Tips On How To Iron Clothing Without An Iron
Ironing is said to be right up there on the list of dreaded household tasks. Not only do you have to set up an ironing board, set the iron up, and wait for it to heat up, but you also have to tackle the ironing task itself and go over every last inch of fabric to remove creases and wrinkles. No wonder so many of you dislike this labour-intensive task so much!
Indeed, what could be worse than facing the following scenarios? Waking up late on the morning of an important interview to find that your interview shirt is wrinkled! Or, realising that your iron won’t switch on while needing to iron school uniforms as soon as possible to get the children off to school! To safeguard against such harrowing situations, there are alternative ways to iron clothing that could just come in handy and to your rescue the next time you find yourself without an iron. We discuss several alternative options of ironing for you below:
USING HAIR STRAIGHTENERS TO IRON CLOTHING
As we all live in an ever-increasing time-poor society, most of us try and look for innovative and imaginative ways to save valuable time. This serves to maximize the time available to us, particularly in the mornings when our lives tend to be most chaotic, and when competing demands on our time are most apparent, as a result of our busy schedules.
Using hair straightening irons to iron clothes might seem a bit odd, but think again! They are great at smoothing out small creases and wrinkles on shirts, skirts, and do wonders on those difficult-to-iron collars, and on those tight spaces in between button areas. They are also ideal for ironing curtains when new straight out of their packaging, and after a wash before hanging.
The shape and design of straightening irons means that they are compact and really easy to use, and to store away. They heat up quickly as well and are ready to use almost instantly with no ironing board required.
TIPS WHEN USING HAIR STRAIGHTENING IRONS TO IRON CLOTHING
i) Always ensure that hair straightening irons are clean of any hair products before use on clothing as this could lead to staining.
ii) Always clean hair straightening irons when cool, with a damp cloth or specialist cleaner.
iii) If hair straightening irons have an adjustable temperature setting then you can use them on delicate fabrics such as silk and satin, but always read care labels before use to avoid any potential damage occurring.
iv) Always store away hair straightening irons when cool.
HOW TO IRON CLOTHING WITH A HAIR DRYER
Ironing clothing with a hair dryer will require you to have access to a hair dryer and a water spray bottle. You can either be wearing the clothing you intend to iron or you can lay the items flat out on a bed, table, or an ironing board.
TIPS TO IRONING CLOTHING USING A HAIR DRYER
i) Gently spritz the clothing items with a light mist of water from the water spray bottle. This acts to dampen the clothing to help soften any creases and wrinkles.
ii) The next step requires you to hold or clamp the clothing items so that they are taut. This makes it easier to use the hairdryer to smooth down and remove any creases from the clothing items.
iii) The hair-drying method is useful on shirts, skirts, dresses, and any other clothing items that are difficult to iron. It can also be useful on delicate fabrics too. But do remember to check the temperature and drop the heat when needed to avoid damaging clothing items.
USING A TUMBLE DRYER AND ICE CUBES TO IRON CLOTHING
This method requires the use of a tumble dryer and ice cubes as a useful way to ‘iron’ clothing without actually using an iron. All you need is a tumble dryer and about 3 to 4 ice cubes, then it’s a simple case of throwing your garments into the tumble dryer with the ice cubes, remembering to read the care label instructions beforehand.
Now for the science bit! The ice cubes will gradually melt from the heat of the tumble dryer, creating moisture that creates a steam-like effect that takes out creases to leave garments wrinkle-free. If you don’t have ice cubes at hand, try using a wet tea towel, this will do the same job. Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to have a steam setting on your laundry dryer, simply throw the clothes into the laundry drum and press the start button. The momentum of the laundry dryer will throw and toss the garments around inside the drum where creases will be removed from the bursts or steam, leaving items wrinkle-free.
IRONING WITH VINEGAR
Using vinegar as an ironing aid requires a spray bottle with 50/50 vinegar to water parts solution. We would also recommend using brown paper, or paper bags, during this process. The paper acts as a presser cloth so that you are pressing with vinegar rather than merely wetting the fabric. The paper will need to be placed over the area to be ironed. Press down firmly and then remove the paper. The crease, however subborn, should be gone! Using vinegar near clothing when ironing quite understandably raises concerns because of its pungent smell. However, using this method leaves no smell of vinegar on clothing items whatsoever!
HANGING CLOTHING IN THE SHOWER TO IRON
Whether at home or when travelling you can make use of a shower to help get creases and wrinkles out of clothing. This method requires hanging clothing items in the bathroom shower area. The shower should be switched to full heat for approximately 10-20 minutes depending on the amount of clothing and the types of material.
This method works by the shower steam acting like a clothes steamer, which pulls out creases and wrinkles by reversing the process that caused this to happen in the first place.
When placing the items of clothing in the shower area, it’s recommended that they be put on hangers, on a towel hook, or shower rod. Avoid placing the items of clothing too near the shower head itself as this risks them getting sprayed with the shower water and becoming wet, or even drenched.
To contain the steam, its best to close the bathroom door. It’s also good practice to keep an eye on the process and to smooth down the clothing regularly to remove any fluff and residue that may build up.
USING A CLOTHES STEAMER TO IRON
Using a clothes steamer to iron with is a quick and efficient method. The steam generated acts to relax the fabric fibers to zap creases and wrinkles in clothing items. Most fabrics can be steamed, these include: most varieties of cotton; silks; wools; and polyesters. There are, however, some materials that absolutely should not be streamed, these include: suede; waxed jackets; and any materials that are prone to melt. It is highly recommended that care labels be followed before attempting this method.
Using a clothes steamer can certainly save time on ironing as it’s a quicker method than using an iron. This method doesn’t require using an ironing board either. However, it’s doubtful that this method can give clothes the crisp and sharp finish and appearance of a regular iron. Another drawback is that you cannot wear clothing immediately after steaming as they will be too damp.
NEED A PROFESSIONAL IRONING SOLUTION?
If you find yourself without an iron and need a quick and efficient fix, thankfully some methods can provide a solution to your problem. We have covered some of these above.
Alternatively, you can contact us here at Pressed not Stressed. We are based in Chester-le-Street and cover areas from Great Lumley to Seaham, and beyond. We are here to happily take your enquiries and to answer all your questions from 7am to 9pm Monday through to Sunday. We can collect Laundry and Ironing orders from your doorstep via our delivery service, at a time convenient for you, and return in a quick turnaround.
