Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

How to Iron a Shirt in 3 Minutes

psugrad98

One of the Regulars
Messages
100
Location
Pennsylvania
I can iron a shirt faster. I have my wife do it. :)

Seriously, though, when I iron. I don't iron the sleeves too heavily if at all. I always wear my shirts with suit jackets or sport coat, and they get wrinkly and are rarely seen.
 

WideBrimm

A-List Customer
Messages
476
Location
Aurora, Colorado
It's a pretty good instructional video for ironing a shirt. And of course there's probably not much variation in steps to ironing a shirt. But three minutes? I say at least ten minutes to get it right. :D
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
. A three minute ironing job is gonna look like crap.It takes me over twenty minutes but I'm fussy.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
I use the Kabbaz method; actually I skip a few steps as the full program would take near thirty minutes.


1.Press cuffs open flat, first on the inside, then lightly on the outside. S-t-r-e-t-c-h tightly while pressing. Be gentle with the corners of the cuffs. Try not to catch them in the steam holes on the iron as this is a major cause of premature fraying.

2.Press the sleeves' plackets. Button their button. Then: Button Cuffs Button the button of the previously pressed cuff. Using your hands, shape the cuffs into a circle. Do not crease button cuffs. French Cuffs Fold and, if desired, press in the fold, carefully matching the link holes. Shape with your hand to a circular shape. Secure circle with a plastic stud or white plastic twist-tie.

3.Holding the sleeve at the seam side(under the arm) grasp seam at
underarm and cuff ends. Shake the sleeve out and lay flat on the pressing table with the seam near you. Place the point of the iron on the seam at the cuff end. Holding the seam at the underarm, stretch very tightly and press the seam flat with no puckers. Holding the seam with one hand, smooth the sleeve away from you, removing all wrinkles from both top and bottom layers. Repeat this smoothing motion using the iron. Continue right off the sleeve, pressing in the crease at the top of the sleeve. Press in the pleats, if any, at the cuff end. One should match the top-of-sleeve crease.

4.Place left hand just inside the left armhole and use the right to grasp the
shirt at the hem where the left front and back join. Shake out and lay flat on the table. Press this side seam flat while stretching. On the inside of the rear armhole, press flat the seam which joins the sleeve to the shirt body. Do not stretch this seam too tightly. Repeat for the other side, reversing your hands.

5.Lay the top center front (buttonhole side) face down on the table. Holding the top with your hand and the hem with the iron, stretch very tightly and press heavily twice. Repeat for the button side, pressing around the buttons. Turn each side face up and repress. Do not press the buttons as they can break.

6.Hold the button side of the front at hem and collar. Shake out and lay face
down. Press on the inside, paying particular attention to the top area where the collar, yoke, and front join together. Repeat for the buttonhole side.

7.Press the shirt yokes on the inside. Then, using the point of the ironing board or corner of the table, press flat on the outside.

8.Lay the shirt on its back, wrong side up. Press the back with steam. If there are darts, press them towards the side seams.

9.Lay the collar band, inside up, flat on the table. Stretching very, very tightly,
press from buttonhole to button. Turn over and repeat. Then press the underside of the collar, again stretching tightly. Do not have the iron on the band and collar at the same time.

10.Turn over and press lightly on the top side of the collar. Do not catch the
collar points in the steam holes, again a major cause of fraying. Now fold down the collar over the band on the stitchline and press in the crease as heavily as you can.

11.Press the fronts again, this time lightly on the outside. Put in the collar stays and hang the shirt on a hanger. Button all of the buttons on the front of the shirt.
 

Flat Foot Floey

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,220
Location
Germany
Do you iron sharp creases in the arms of your shirt? I always try to avoid that. Means I don't iron to the edge but move the fabric and only iron in the middle. Well on the under side there is a seam, so no problem[huh]

I really ask because I don't know...
 

Hercule

Practically Family
Messages
953
Location
Western Reserve (Cleveland)
Three minutes (at most) seems about right for me, even using spray starch, though I usually skip ironing the yoke separately and catch what I can when I do the back side. For me the secret to a great ironing job is a heavy iron and lots of steam.
 

Foofoogal

Banned
Messages
4,884
Location
Vintage Land
Oh my stars. That video made me nervous as he just flat was not doing it the way I do and I iron both sides of the sleeves.
I iron a shirt every day for honey and make coffee. I don't like the way the cleaners do them.

I iron the collar inside first, then the right front, move to back and then left front. Then the shoulders and the back
top. Then the sleeve top, back and then cuffs. Then move to next sleeve and do the same.
Never timed myself but will. I do think under 2 minutes though. I love ironing and sometimes on rainy days or cold I will iron like a maniac.

Oh and one word. Rowenta.
 
Last edited:

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
I think a lot of you with low times would have a much higher time if you actually put a clock on it. ;)
 

Qirrel

Practically Family
Messages
590
Location
The suburbs of Oslo, Norway
I find that doing the whole "Kabbaz method" takes too much time and is mostly unnecessary (for me). I often wear waistcoats, and then i skip ironing the yoke, side seams and back of my shirts.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,645
Messages
3,085,619
Members
54,471
Latest member
rakib
Top