Rules of Pressing

1. Rules of Pressing

2. How Does It Work? • Ironing is the use of a heated tool to remove wrinkles from fabric. • The heating is commonly done to a temperature of 180–220 °Celsius, depending on the fabric. • Ironing works by loosening the bonds between the long-chain polymer molecules in the fibers of the material. • While the molecules are hot, the fibers are straightened by the weight of the iron, and they hold their new shape as they cool.

3. Use the heat, appropriate for the type of fabric – irons will indicate this as will many fabrics • Irons have settings for various fabrics and the temperature MATTERS depending on the fabric • Irons can drip water and ruin fabrics so be careful with steam settings and spraying!

4. Press all seams before stitching ACROSS seams! • Do not press over pins, unless necessary as these marks are hard to remove • Always press the WRONG side or RAW side of the fabric when fabricating garments.

5. Iron seems in the same direction as they were stay stitched, basted and permanently stitched or it will leave marks • Iron with the grain of the fabric

6. Ironing Specific Fabrics • Some fabrics, such as cotton, require the addition of water to loosen the intermolecular bonds. • Many modern fabrics (developed in or after the mid-twentieth century) are advertised as needing little or no ironing. • Permanent press clothing was developed to reduce the ironing necessary by combining wrinkle-resistant polyester with cotton.

7. Ironing Temperatures

8. Helpful Hints: • Cotton fabrics require a high heat setting. If the fabric is heavily wrinkled, iron it first on the back, then on the front. • Rayon can be ironed on the wrong or the right side, but for best results, iron on the right side. Iron using low heat: high heat can burn the fabric. • For heavily wrinkled clothes, dampen a towel, lay the wrinkled fabric on the towel, and iron. The steam from both sides of the fabric will remove the wrinkles faster. This technique works well on cotton shirts and denim.

9. Remove clothes from the dryer and iron while they are still slightly damp to eliminate excess wrinkling. Iron delicate fabrics like polyester on the wrong side. Then if the iron should scorch or leave shiny spots on the fabric, it won’t show through to the front. • Use pressing cloths for delicate fabrics or fabrics with ornamentation. Lightweight towels or muslin cloth are perfect to use as pressing cloths.

10. Iron seams on the wrong side first, and when ironing a shirt, iron seams first to flatten them down nicely. • When ironing hems, stop ironing just short of the hem to avoid creating a line over it • Collars are difficult to iron. They should be ironed first on the wrong side, starting at the collar points. Work the iron in to the center point, leading with the point of the iron. Then flip over to the right side of the fabric and repeat the process. Don’t press down; instead, use the heat of the iron to glide over the fabric.

11. Line up sleeves and press the inside of the sleeve cuff first, letting the heat of the iron do the work. Stop the iron short of seam edges to prevent unwanted creases. • For large items such as tablecloths, don’t use the small end of the ironing board. Instead, lay the fabric (folded, if needed) across the big end of the board and press. Keep the fabric moving forward until it is ironed, then flip it over and press the other side.