Ironing pleated school skirts - how?!?

[Suddengeekgirl]

I've been super organised and bought dd's uniform for reception (sainsburys 25% off the other week).

So I've washed them and came to ironing them today and thought... How the flip?!?

They have got 3 wide-ish pleats at the front and 3 at the back, so sort of need ironing to smooth them out, but don't have so many pleats that I can just not iron them.

How do you deal with pleated skirts?

Pegs!! My mum used to peg the pleats closed to hold everything in shape then iron.

What I find easiest is to iron them inside out. My dd has pleated skirts, one type where there are pleats all the way around (think coolie lampshade) and another similar to what you described. In both cases, I iron inside out. You can see the way the pleats actually should go easier on the wrong side, where the stitching and seams are and you can put them into place easier and then iron them, plus ironing on the reverse side eliminates any shiny marks. I put the skirt over the end of the ironing board iron a section then pull it down to iron another section, in a circular way rather then iron it all as a flat item iyswim.

Well done you on getting the uniform in early.

This may seem odd but I pinch each pleat with my fingers and the lay each pleat on the ironing board and steam each one at a time. It's the way I was taught in boarding school,

I just lower the spin speed on the washing machine and hang them up on a skirt hanger to dry. The pleats stay in after every wash for ages, or at least until the skirt is worn out or too small or discarded for the check dress that they wear in the summer.

My daughter had a pleated kilt for school. Wretched thing it was.

First wash iron like Yorkshire mummy advises. Really get the pleats ironed well in, and then after that get it out of the wash the second the washing machine has finished (shirts wash is best as it has a low spin speed) and then hang to dry straight away on a skirt hanger.

DDs skirt lasted her all through secondary (it was long to start but ended as a mini, but those with longer skirts just rolled the waist band over to wear as minis any way) I only ironed it for the first day of winter term each year.

I do it the same as Yorkshiremummy
M&S has 20% off tomorrow - will be buying the least pleats !

I used to do mine inside out too, I think my school skirts had eight pleats so I have had lots of practice for when my dd is old enough.

My daughter has worn the same pleated kilt to school for the last 5 years . Best tip I read and used was to roll the skirt up and place in one leg of a pair of tights when you wash it, then hang it up to dry. The pleats stay in really well and just need minimal ironing. Her kilt looks just as good now as when I bought it in 2010, though like Pressone's daughter hers is now a mini rather then knee length.

Keep it on a cooler wash and a lower spin speed (so about 30 degrees and 1200 rpm). Hang them up immediately and just pull them straight by hand. Leave to dry overnight.

it sounds as if that might not have worked if you need to iron. In that case I would turn everything inside out and iron over a damp (white, or as good as) tea towel/linen napkin.

Does she have to have a pleated skirt?
I buy my DD pinafores, Sainsburys and Next do lovely soft Jersey ones - no pleats!