Iron is an electronic tool that smooths out wrinkles and scuffs on clothes so they don’t look messy when worn.
The bottom of the iron is made of metal, which acts as a heat conductor. The handle is made of plastic.
History shows that this tool has been around for a long time and has a complicated shape and way of being used.
Over time, irons have changed in many ways, including their shape, size, and the technology that makes them easier to use.
Even so, many people still have trouble ironing their clothes and don’t know how to use a good iron the right way.
So, if you want your ironed clothes to look neat, it doesn’t hurt to follow some of the tips below.
How to Use an Electric Iron
1. Provide an Ironing Mat
Before ironing clothes, the first thing to do is get an ironing tool ready. The mat must have a flat top and not move around easily.
There are ironing boards on the market that are made of wood and covered with foam. But if you don’t have a board, you can use a piece of thick foam covered with cloth as a substitute.
2. Easy to Reach Ironing Cable
As everyone knows, iron is a piece of electronics that needs electricity to work. So, before you start ironing clothes, it’s best to make sure that the iron isn’t too far from the plug.
Installing a long cable for the iron isn’t done so that it can reach the socket. Instead, it’s done so that the iron can be moved around more easily when it’s being used.
If the outlet is far from where the iron is, you should use a rolled cable or another longer cable to keep the iron connected to the outlet.
3. Set Iron Temperature
After plugging the iron into the wall, the next step is to set the temperature.
When setting this temperature, many people still make a mistake by putting it on the highest setting. As a result, the iron heats up very quickly, which can damage clothes.
While each piece of clothing is made of a different kind of material, so the temperature setting will also be different. So that silk and other thin fabrics don’t get damaged, the ironing temperature shouldn’t be too high.
If you don’t know what kind of fabric the clothes are made of, you can start by setting the iron to a low temperature. If the clothes are still wrinkled and not straight, you can slowly raise the ironing temperature until the clothes are straight.
4. Start Ironing
Wait a few minutes until the iron is completely hot after you’ve turned it on and set the temperature for the type of clothing. When the iron is hot, it can be used to smooth out wrinkles in clothes.
If you want the clothes to be neat after you iron them, you should place the iron so that the base points at or touches the clothes. Move the iron back and forth until the clothes are smooth and no longer wrinkled.
5. Use a Clothes Softener Mix
Even after being ironed many times, some types of clothing are hard to keep neat. Of course, this makes ironing clothes take longer.
You can fix this by spraying a mixture of fabric softeners on the clothes you want to iron.
This liquid clothes softener can not only make clothes easier to iron, but it can also give them a scent because the liquid usually has scent in it.
6. Iron Position When Not in Use
When ironing clothes, there are times when you have to let go of the iron. One of those times is when you fold clothes. In these situations, it’s best to put the iron so that it’s standing up.
Each iron has a flat part in the shape of a triangle that can be used as a base to stand the iron up straight. If you put the iron in a vertical position, clothes or ironing tools won’t catch fire from the iron’s heat.
7. Iron Storage
Set the iron’s temperature to the lowest setting when you’re done using it, or wait until it turns off. Then, unplug the iron so it doesn’t get too hot.
When the iron is cool or not too hot, roll up the cord and put it away where children can’t get to it.
How to Use a Steam Iron
Dry irons and electric irons are different from steam irons. In a steam iron, there is a water tank that sprays water on the clothes as they are ironed.
Using a steam iron isn’t too different from using an electric iron. Here are some ways to use a steam iron right and avoid making mistakes:
1. Fill Water into Steam Iron Water Storage Container
Before using a steam iron, the first thing that needs to be done is to put water in the iron’s tank or water storage container.
Water must be added slowly so that it doesn’t spill out. If you need to, use a measuring cup to fill the tank with water.
Put the iron in a slightly backward tilted position before going into the water. Pour enough water, or as much as the tank says is allowed.
The most important thing to remember when putting water in the iron is to make sure it is not plugged in or dead.
2. Turn on and Set the Temperature
After filling the iron with water, the next step is to turn it on and set the temperature for the type of fabric being ironed.
The iron can’t be used right away after it has been turned on. Wait a few minutes or until the light next to the iron goes out.
3. Turn on the Steam Feature
The next step is to start ironing the clothes using normal ironing motions. Before, you had to turn on the steam feature so that steam would come out of the bottom of the iron on its own.
The strength of the steam blast can be changed depending on what you need or what you’re ironing.
4. Press the Spray Feature for Wrinkled Clothes
If the clothes are not too wet, you can use the spray feature on a steam iron to iron clothes that are too wrinkled or hard to iron. Spray a little water on the surface of the item you want to iron, and then iron it as usual.
5. Put the Iron on a Stand When Not in Use
When you’re not using the steam iron, it’s best to store it standing up or in a vertical position.
Never put a hot iron on a bed or ironing mat with the metal parts facing down or in a sleeping position.
Even more so if the steam iron is turned on. This is done so that the iron won’t burn clothes or ironing tools if it isn’t used for a while.
6. Lower the Temperature and Remove any Remaining water
If you’re done ironing, turn the iron down to its lowest setting. Make sure the iron isn’t plugged into anything to avoid the risk of an electrical short circuit.
The last step is to get rid of the water that is still in the tank. If you don’t get rid of it, it will turn to rust and hurt the parts of the steam iron.
Don’t forget to put the steam iron away in a safe, dry, and cool place where children can’t get to it.
This is a guide on how to use an electric iron and a steam iron the right way. We hope that the information above can help.