5 ways to make ironing easier

If you don't have the time or energy to tackle your ironing pile, don't despair. Understanding how to iron properly can help you get the job done much more quickly. 

Whether ironing leaves you steaming mad, or you're someone who finds it relaxing and therapeutic, read on for tips to make it easier. 

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1. Make sure you're using a good iron

While you might not want to splash out on an iron, it is worth buying a decent one. A steamier iron will smooth away creases easily, while a poorer model will require a lot more effort. 

The very best steam irons, those that earn our Best Buy recommendations, start at £25. Our Great Value steam irons, which marry good performance with a lower than average price, start at £18.  

Higher-end models may come with useful features like automatic shut-off, which turns the iron off when it's left stationary for a set time as an extra safety measure. 

It's also important to take care of your iron, boring though it might sound. Descale it as often as the manufacturer recommends to avoid limescale building up and limiting steam flow. And clean the soleplate with a soft cloth. Don't scrub away at the soleplate or you could scratch it, which could lead to it snagging on your clothing.

Browse all our steam iron reviews to find the right model for you. Use the Great Value filter to find those that cost less, but still perform well.  

2. Hang your clothes swiftly after washing them

Cut down on ironing (and potentially eliminate the need to iron some items at all) by hanging your clothes immediately after taking them out of the washing machine or tumble dryer, before they have time to develop wrinkles. 

Just be mindful of 'hanger bumps' if hanging up wet clothes – these are bumps at the shoulder of a garment where the weight of the clothing presses into the edge of the hanger. To help avoid this, make sure your hangers fit the clothing item appropriately. They should come close to the shoulder edge to help stop the garment pulling, and a wider hanger is usually better. 

How to care for your garments: discover useful washing machine programs and which ones you should use for wool, polyester and other fabrics

3. Buy a good ironing board

While some people do resort to making makeshift ironing board at home (make sure you use an appropriate, safe surface if you need to do so), you won't get the best results without a proper one. 

A good ironing board provides a stable, smooth surface, which allows the iron to glide over clothes, resulting in wrinkle-free garments.

We've spent hours testing different ironing boards so that you don't have to, and can tell you which ones are more stable, easier to fold and more adjustable than others. 

For a decent ironing board, you usually need to spend at least £30.

You can also buy small table-top ironing boards, which could be useful if you live in a small space, although we haven't tested these as they're not as common.

Our experts put full-sized ironing boards through a range of tests to find the best ironing boards

4. Learn how to iron your clothes properly

Many people don't realise there are specific techniques to follow when ironing. For instance, avoid wiggling the iron, as this can stretch your clothes; stick to straight strokes instead. Also, make use of the water spray button, a common feature on most irons that makes clothes easier to smooth out.

For an extra-crisp finish, try using a starch spray. You can make your own by dissolving one tablespoon of cornflour in two cups of water and then spraying it on your garment a few seconds before ironing. This not only helps achieve a fresher look but also helps keep your iron soleplate clean.

Ironing mistakes to avoid

• Using the same temperature for everything There's a reason clothes have laundry labels. Make sure you shift to the correct temperature when ironing, unless your iron automatically adjusts based on the material. 
• Not turning clothes inside out Have you ever noticed a slight sheen on your clothes after ironing? That can be caused by excess heat. To avoid this, turn your clothes inside out before ironing. If your clothes typically go into your laundry basket and washing machine inside out, don't bother turning them the right way round before hanging. 
• Letting large items hang over the sides of your ironing board and get wrinkled all over again If you're ironing large items such as curtains or tablecloths, try setting up a couple of chairs next to your ironing board. This way, once you've finished ironing one section of a large item, you can simply place it gently onto the chairs while you move onto the next section. 

Find out more about how to iron – including a video on the best way to iron a shirt

5. Buy a garment steamer instead of an iron

If the main barrier to you ironing is the effort or physical strength required to set up an ironing board, you could buy a garment steamer, also known as a clothes steamer. These are handheld devices, designed to give clothes a quick refresh when they're lightly crumpled. 

A garment steamer won't give you a crisp, pressed finish, but it will still improve the appearance of crumpled clothes. It can also be a better choice for some delicate fabrics like silk. If you buy a sufficiently lightweight garment steamer, you may be able to take it away with you if need be: for example, if you're going to an event such as a wedding, and your accommodation can't supply an iron. 

The average price of the garment steamers we've tested is £52. You can also buy pricier, upright models (the type you may have seen staff using in clothes shops). These are designed to offer professional results at home, but we don't test these as the smaller ones tend to be much more popular. 

Find the best garment steamer according to our tests

Should you stop ironing your clothes?

The easiest way to cut down on ironing is to avoid it altogether. A survey of Which? members conducted in April 2024 found that 26% of respondents don't iron because they simply don't like it.

A 2023 survey by Lakeland found that 30% of people aged between 18 and 24 don't own an iron and never iron their clothes at all, the main reason being that 'their clothes didn't need ironing'.  

If you've read our advice above and still have zero intention of ironing, choose fabrics in wool, nylon or acrylic, which are less likely to crease.

Alternatively, you could consider innovative appliances such as washing machines with pre-ironing programs, or even automated ironing machines. To find out if these innovations are as good as they sound, read 'The future of ironing: has this unpopular chore run out of steam?'.