How do you iron new school shirt?

[KindleAddict]

I haven't got much of a clue about ironing. I used to pay my mum to do ours but she is recovering from an op so need to do some myself. I've never really ironed before and try to hang kids uniforms up to dry as soon as they are finished in the washing machine which helped towards the end of last term.

I've bought new shirts for this school year for them and they desperately need ironing but I don't have a clue how to begin.

I only have a very basic iron (we're talking like a tesco value one that costs about a fiver) so how do I go about ironing them. Can't afford to buy a new iron at the moment but like the idea of a steam generated iron and then maybe I would do more ironing but for now I really need to know about ironing a shirt. Do I need to put water in the iron or can I just turn it on?

Sorry to be so clueless

Best to wash shirts first to get rid of factory finish, hang up whilst damp on hanger...if you still need to iron, or if you don't want to wash first

to iron damp....
If there is no water reservoir in the iron or you can't see where to put the water plug in iron and turn the temperature dial to the same symbol as on the care label on the shirts...give it a minute to get to correct temp as some iron's overshoot initially and you don't want to scorch the shirts:

either rinse out a clean tea towel in water and iron the shirt on top of it thus producing steam even with a value iron! or you can produce a fine spray of water from a mister ( from old cleaning product (wash out first) or for plants etc.).

I start at the collar ironing on reverse, then move to shoulders over the end of the board, front then other front, back, arms 1/2 and cuffs....this is not the "approved" order but works for me.

Hope this helps

Thanks very much. That's really helpful. Will put them on in a wash in the morning and get them out as soon as they have finished and hope for the best. Failing that at least if I do have to iron I feel a bit more confident doing so.

You might find that YouTube has an ironing guide. It's astonishing what's uploaded on there

Is this a wind up? Ironing is just common sense surely? No-one "taught" me how to iron. You just need to make sure that you lay the item of clothing flat on the ironing board and pass the iron over it, making sure you don't iron creases in.

my 'order' for shirts is: arms first, each side and then the back. I then do the shoulders and a wee bit extra over the sides if they have got extra creases in.

I agree with bunbaker surely this is a joke. So you've never done ironing before? Nobody taught me how to iron - its obvious!!

Or be like me - I don't iron any of my everyday stuff.

i do not iron anything most school uniforms can be hung up to dry have big airing cupboard so hang in there if dried in garden fin in tumble dryer do not buy anything that needs ironing

Ahh, don't be horrid. Some people really don't have a clue! Hardly any of my clothes need ironing (thank you lycra!) so I've never really had to learn. Dh used to do his and the kids and he's now stbxh so I've had to learn from scratch and I'm not sure I'm doing it right!

I have to look smart and well groomed for work and find that line drying clothes still leaves them too crumpled for me (I tend to wear natural fibres so my clothes have to be ironed).

Thanks for your replies. I honestly have never ironed before in my life! My mother would insist on ironing the kids clothes otherwise I'd never get round to doing it and dh usually irons anything urgently but he is self employed and working long hours at the moment 7 days a week. I prefer to hang things up as soon as the washer is done so they dry ok but the school shirts really needed ironing even after that.

It was the dials on the iron that were confusing me too but in the end I managed. Thanks mumsnetters.

Feeling very proud of myself for managing to not ruin the kids uniforms and actually enjoyed ironing so may even do more of it! Shock!! Also managed to do it without my clingy 19 month old wrapped round my leg so am very happy now.

Award yourself pat on back and .