No matter how dapper you look, a wrinkled dress shirt can break even the best of outfits. Unless you belong to the lucky ones that bring their dress shirts to a cleaning service and have someone iron them for you, you will have to bear with this task. It can seem tricky to begin with, but with some proper know-how from Hockerty on how to iron a dress shirt, you will master this skill easily. Therefore, it is time to play your favorite music and let’s get started!
(Note that there are various steps on how to iron your men’s dress shirt, but all of them will lead you to the same amazing result.)
Prepare the iron and ironing board
You do not really need many things to get your favorite shirts back in shape. Have your standard ironing board and iron ready and put a bottle of distilled water (or non-distilled water, if you do not have it) within your reach.
Iron the collar & shoulders
Place the back of your shirt on the ironing board and spread it evenly. Any creases will remain, if you iron them ‘into’ the shirt, so make sure it lays flat. It is very hard to remove them once they are there.
Start slowly ironing the back of your shirt’s open collar from center to sides. Then, re-position your shirt to the oval edge of your ironing board and iron the shoulder area. Always move from center to the sides to press out any creases. It can seem a bit tricky at the beginning, but you will easily get the hold of it with a bit of a practice.
Iron the sleeves
Lay the sleeves on the ironing board and flatten them with your hands. Not pressing too much, start ironing the sleeve moving from top of the arm to the cuffs. Iron the sleeves (one at a time) and repeat on both sleeves. If you accidentally end up with an ironed crease, try using a bit of a steam from the iron to dampen the shirt and iron it once again with moderate pressure. If your iron does not offer a steam function, try sprinkling a tiny amount of water on the sleeve to dampen it.
Iron the front & placket
Place your shirt on the ironing board and lay flat one of front sides. Slowly, start moving the iron from the shirt placket to the hem on the sides of the shirt. Take extra care ironing around the buttons and only use the tip of your iron to flatten the in-between buttons area. Your shirt placket will look neat and crisp if you do this properly.
Iron the back of your shirt
Ironing the back of your shirt wraps up the whole ironing process. Be careful if your shirt has a pleat on the back and double check if the shirt really lays flat not to create any additional wrinkles. Proceed from top of the shirt to the bottom and reposition the shirt frequently to cover all areas.
Hang the perfectly ironed shirt
As soon as the ironing is finished, hang the shirt onto a proper hanger. Fold the collar in half, as if you were to wear it, and close the upper two buttons of the shirt. This will prevent the shirt from creasing in the wardrobe. Let the steam evaporate and your shirt cool down and put it in the wardrobe. Now it is ready for that perfect occasion!
Iron like a pro:
- Keep your iron clean. Clean it with a clean piece of cloth if it leaves dark smudges
- Check the shirt before ironing. Has it been washed properly? Are there any stains on it? Don’t strain yourself with ironing only to find out the shirt has to go back to the washing machine
- Iron the shirt while it is damp. This will help remove the stubborn wrinkles with less effort
We hope we gave you clear instructions on how to iron a men’s dress shirt. Feel like ironing is too much hassle? Try Hockerty’s non-iron or free-wrinkle shirts. Their composition and construction will make them wrinkle-free after hanging them straight from the washing machine. Save time for your loved ones and hobbies and skip the ironing altogether!
If you prefer a visual guide, follow the steps in this video: