How to iron T-shirts correctly?

Everyone has several favorite T-shirts for the warm season and the off-season. The universal type of underwear has long been an integral part of men's and women's wardrobes. Both children and adults love T-shirts. However, not everyone likes to wash and iron them. And if children can somehow show interest in this matter due to curiosity, but will not do it on a regular basis due to their age, then adults (whether they want it or not) are simply obliged to be able to keep an eye on things in order to look neat and attractive.

If you consider yourself one of those who do not yet know how to iron T-shirts, but would like to learn, this publication will be of interest to you. And it will also be useful for those who already have experience in ironing things, but want to learn the nuances of the process with T-shirts. In addition to general advice, we will consider the following questions:

• How to iron T-shirts with prints and other decor?
• How to iron polo shirts?
• How to iron a T-shirt without an iron?

There are general rules and specific cases of how to iron a T-shirt and a vest. The first ones are the basis, the general algorithm of actions, knowing which, you will quickly and easily get a good result. And the second ones are the individual features and subtleties of the ironing process depending on the type of fabric and type of finishing.

GENERAL RULES

Following them, you will easily and efficiently iron any T-shirt, tank top, thin long sleeve or shirt:

• Iron your clothes on an ironing board. If you don't have one at hand, use a table, chair, windowsill - any flat and stable surface on which it will be convenient to lay out the item lengthwise. In the latter case, be sure to place a thick base between the surface and the item. It can be a thick blanket folded in several layers and a sheet.
• To iron as efficiently as possible, you need a good iron. Modern models have several temperature settings. The label on your T-shirt will always tell you which one you need. It contains infographics on washing, drying, and ironing. The main thing is to be able to decipher it. Here's a hint.

• If the T-shirt does not have a tag or the information on it has faded over time, use the following indicators as a guide:
  • For a silk T-shirt, the temperature of the iron sole is 60-80 °C, without steam, normal pressure.
  • For linen and cotton garments - 150-170°C, wet steam, high pressure.
  • Denim T-shirts - 180-200°C, wet steam, high pressure.
  • Polyester garments - 60-80°C without steam, light pressure.
  • Knitwear, such as cotton/polyester blends - 110°C, steam.
• When ironing sleeves, use a special add-on for the ironing board. As a rule, it is included in the standard kit. If not, you can buy it separately or, as an option, use a towel rolled into a tight roll. Such a device will greatly facilitate the ironing process and will help to avoid folds where they should not be.
• Drying things correctly is the path to easy ironing, because it is much more difficult to smooth out creases and folds if the fabric is overdried. It is advisable to iron a T-shirt half-damp. And if it has been lying in the closet for a long time, then you will have to iron it with steam, and in some cases you cannot do without a special spray, conditioner or ironing liquid.
• If you want to iron a T-shirt that is not the first freshness, examine it before ironing for stains and streaks. If you find any, do not iron the item, otherwise the heat treatment will fix them in the fabric fibers. It will be difficult, and in some cases impossible, to remove the "dirt".
• First of all, iron small parts: sleeves, collars, pockets (if it is a polo shirt). The main body of the product is ironed from the wide to the narrow part. The item should be well straightened. When ironing, do not pull the fabric. Do not allow "rolling waves" from under the iron. All movements are light and smooth. You should move the iron along a straight thread along and across the fabric, otherwise you can unevenly stretch it.
• Plain white and light-colored T-shirts can be ironed on both sides, while items made from dark fabrics are always ironed from the inside out to avoid shiny marks from the iron.
• A little trick that will allow you to quickly and efficiently iron things (not just T-shirts). Remove the cover from the ironing board, cover the surface with foil and cover it again with the cover. The foil will reflect the heat when ironing, perfectly smoothing the item from the front side while you iron it from the back.
• If you don't plan to wear the T-shirt immediately after ironing, hang it on a hanger and leave it until it cools completely.

Now let's move on to considering specific cases of how to properly iron T-shirts depending on the model, type of fabric and type of finish.

HOW TO IRON PRINTED T-SHIRTS AND OTHER DECORATIVE ELEMENTS?

Printed T-shirts

The design on the T-shirt can be applied in one of three ways: direct digital printing, screen printing or sublimation. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But the sublimation method of applying the print has the highest quality and durability. Such a T-shirt can be washed, stretched and even ironed directly on the design. There's just one problem - before ironing, you need to be sure that the design on your T-shirt was made using this method. And if you can't tell the difference between direct digital printing and sublimation printing, then follow a simple rule that applies to all printed T-shirts - always iron the items from the inside out.

And now the nuances:

• The temperature of the iron sole should correspond to the type of fabric. But we recommend heat treatment of the print at the minimum permissible temperatures, especially in the case of a design on an adhesive base.
• Turn the T-shirt inside out, place it on the ironing board and gently iron each side. A sheet of white paper placed between the ironing board and the design will protect the surface of the ironing board from the prints of unstable paint.
• If you iron a printed T-shirt on a table instead of an ironing board, place a sheet of paper inside the garment between the sides of the T-shirt so that the paper completely covers the design. This will prevent the design from transferring to the opposite side of the T-shirt.

T-shirts with other decorative elements

Other decorative elements should be understood as any decoration, industrial or handmade, for example: rhinestones, bead embroidery, lace, appliques, stickers, sequins.

All this beauty, like the print, can also easily deform or completely collapse under the influence of high iron temperature. Therefore, T-shirts with decor are also always ironed from the inside. You can start ironing only after the item is completely dry, but do not allow it to dry out too much. Using a steam generator or steamer, you can steam the outside of the item, but make sure not to touch the decor.

You can take care of a T-shirt with a complex print and decor in a more delicate way, for example, by “ironing” the item over a bath with hot water. This method will remove wrinkles from the fabric naturally. Excess moisture can be removed by hanging the item on a hanger indoors.

HOW TO IRON POLO SHIRTS?

Since its inception, the polo shirt has never gone out of fashion. It has become one of the most practical items in men's and women's wardrobes, and is rightfully considered the most versatile piece of clothing ever invented by man.

Polo shirts can be made from different types of fabric, but the pique fabric is considered to be the "native" fabric for this type of T-shirt. It is made from cotton fibers with a certain proportion of synthetics. The basis is a complex weave in two wefts, which gives a dense but quite elastic fabric with a characteristic relief pattern in the form of small ribs (less often - squares, diamonds, honeycombs). The T-shirt features a shirt-type collar, knitted cuffs on the sleeves and a button placket. These are the parts that should be ironed first.

The polo should be ironed after a short drying in a slightly damp state. The temperature should not exceed 100°C if the T-shirt is made of mixed fabric. But the manufacturer's care instructions (indicated on the T-shirt label in the side seam) take priority. Check the instructions and set the desired temperature. Prepare a starch spray (you can buy it or make it yourself - 1 cup of starch per 1 glass of distilled water). It will help give the product a neater appearance after ironing and prevent the collar from curling.

1. Prepare your ironing board. On a small area on the inside of the shirt, make sure the iron temperature is set correctly.
2. First of all, iron the collar. Turn the T-shirt inside out. Treat the inside of the collar with starch spray and carefully iron the collar twice. Then, fold the collar back to its working position and carefully iron it in the folded position. Iron the button placket with the "nose" of the iron, using spray if necessary.
3. Iron the sleeves in a circle without forming creases in the direction from the shoulder seams to the cuffs. To do this, use a special device for the ironing board or a roller made from a tightly rolled towel.
4. Iron the top of the polo from the inside out, having first spread the shirt on the ironing board. Spray only on the inside out (sometimes it can leave white marks). Iron from top to bottom, not going beyond the shoulder seams to avoid creases. Avoid stripes and other decorations. The iron glides smoothly, without pausing for long periods in one place.
5. Iron the middle and bottom, moving from the top to the hem of the T-shirt. After smoothing the front side of the product, repeat the entire ironing process with the back.

HOW TO IRON A T-SHIRT WITHOUT AN IRON

There are situations when there is no iron, but a wrinkled T-shirt needs to be put in order. There are several options for how to "iron" a polo shirt without an iron.

Steam bath (or rather a bathroom)

Fill the bathtub with hot water. Hang the T-shirts on hangers over it. 15-20 minutes will be enough for the clothes to smooth out. You can dry the clothes indoors or outside, after smoothing them out well. If you are in a hurry, put the T-shirt on yourself and let it dry right on your body.

Drying it right from the start

You don't have to iron a T-shirt at all, especially if it's made of polyester, but it works with cotton too. The main thing is to straighten it out correctly and hang it up to dry.

• After washing and spinning, straighten the T-shirt, shake it out a few times if necessary.
• Put the item in a pile with other clothes, having previously folded the item in four.
• Let the items lie for 15-30 minutes.
• Shake the T-shirt out again. Hang it on the dryer, aligning the geometry and smoothing out the seams well so that there are no folds. An important point - the dryer should have thick rods, then there will be no folds on the T-shirt.
• After such drying the thing will look great.

Using a steam generator

If you don't want to bother with regular ironing, consider purchasing a steamer. This is the easiest way to iron a T-shirt without an iron. The device is much lighter and more compact than most irons. Very convenient for traveling. Can be used on clothes that are hanging, eliminating the hassle of an ironing board.

Follow our tips and your favorite T-shirts will retain their prints, vibrant colors, and shape.