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What’s the right way to iron a shirt?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]’What’s the right way to iron a shirt?’ Distinctive customers ask.

When it comes to ironing a pile of shirts do you waste hours slaving away trying to get those dreaded creases out, when instead you could be tucked up on the sofa enjoying your favourite TV series with a glass of what you enjoy? I definitely know what I’d rather be doing!

According to the website www.realmenrealstyle.com, ironing clothes is essential, as otherwise it is the quickest and clearest display of lack of attention to detail. If you turned up to a job interview with an un-ironed shirt, your prospective employer’s lasting impression would not be great.

But, judging by research, the last decade of young, single professional men are not as fastidious over ironing as previous generations. ironed and un-ironed shirt image To attain respect and exude authority, one has to dress the part! As demonstrated by the suave and stylish Jordan Belfort, played by the actor Leonardo di Caprio, in the film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.

iron to look the part

iron to look the part

Belfort dressed immaculately with crisp fresh shirts during the early part of his career which, combined with his confidence, led him to achieve big things (albeit not necessarily legal things in his instance)!   If you can afford to put your ironing out then that’s always a great option, but tends to be a rather costly one! Plus, usually in the early years of a career and living independently, dining out with friends has more advantages and pleasure, in terms of a luxury expense. Ironing your own shirts makes them last longer and saves you money, so it’s well worth investing the time in making them perfect.

So…what is the right way to iron a shirt?

Some might say to start with the shoulders, back, front, and sleeves, finishing with the cuffs and wrong side of the collar; others suggest starting with the collar, then the front, back, sleeves and cuffs. Then there will be the corner cutters who only iron what can be seen by others – the collar, cuffs and front!

To give you that super crisp professional look, I’d definitely recommend ironing all outside surfaces and taking a good couple of minutes to do it to perfection. I personally go from back, to sleeves to sides and finish with collar but many people opt for a different way around.

Spray starch is a useful cupboard item to help give that *Distinctive* crisp look if you are attending an important meeting or dinner and it also creates a bounce effect for dirt and stains.

Beware when setting the temperature of your steam iron – too hot and it may spit discoloured water – not hot enough, and you won’t budge those stubborn creases. Always remember to start with the shirt ever so slightly damp.  After washing with Distinctive, I tend to hang wet shirts on the line upside down and if they are air dried over the winter putting them straight on a hanger saves a lot of effort.  Never ever iron a dirty shirt – as you will ‘set’ stains with the heat.

When ironing shirts, it’s proven to be best to do them in batches to make the job worthwhile. Setting up the ironing board and waiting for the iron to reach the correct temperature can take a minute or two.  

Now I bet there are a few of you that deliberately look for the ‘non iron’ shirts in order to save time, but in fact this isn’t necessarily the best option. Fabrics may often be made with synthetic fibres, or have chemical coatings which do not breathe well, making them a ‘sweaty’ option in heat or when you are a tad nervous on date night. All non-iron shirts will require a light iron from time to time, to ensure they stay looking smart.

The big question… Is there a right way to iron a shirt?

Well having heard feedback from all our laundry customers we really don’t believe there is a right and wrong way; we often carry on with the method our mothers taught us and that seems to be the way we all iron best! Habits are hard to break.

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It makes ironing an amazing experience and means your shirts will be the talk of the town in the week ahead!

Don’t forget to share your laundry tips and techniques on the Distinctive Facebook and Twitter! And don’t forget to teach sons and daughters how to iron![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]