I don't have an ironing board and I can't iron right.

[Night Elf]

And I can't seem to get wrinkles out of anything. I don't iron much but I tried to do a shirt and a pair of pants and barely removed any wrinkles. All I did was warm the cloth. I did make sure the setting on the iron was for the material I was ironing. I was ironing on a towel laying on my floor. Would I iron better with a board? I literally have no where to store one. Or might be the problem with my iron which is old. I don't even remember when I bought it.

[MEmama]

Eh....I have an ironing board and a reasonably new iron and I still can't iron right. I have no idea what the magic spell is that other people must use, but I've come to terms it's just not for me.

 

Bummer my DH is actually worse at it than I am. But at least he feels lots of guilt and sympathy for me when he asks me to iron his work clothes. Lol

[TCB]

It's definitely easier to iron with a proper ironing board. Mine folds up and sits in the linen closet in the bathroom. I don't iron much either but it's nice to have it when I need to. I have the best success with ironing if the item is slightly damp when I start or if I spray water on it from a spray bottle or use something called 'Magic Sizing' - a friend told me about this product several years ago and it really makes ironing easier. You spray it on the part you're ironing just before you iron.

[Annie G]

They make smaller table top ironing boards. They store well under a bed. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Spring for an ironing board.  You need a sturdy surface that you can really push on that reflects the heat back up into the fabric.  The tabletop ones tend to move around which is very counterproductive.

 

And, your iron might be a modern one where the settings are all lower than they really should be, for safety or energy usage minimization reasons, so they don't work.  You might try cranking it up a notch.  As long as you are not ironing synthetics, if you keep moving reasonably fast you won't damage your clothes that way.  (Synthetics do this little melty thing, so be careful.  But everything else only scorches, and you can prevent that with speed.)

 

And, the next time Costco has a Rowenta on sale for approximately the price of a good standard iron at Target, snap that baby up.  I did, and what a difference a good iron makes.  

[Ailaena]

I used to iron on the kitchen table, but what really made a difference was a newer steam iron. Apparently my 20-year-old iron was barely warm.

 

Also, I get better results when I spray first. Oh! And my mom bought one of those vertical, hand-held steamer things and she loves it!

[marbel]

Yeah, you need some sort of board.  I iron tablecloths right on the table and it works fine.  

 

I find some fabrics are just harder to iron.  My mom always kept a spray bottle of water at hand to spritz on the clothing.  A steam iron works the same way, but she disliked using that feature. I think she was scared of putting water into an electric appliance.  

[EMS83]

I don't iron.  I didn't own an iron for about 7 years.  I got a hand-me-down and have used it...maaaaybe once.  I'd rather just wash and tumble something to get the wrinkles out.

[justasque]

Target has a nice small ironing board, which has a built-in hangar so you can hang it in a closet.
A good iron should be HEAVY.  The weight does part of the work.  Ideally, you shouldn't have to push down on it - just glide it across the fabric.  Check YouTube for how-to videos; I would bet there are some good ones.

[Lawana]

If you are looking to get rid of wrinkles, rather than achieving a crisp pressed finish, you might consider a hand held steamer instead.

[sarasue7272]

I don't understand you people. My iron is used everyday. You need a hard surface, and make the iron hotter. Polyester will melt though, lower the heat. I have a black and decker classic that looks retro. It's simple and the best iron I've ever used. I would link, but the ones I see have more features than mine. It never leaks!!!

[Okra]

I don't understand you people. My iron is used everyday. You need a hard surface, and make the iron hotter. Polyester will melt though, lower the heat. I have a black and decker classic that looks retro. It's simple and the best iron I've ever used. I would link, but the ones I see have more features than mine. It never leaks!!!

 

Everyday?  What do you iron?

[Garga]

I don't understand you people. My iron is used everyday. You need a hard surface, and make the iron hotter. Polyester will melt though, lower the heat. I have a black and decker classic that looks retro. It's simple and the best iron I've ever used. I would link, but the ones I see have more features than mine. It never leaks!!!

Everyday? What do you iron?

I don't use the dryer to dry clothes. I dry them inside in the shower stall on hangers. The clothes get super wrinkly--deep wrinkles. We'd look awful wearing them that way.

 

My DH irons all the clothes that we've washed that week each weekend. It takes him a few hours. He loves ironing. The nature of his job at work doesn't allow him to start something and see it all the way to completion, so he enjoys the feeling of seeing a job done all the way through. He watches tv while he irons.

 

I don't like ironing marathon sessions. If he didn't do the ironing, I'd probably iron my clothes every couple of days.

 

People who use their dryers don't need to iron practically ever.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Garga

[Petrichor]

Steam. I can't seem to iron anything without it causing more, sharper, wrinkles if my steam iron runs out of water. Small garment steamers can be had for ~$20-30.

 

I used to iron every day, then I realized that if I don't dry the clothes all the way in the dryer, they won't wrinkle as badly, and any remaining wrinkles will fall out once garment is worn. 

 

I keep our ironing board folded, on a hanger on the wall in our room. A friend has an in-wall ironing cupboard. I <3 it, but can't install one since we rent.

[KungFuPanda]

I only iron to sew, but back in my army days I used a lot of spray starch. A good iron and ironing board make a world of difference.

[Annie G]

I iron every day too...I'm a quilter. 

 

Spray starch is my friend. Love it. Not heavy or stiff, but it does help with the task. 

 

 

[lllll]

nm

Edited September 21, 2017 by lllllll

[Impatien]

I love ironing, and do quite a lot of it when I sew. I have a standard ironing board, but I have 2 pads on it instead of one. I think it works much better that way. Also use water in the iron for the steam feature, and spray starch.

 

I bought an iron and ironing board for my daughter, and I don't think she's ever used it. I see that a lot of those cotton clothes could definitely use one!

[Guest]

Target has a nice small ironing board, which has a built-in hangar so you can hang it in a closet.

A good iron should be HEAVY. The weight does part of the work. Ideally, you shouldn't have to push down on it - just glide it across the fabric. Check YouTube for how-to videos; I would bet there are some good ones.

Yup, I had one of the tint ironing board for years. Love!

 

And I use a cheap vintage Kenmore iron from the 50's which is super hot and amazing. I like it better than all the bells and whistles new teflon irons out there. The cord gets a little scary hot due to poorer insulation so I have to keep an eye on it but yeah, fantastic. Vintage irons for the win.

[Night Elf]

Ok, I think I'll try a hand held steamer first. If that doesn't work, I may get a new iron and a board. I think my iron is just tired out.

[Melissa in Australia]

Do you understand that there is an order that the parts of a shirt must be ironed to avoid re-wrinkling? Start with the collar and band. Do the cuffs, and then the shirt front. Iron the back, then the sleeves.

I iron shirts completely opposite to you, back of shirt first, then fold the front over and iron it. Then sleeves, cuffs and lastly the collar.

[Carrie12345]

Steamer, for sure!

Not that I use that much, either.  I steam the kids' theatre costumes once a year.  Dh occasionally uses it when he's been too busy to have work clothes dry cleaned. 

[Elizabeth86]

Well....the Marine Corps made my dh an excellent ironer I dont need to iron much but when I do I tell dh what an amazing ironer he is and he falls for it every time and does it for me. sucker. I am terrible at it, but I do better on an ironing board than a towel. I dont have much storage either, but mine fits next to my washing machine on a hanger meant to hold an ironing board. My mom keeps hers under a bed. I believe they make mini ones.

[Guest]

Hand steamers are great; I use them often, and they are especially good for details that don't iron well with the flat iron. Embroidery, rows of little buttons, things like that come out better with a steamer.

[TravelingChris]

MY dh is the ironer in our house.  He learned how to do it in OTS when first in the Air Force and he does it so well that he is the ironer for the whole family.  Now I iron with sewing  Having been tasked with ironing at times when I am at my monthly church group meeting where we make pillowcases for children's hospital patients, I have tried a number of irons.  I am now bringing my Rowenta to the group when we will be needing ironing because it really does work so much better.  I use ironing board and steam.