How to Iron a Shirt Perfectly

Ironing is not one of my strong suits. I prefer to send my husband's shirts out to the cleaners; it is inexpensive, and they do a much better job, in my opinion. But on those rare occasions I need to iron, here is a fool-proof way to do the job.

Start Small and Work Up

Begin with the smallest parts of the shirt, the collar and cuffs. The smaller areas need a little more attention due to buttons and seams. Use the hottest setting the fabric will allow and if you can, use steam. If you are going to use starch, spray as evenly as possible and hold the can a few inches away from the fabric so you do not soak the fabric. It is easy to get too much starch on the collar areas so mist lightly. I recommend ironing the collar right side up (the side that will show when wearing it) first. If you need to touch up the back to get it to lie correctly, it is easier if the front has been done first.

Once you have finished with the collar and cuffs, move on to the sleeves. I like to do the back of the sleeve first. Lay the shirt face down so the sleeve that would be in the back is face up. The back of the sleeve is where the button placket is located. It's easier to iron around this first. Line up the seams and iron. Again, be sure to mist lightly with the starch as not to soak the fabric. If you are pressing a crease, be sure to iron the inside of the sleeve first and the crease last in order to make sure it is lined up correctly. Flip the sleeve over and iron out any other wrinkles.

When the sleeves are finished, move on to the next biggest area: the front panels of the shirt. If the front of the shirt has a pocket, be sure to line up the fabrics so you won't wind up with odd creases. After finishing the front panels, then move on to the back of the shirt.

The reason I like to work my way from smallest to largest on the shirt is simple: the smaller parts don't wrinkle as easily as the main part of the shirt would. When you are manipulating the iron around those harder to iron cuffs, the shirt you just pressed could easily wrinkle.

Once your shirt is perfectly ironed, hang it up immediately and enjoy a job well done.