How to Make Ironing Clothes Less Work: 5 Easy Tips

Ironing is not one of those household tasks that bother me. It's rather mindless and can be done in front of the television or while listening to the radio. Of course, after 30 years of ironing clothes for my family, I have learned a trick or two to make ironing just a little easier.

If you wear cotton, or cotton blends such as my family does, those garments tend to wrinkle in the dryer. The secret to keeping those wrinkles to a minimum is all in how you dry your clothes in the first place.

Before your throw the garments in the dryer, give them a snap or two before tossing them in the drum. This knocks out the worst of the wrinkles and also helps prevent the clothes from tangling up in each other. Tumble for 5 minutes, and then remove them, one by one. The garments will still be wet, but you will notice that the heat of the dryer has lifted most of the wrinkles. Quickly hang the damp shirts on hangers as you would normally.

If you find some of the clothes cooling off before they've been placed on the hanger, toss them back in the dryer and tumble for a few more minutes. For the wrinkles to relax, the garments have to be warm. Finish hanging up the rest of the shirts, and let them dry on the shower bar in your bathroom. By the following morning, the shirts will have dried practically wrinkle free. The dress shirts will need a quick press, which should only take a couple of minutes. Knit shirts, tee shirts, and polyester blends won't need to be pressed at all.

This same technique will also work with slacks. Remove from the dryer after 5 minutes, and fold the pants as you would normally before draping over the hanger bar. Allow to dry overnight. Heavier slacks will require a longer drying time; you can speed up the process by hanging them from the cuffs. After the slacks have dried, they can be ironed. To iron, always start with the waist and pocket areas. After these have been pressed, fold the two pant legs together, by matching inseam to inseam and crease to crease. (see photograph) This puts the creases in the same location on the slack leg. Iron the top leg first, then flip over to iron the back leg. For slacks that that are made of a synthetic blend, turn them inside out to avoid leaving a sheen on the surface.

The principle behind a steam iron is that a combination of moisture and heat removes wrinkles much more easily than dry heat. Steam irons are quite practical, but often the steam feature can be unpredictable. The water can sputter out in big droplets, soaking some areas of the garment and leaving others bone dry. If your steam iron behaves in the same way, consider using a regular old squeeze bottle, the kind one uses for spritzing plants. This sends out a nice, even mist. Spray bottles can usually be found for less than a $1. For stubborn wrinkles or wrinkles in delicate clothes, place a wet handkerchief over the wrinkle. The moisture in the handkerchief will soften the wrinkle as the iron passes over it, and prevents the iron from damaging the garment. This technique works for synthetic blends, silks, lace and other delicate garments.

Ironing really isn't that difficult, and with a little practice, you'll be ironing like a pro. For more information, visit the betterlifestyleproducts.com web site listed at the end of this article. This site has a terrific self help guide to the basics of ironing, along with quick ironing tips and instructions for cleaning your iron.