Ironing Ironing has been a part of our society, and many other societies, for centuries, and the tradition still continues to this very day. In today’s modern day society, the job of ironing has been given to Laundromats where your clothes can be dry cleaned, ironed, and pressed for you instead of having to do it yourself. The way we have ironed has changed dramatically as well; we have gone from using solid iron plates with a handle to plastic and stainless steel steam and heat irons that plug into the wall. Regardless of what one uses to iron, the end result is basically the same: a well ironed piece of clothing. To achieve this well- ironed piece of clothing, one must follow some steps that can be changed according to one’s preference. In these steps, there are some items that will be needed: an iron, ironing board, washing machine, and water. The first step is to wash the item(s) of clothing according to the instructions of care that come attached to the article of clothing’s tag, which is usually located inside the article of clothing on one of the many seams. After washing the items of clothing, remove them from the washing machine as soon as the last cycle ends, to keep the clothes from wrinkling. After removing the items from the washer, place them inside the dryer and set the time according to the fabric type and amount of items being put into the dryer. While the dryer is drying the items of clothing, take this time to set up the ironing board and turn on the iron while setting it to the appropriate fabric content of the items of clothing in the dryer. Be sure to check the amount of water that is inside the iron, especially if you plan on using the steam feature that comes with most modern day irons. Next, empty the items of clothing from the dryer as soon as it is done in order to make sure that wrinkles do not set into the clothing. After taking out the items of clothing, find those articles of clothing that are recommended to be ironed, such as dress shirts, dress pants, and possibly some jeans. In this case we will be imagining that we are ironing a dress shirt. First, unfasten every button on the freshly washed and dried shirt, and then lay the back of the open shirt on the ironing board with the inside of the article of clothing facing yourself. After placing the article of clothing down, flip the collar of the dress shirt, spray the collar lightly with the iron’s “spray” or “mist” button, which is usually located at the top of the iron’s handle, and then proceed to press the collar with the iron. Following the pressing, turn the shirt over. Mist the reverse side of the collar and press it with the iron until the material is dry. After ironing the collar of the shirt, now your focus is on the main body of the shirt. First iron the back of the shirt, going from the top of the shoulder down to the bottom hem. When doing so, be sure to use slow, short strokes. If there is a box pleat, be sure to iron around it, not over it. After doing this step, turn the shirt over so that the front part of the shirt with the buttons is facing you. Begin ironing the body of the shirt from the top of the shoulder to the bottom hem, when doing so iron parallel to the buttons while working your way down the body of the shirt; begin working the tip of your iron between the buttons on the shirt. You can mist the buttons if so desired. When ironing in between the buttons, be sure not to accidentally leave the iron the buttons. If the iron is left on the buttons, the buttons will melt and permanently stain the fabric of the shirt. After ironing the side of the shirt with buttons, now it’s time to iron the side of the shirt that does not have buttons, but button holes. In this case you can iron right over the button holes without misting the fabric. After ironing parallel to the buttons, you can iron perpendicularly to them if so desired. After ironing the main body of the shirt, now it’s time to move on to the sleeves of the dress shirt. First begin with laying one of the sleeves of the shirt on the ironing board. The bottom crease should match the long seam that runs along the length of the sleeve. Before beginning ironing, pull the sleeve tight until it is flat and smooth against the ironing board; begin ironing the sleeve from the tip of the shoulder to the start of the cuff. Turn the shirt over and iron the back side of the sleeve the same exact way that you did the front. Spread the cuff open on the ironing board, mist it a bit if you wish, and press the same way you pressed collar of the shirt. When ironing the sleeve be sure to use both long and moderately fast strokes or short and slow strokes. If a crease is desired, it would be better to use short and slow strokes because the crease would be more predominant when the shirt is worn. Make sure to repeat the process on the other sleeve. Some tips and warnings to consider when ironing a shirt is that if a shirt is a cotton blend; contains both cotton and synthetic material, such as polyester or rayon. Preheat the iron to a low heat or setting that corresponds to the synthetic material because synthetic materials can and are prone to melting under too much heat. If the care label is missing or severely faded, preheat the iron to a low setting or heat, and gradually increase the setting or heat as needed while you begin and get into ironing, as long as the material does not begin to discolor. One quick tip for if you don’t have an ironing board on hand, you can lay a towel on a clean sturdy surface. Ironing has been an essential part of our history for centuries and it still is a part of our modern day world, although the process in which it is done has changed; the principle is still the same. Ironing does not have to be something to be dreaded or feared, it is something that should at its worst, be considered to be something to do during your free time and not as a tedious chore.
As more and more people are going into the business field, well-ironed clothing is a requirement; therefore ironing is still a required part of our society and daily life. Ironing is and most likely will always be a essential part of our world, even though there are different societies in our world, ironing is something that we can all relate to.