirt containing buttons. Iron from the top to the bottom and then repeat on the other side.
Back – spread the shirt across your ironing board with the narrow end of the board pointing towards the shoulder. Carefully move the ironing down the board slowly ensuring you remove wrinkles as you go. For wrinkles that wont budge, spray a little water onto the shirt and re-iron.
Sleeves – ensure that your sleeves are laying flat on the board. Start at the top of the sleeve and work down towards the cuff. Repeat the process on the other side of the sleeve and then the whole process on the opposite sleeve.
Lastly, hang your crisp shirts onto good quality hangers in your wardrobe. Try and space your shirts evenly to reduce risks of fresh wrinkles before wearing.
