Why am i so bad at ironing!?

Question

It takes so long to just do one shirt :(.

Answer 1

me too!

i hate ironing so much....gayness hanging off it

Answer 2

learn to do it right

Answer 3

Haha it's really not hard. If you ironing a collard shirt, start the collar first. Then, the sleeves and work your way down. Make sure the iron is set at the right fabric. I love ironing and listening to music. It's relaxing for me. Hehe I know weird right?

Answer 4

who has time to do ironing?  If u do congrats!

Answer 5

Go to prison they will teach you.  No.  I'm serious if you know someone who has did time.  They KNOW HOW TO IRON.  I take my clothes to the one girl.  She is good.

Answer 6

make long fluid stokes, sweeping away from the body. take as much time as you want... be the iron!

Answer 7

Stop holding it in your mouth!

Answer 8

I'm guessing you are so bad at it because you don't like doing it.

Answer 9

Do not fear - your ironing GodFairy has arrived.  You've just never been taught the proper way to iron a shirt - and for those who wonder why anyone irons shirts, there are fabrics that wrinkle TERRIBLY if they've spent more than even 1 minute in the dryer after it has stopped cycling.  If you're a corporate giant or iron for one, it's a skill worth honing - have you checked the prices of having your shirts professionally ironed??

First of all - some prepwork.

1.  Take off the ironing board cover off the board and COVER THE BOARD WITH ALUMINUM FOIL. No Joke.  This way, you'll be getting twice the bang for your ironing buck.  Then place the cover back on making certain that it is clean - no black marks, etc.  

Also have your padded or wooden hangers out right by the iron - NO THIN wire hangers here...

I like my shirts to have a "crisp" look, so I also have my spray starch (I use Niagara) at hand, too.

2.  NOW, make sure you're using the proper heat to iron the shirt.  It's relatively easy to get this one perfect.  Look at the fabric content of the shirt.  If it's 100% cotton, set the iron at the "cotton" setting.  If it's 98% cotton and 2% acrylic, YOU CAN ONLY SET THE IRON FOR THE FABRIC MOST SENSITIVE TO HEAT.  So, in this example, set it for "acrylic" - perhaps your iron says "Polyester" - same thing.

Always pre-heat your iron before beginning.

3.  I don't trust ANY iron to not "spit" a blob of water (usually accompanied by some "mineral deposits") right in the middle of your job.  So I choose to iron with a dry iron and add a mist of water with a ... water mister!

4. Now, to make your shirt ironing even easier - THIS WILL SOUND NUTS - IT'S NOT! - take your clean shirts, mist them all at the same time, fold them gently - not obsessively - just be gentle - and PLACE THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR 30 minutes or so.  Then remove them one at a time for pressing.

5.  Okay, holding the cold, damp shirt (while cursing the crazy woman on the YahooAnswer! line) just iron in the following order.

6. Begin the actual process of ironing your  shirt with the collar. Lay the back of the collar flat on the ironing board and run the preheated iron carefully over the surface of the collar. Turn the collar over and do the same thing to the front.

7. Now let's hit the sleeves.  (THIS IS THE HARDEST PART SO WE SNEAK IT IN THE MIDDLE...)  First pick a sleeve - any sleeve.  Then lay the cuff flat and iron.  Turn over and iron.  NOW... take the shirt sleeve and lay it on the ironing board with the "sides" of the sleeve being the "inseam" and the outer edge that we want that nice crease in.  Smooth carefully and make sure you don't deviate from keeping those seams straight!!  Then iron away.

[This is where I give a little spray of starch - that's your call.  Now flip the sleeve over and repeat.

8.  Do the same exact thing with the sleeve that has remained wrinkled.

9. Now that the rough stuff is done, let's do the back of the shirt.  Lay the collar close to the wide end of the board - unless you're pressing a very large shirt - which should nicely fit the entire top back of the shirt.  Just smooth with your hands and a quick iron will do it - don't even have to do the inside!

10.  Almost there....  Take the front side and place the collar near the "pointed" end of the board - again should fit pretty darned well. Press away - repeat for the other side. (Always press that pocket first!)

11.  NOW PLEASE BUTTON AT LEAST  2 buttons to keep the shirt on the hanger and place shirt in a closet that has a "home " for your masterpiece. It's not fair to press a shirt to perfection only to jam it into an overcrowded closet...

Two last tips:

If you haven't done this lately, do it the next time you iron a shirt. After ironing, put a drop of CLEAR nail polish on top of the stitches holding on the button - almost a guarantee that they'll be on for a lifetime!

And NEVER iron over a stain - now you've just made it permanent!!!

As you work through the shirt, it is important to note that you should never allow the iron to quit moving. If you do, there is a good chance you'll burn the shirt!

Are you overwhelmed?  

Don't be. After 5 shirts or so, you'll be a pro - in fact, I actually taught my girlfriend this method and NOW SHE TAKES IN SHIRTS OF OTHERS TO IRON!!  Hey - at $2 a shirt for about 4 minutes of her time - she's making out like a bandit...   Hmmm... Why didn't I think of that?

If you want a particularly funny video of shirt ironing, please review the third source listed below - I found that one just for you.  Good luck!

Barb - the happy ironer...who has no life!!

Answer 10

someone agrees here-i DETEST ironing

Answer 11

its one of the easiest things a person can do... well ive been ironing since i was about 12 as i was a slave for the family