Let’s be honest: Ironing is not the worst chore around the house. It is, however, very time-consuming and sometimes you’re just not in the mood to take out the ironing board and stand next to a giant pile of yesterday’s laundry. If we just describe how you feel about the whole thing all the time, then you might be wondering if there’s a way to get rid of your iron once and for all.
And there is! We have compiled seven easy ironing tips for beginners and to help you reduce the amount of ironing in your life to practically zero. Some of them include changing some bad habits (don’t be ashamed, we’ve all done them before!) while others are more of a slow burn and require a bit of time to actually take effect. Remember that you can modify these to fit your lifestyle better, let’s see what they are!
Invest in a quality steam iron
If a barely-functioning iron is part of the reason why you hate ironing, don’t beat around the bush! Get rid of it and get a good steam iron. It’s the fastest way to get rid of creases in most types of fabric, and you can upgrade to a steam generator iron if you have a huge pile of clothes to work with every week. Just remember that steam is not the best choice for heavier fabrics like polyester blend or wool, so if you have many of those in your wardrobe and are not planning to replace it, try another alternative.
Stop bunching up your clothes
Giving clothes room to breath is very important if you want to avoid creases, and that goes for both the washing machine and your closet or drawers. Overfilling the washing machine is something we’re all guilty of doing, and that’s the first thing that makes our clothes wrinkle, especially if you set the drying cycle at maximum speed. Once the washing machine is done, hang your clothes as soon as possible, shaking and smoothing them a little beforehand. Finally, keep your closet tidy and clutter-free.
Use a homemade wrinkle-releaser
You can create your own wrinkle-releasing fluid by mixing a few products that everyone has at home. Add one part water and one part fabric softener to a spray bottle, and mix well. Spray that onto your clothes after you’re done washing them to help the fabric loosen up then hang them as you normally would.
Dry them partially on the dryer
You can get the best of both worlds if you dry your clothes in the dryer only 80% of the way and then hanging them to air dry the rest of the way. Not only will your clothes last longer by limiting their exposure to the dryer, but it will also keep the wrinkles away. Of course, you can limit your use of the dryer much more if you want to, going from 80% to 50% of the way through, just remember that it will take longer. This way you will be gentle with your clothes and your energy bill, that’s a double win!
Build up a wrinkle-free wardrobe
You don’t have stop ironing all at once, especially since you’d still have a lot of clothes that need to be ironed every time you wash them. Instead, start building a nice iron-free wardrobe little by little, remembering which fabrics are better for your new lifestyle and which are a must-iron case. For example, clothes that are 100% cotton are terrible for the crease-free life, cotton blends fare a little better, and man-made fabrics such as denim, knits, and jersey can handle themselves perfectly. Buy the ones that will complement your style better!
You have the power to stop ironing forever, but now that it’s down to brass tacks, do you really want to do that? Throwing out the iron is something we’ve all wanted to do along with learning how to get ironing done quickly, but we also have that amazing piece of clothing we would never part with, and which sadly does need to be ironed out. If that’s your case, then why not let someone else take care of that (and other) chores?
