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What type of ironing board should I get?

It's all very well having the best iron for the job, but unless you thrive on vertical steaming you'll need an ironing board too.

There are a number of different boards to choose from, but for stability our professional ironer favours a split-bar board rather than one with a bar at the top. There's a variety of materials too; for steaming, manufacturers and professionals alike recommend a mesh board which provides better ventilation.

You'll still need a cover on your board; our ironing pro recommends one with a reflective underside to reflect the heat. However, despite trials of numerous boards and covers, the professionals still suffer from soggy boards after an hour's heavy steaming.

How should I clean my iron?

To clean blocked steam holes, switch the iron off then use a cotton bud to loosen the limescale. It’s always worth keeping a clean soleplate as dirt can transfer to clothes.

Wipe the warm (unplugged) iron with a damp cloth, using a nylon scouring pad and a limescale remover if necessary.

My iron has an anti-calcium cartridge - where can I get replacements and how much will they cost?

Replaceable anti-calcium cartridges are more common in steam generators than steam irons. The frequency with which you'll need to replace them depends upon the hardness of the water in your area and how frequently you iron. 

Replacement cartridges can't normally be found in high-street stores – you'll probably need to ring the customer services phone number of your iron's manufacturer to order a new cartridge. This phone number will be listed in the iron's instruction manual. 

Prices of replacement cartridges also vary. Some come in multiple packs, others can purchased individually. As a guide, you can expect to pay £6 for an individual cartridge or £12 for those sold in packs of three – this price is likely to include postage and packaging.

How should I lift a heavy ironing board?

Ironing boards are cumbersome because of their unwieldy shape, so be practical about storage. 

If yours is kept in a cupboard, don’t obstruct it with clutter. And when lifting it out, hold it close to your body: keep your shoulders in line with your hips so that you're not bending or twisting awkwardly and you shouldn’t hurt your back.

Ironing board height markers make setting up easier

I like to sit down to iron. Why do my shoulders ache?

Sitting while ironing isn’t ideal, as you can find yourself hunching forward. It’s best to iron standing up with your board at navel height. But if you need to sit, try not to bend forward. 

A board with legs that curve away from your knees might help, but they're often better suited to people who iron right-handed because of the position of the iron rest. 

How can I stop fabrics from going shiny?

If you iron a garment with too much pressure, or heat, it can burn the fibres, causing a shiny effect. This is particularly true of synthetic fabrics.

But you shouldn’t have to press down hard on your iron to get a good result. Ironing clothes when they’re damp (or with steam) makes it easier to remove creases, especially on heavy fabrics like denim. This is because the fibres are still ‘open’ and deep creasing has not occurred.

Should I iron clothing straight from the washing machine?

The watchword with ironing is ‘damp’ – ironing clothes when they’re ‘wet’ may scorch the fabric. 

Similarly, you shouldn’t steam iron anything labelled ‘dry clean only’ as it may scorch or burn the fabric, or remove special finishes such as waterproofing.

How should I iron delicates?

Delicate fabrics such as silk should be ironed inside-out on a low heat. A silk that’s mixed with a synthetic fibre, or one that’s not finished properly, may experience differential shrinkage, causing it to ripple when ironed. Use a white cotton press cloth so that your iron’s not in direct contact with the garment.