It is something people ask a lot.
When it comes to ironing a pile of shirts do you waste hours slaving away, or can you rustle up a freshly ironed shirt in no time?
Ironing clothes is still essential if you want to look the part. An un-ironed shirt is the quickest and clearest display of lack of attention to detail. If you turned up to a job interview what would your prospective employer’s lasting impression be of your appearance.
But, judging by research, young professional men, are not as fastidious over ironing as previous generations. To attain respect and exude authority, one has to dress the part! As demonstrated by the suave and stylish Jordan Belfort, played by the actor Leonardo di Caprio, in the film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. Belfort dressed immaculately with crisp fresh shirts during the early part of his career which, combined with his confidence, led him to achieve big things.
Sending your ironing out, tends to be a rather costly option. Plus, usually in the early years of a career, dining out with friends has more advantages and pleasure, in terms of a luxury expense. Ironing your own shirts with a bit of practice can be a 2 minute a garment job, and is something you can easily do, whilst watching the television, or listening to a podcast. So it’s well worth investing the time in getting good at it.
So…what is the right way to iron a shirt?
Some might say to start with the shoulders, back, front, and sleeves, finishing with the cuffs and the collar; others suggest starting with the collar, then the front, back, sleeves and cuffs. Then there will be the corner cutters who only iron what can be seen by others – the collar, cuffs and front!
To give you that super crisp professional look, I personally start with the back, then on to sleeves, then sides, and finish with the inside of the collar before popping it on a hanger. It is useful to button up the top so it sits nicely on the hanger. But many people opt for a different way around.
Spray starch is a useful cupboard item to help give that *Distinctive* crisp look if you are attending an important meeting or dinner and it also helps repel dirt and stains.
Beware when setting the temperature of your steam iron. Too hot and it may be a risk of burning – not hot enough, and you won’t budge those stubborn creases. Always remember to start with the shirt ever so slightly damp. After washing with Distinctive, I tend to hang wet shirts on the line upside down. And, if they are air dried over the winter, putting them straight on a hanger saves a lot of effort. Never ever iron a stain on a shirt – as you will ‘set’ it in with the heat.
When ironing shirts, it’s proven to be best to do them in batches to make the job worthwhile. Setting up the ironing board and waiting for the iron to reach the correct temperature can take a minute or two.
Now I bet there are a few of you that deliberately look for the ‘non iron’ shirts in order to save time, but in fact this isn’t necessarily the best option. Fabrics with be synthetic, or have chemical coatings which do not breathe as well as cotton, making them a ‘sweaty’ option in heat or when you are a tad nervous on date night. All non-iron shirts will require a light iron from time to time, to ensure they stay looking smart. 
The big question… Is there a right way to iron a shirt?
Well having heard feedback from all our laundry customers we really don’t believe there is a right and wrong way. We often carry on with the method our mothers taught us, and that seems to be the way we all iron best! Habits are hard to break.
Use offer code Take5 for £5 off any of our products in the store.
It makes ironing an amazing experience when your dried washing smells so good.
Don’t forget to share your laundry tips and techniques on the Distinctive Facebook and Twitter! And don’t forget to teach sons and daughters how to iron!
