Ironing tips

Which? video guide shows you how to spend less time ironing

When you're faced with a crumpled mountain of ironing, don’t despair. We have plenty of ways to make the whole experience more of a pleasure; or, at the very least, less of a chore.

Our video guide is packed with ironing tips to help you save time on your ironing, from when to use continuous steam to how best to target really stubborn creases.

 

Please enable Javascript to view this video

Link to this video: Embed this video:

Of all the household tasks, ironing is the one many of us dread. It can be time consuming and, even worse, if you get it wrong you risk doing permanent damage to your favourite shirt or dress.

Get an ironing board with thick padding

Which? Best Buy steam irons

But an ironer is only good as their iron, so you could benefit from finding a reliable, efficient model. If you think yours might be past its best, there are plenty of new irons to choose from in our irons review.

A Best Buy steam iron will be fast, but a Best Buy steam generator iron will be even faster. The Lewis Hamiltons of the ironing world, steam generators can flatten the competition thanks to their superior steam production.

Ironing boards

It's also worth taking a closer look at your ironing board. Does it have a lumpy cover that means you're ironing creases into your clothes when you should be smoothing them to perfection? Or is it set at an awkward height?

Our favourite ironing boards are made of mesh and have thick padding, but even these vary considerably. 

Some are better suited to sedentary ironers, others are long and wide enough for bulky bed covers or curtains, or helpfully angled to support the shoulders on shirts or blouses.

Make sure your ironing board suits your needs, or you could be spending longer than you need hunched uncomfortably or struggling to manoeuvre clothing.

For best results, start ironing while your clothes are damp

Ironing tips

When it comes to the ironing itself, timing is of the essence. For best results, get started while your garments are damp. If they’re too wet, you’ll end up with an unmanageable, water-logged heap, and if you leave them too long, the fabric will develop deep creases as it dries. 

For more helpful tips on how to spend less time ironing, take a look at the Which? video guide (above), or see our steam irons review for advice on how to iron a shirt.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to spin the dial on your iron up too high for the fabric: anything synthetic will only suffer as a result. Ironing at the correct temperature is one thing you can't skimp on.