Tools for the Job

Tool  Number 1: The Iron

A quality iron may be identified by its well-built sole plate – you should look for something that is solid, smooth, and clean if buying used.  Usually they’re  made from solid steel, titanium coated or cast iron with alumina.

No matter what, avoid the super cheap irons (i.e. less than £15) as these often have really low quality sole plates to keep costs down.  A cheap sole plate isn’t easy to clean and won’t heat up evenly  so is a false economy as it will end up damaging your clothes

Look for high heat capability.  Most consumer irons range in power consumption from 420 watt, such as small travel irons, to 1800 watts, which are the higher end domestic models.  Generally speaking, the higher the wattage, the hotter the iron can get and the faster it will heat too, although the size of the sole plate must also be taken into account too

It’s important for your iron to be able to get hot as fabrics such as cotton and linen require high heat to reform their shape and a hotter iron can really reduce your ironing time as you don’t have to spend too long on each part of the garment. A hot iron is also needed to create steam and higher temperatures produce steadier steam

Steam is vital too, as it breathes life into fabrics and the hot moisture enables the toughest wrinkles to smooth out with minimal work by more evenly distributing the heat through the garment’s fibres.  Back to the gold old cheap iron (think student starter kit!) and its often pathetic steam component that functions as if it was an afterthought, sputtering and spitting – that’s no good.  Spend a bit more and you can get up to 300+ holes in the sole plate delivering clean, uniform steam.

Try to buy the best steam delivery system you can afford as a good steam iron can be used indirectly on wools and other more delicate fabrics and save £££s a year in pressing and dry cleaning costs

Be warned though, price doesn’t always mean quality.  Some irons are expensive because they are  made of lightweight space age materials, designed for those with arthritis or similar and cannot cope with a heavy iron. They are not necessarily better because they cost more,  they simply are being made for a different customer

 A special mention to the travel iron for those of us who travel for business or even those of us take an iron on our hols, a travel iron can be a wise investment.  Although hotels often have an iron and board available for guest use, this isn’t always the case, especially at hotels that are either budget or are trying to encourage use of their expensive in-house cleaning services.  Having your own iron enables you to use a device you’re familiar with and prepare your clothing on your schedule as you see fit.  No ironing board?  Grab a towel and throw it on a flat surface, that’ll work just as well. Look for something small, lightweight, with good heat capability and with a decent steam setting.

Tool Number 2: The Ironing Board

Basically, you need something that’s sturdy and can be adjusted to a height that’s comfortable for you.  To save money, it doesn’t even have to be new as all the work is done by the cover and the pad.  Look for a good, thick underlay, a non-slip surface and a heat reflective surface which will help speed up ironing time, as you effectively iron both sides of a garment at once.  You can also put a piece of tinfoil under the ironing board cover to do this too but do take extra care if you do this, as it will increase the speed in which you can burn the clothing.

Tool Number 3: Spray Bottle

If you are being thrifty and re-using a bottle that once contained a household cleaner you must be certain that it has been thoroughly cleaned as you don’t want to be spraying chemicals on your clothes.   Use the spray bottle to disperse water evenly over your garments before ironing if it’s too dry.  It’s also handy for when you’re ironing a stubborn crease – just give the crease a squirt and then iron it out seconds later.

Tool Number 4: Water

You want to use clean water without high concentrations of calcium and magnesium, both of which are common in hard water.  Long term use can lead to iron damage and leave marks on dress shirt fabrics that are hard to remove and for this reason many manufacturers recommend using distilled water. However, keep your iron clean and you do not need to use distilled water as some mineral presence is good as it acts as a wetting agent and helps water better vaporize when it contacts the sole plate.  In reality, drinking water is perfect for most irons.

Tool Number 5: Light-Coloured Cotton Towel

A towel can be used as an ironing board pad, rolled and used inside sleeves as a makeshift sleeve-board, or simply to clean up excess water sprayed on the shirt. It may also be sued to protect delicate fabrics that may need a burst of heat but would be damaged by direct contact with a hot iron.  Place the towel over the garment to be ironing and iron the garment through the towel to protect it.  A cotton handkerchief does this job on smaller, fiddlier items.

Tool Number 6: Spray Starch (Optional)

It’s easy to get this wrong in an attempt to get a perfect “crisp” shirt – too much starch and too high a heat and you can end up with flakes of starch everywhere.  It is best used in moderation and not on the iron’s highest heat setting.  Use in moderation or you can turn a normally breathable cotton shirt into something that feels like a synthetic plastic bag which creases the moment it’s worn.  It’s possible to make your own spray starch by dissolving one tablespoon of corn starch in two cups water. Using a spray bottle (preferably not the water one – clearly mark it “spray starch” – and LIGHTLY mist the fabric a minute before ironing.

Ask any workman (or woman), it’s really important to have the right tools for the job and I hope you’ll find this useful advice when it comes to tackling the UK’s most hated chore.  Anything to make it simpler………failing that, just give us a call!  We've got all the best tools for this particular job!