How to Iron Your Dress Shirt

There is no shame in admitting that you don’t know how to iron a dress shirt properly. In fact, most people don’t.

Ironing your dress shirts may not be one of the great joys in life; it’s more like a necessary evil.

Sure, it isn’t any fun, but you’ll regret it if you try to head out in wrinkled clothing.

So set up your ironing board in a nice spot in your home, with some entertainment handy.

Listen to your latest podcast or watch the newest episode of your favorite show while doing your chore.

And if you take your time with the task of ironing, you’ll be rewarded with beautifully crisp dress shirts.

Before You Start to Iron Your Shirt

Before you take any steps toward ironing your dress shirts, you always need to read the label for each shirt.

You’ll find several clues right on there on how to care for this particular shirt.

But, most importantly, you’ll discover what type of fabric your shirt is made from, which dictates how hot your iron should (or shouldn’t) be.

Be sure you invest in a good iron. Don’t just grab the least expensive one on the shelf; you’ll need to spend upwards of $20 to have one that performs all the tasks an iron should.

For example, invest in a quality iron with high heat and steam capacity. You won’t regret anything that makes ironing less of a chore.

Things You’ll Need

The right tools make all the difference between a painful chore and a simple one. If your tools don’t make your life easier, they aren’t worth anything. Invest in yourself.

To make ironing less of a hassle each time you do it, store all of our items conveniently together.

That way, your setup and breakdown will be super quick, helping you finish your chore that much faster.

To get the task done quickly and efficiently, you will need the following:

• Iron
• Ironing board
• Spray bottle
• Tap water
• A light-colored towel
• Spray starch (optional)

Preparing the Iron

Fill the iron’s reservoir with tap water. You don’t need to use special distilled water unless you have hard water.

The mineral deposits can clog your steamer and iron plate. In that case, dilute your tap water with some distilled water.

Adjusting the Iron Settings to Dress Shirt Material

Most dress shirts are made from cotton; it’s the most popular and hardy material for this garment. You need to set your iron on a high heat setting to get your cotton dress shirt looking crisp.

However, don’t just assume that your dress shirt is cotton. Some materials can’t take high heat. Fabrics like polyester, wool, and silk require a lower heat setting, or else they may burn.

Check the label for its material construction and special care instruction. Your shirt tag may even tell you precisely what iron setting to use.

Spraying the Shirt with Water

Those stubborn creases melt away much more easily when a fabric is damp. The water softens up the material, making it more pliable and easier for the heat to manipulate.

Just use tap water and mist it over your shirt. The result will be a crisper finish than if you didn’t use water.

You don’t want to soak your shirt, however! That would invite burn marks from your iron. Thus, you only need a light misting.

How to Iron Your Dress Shirt: Step-by-Step

Now that your ironing board and tools are set up, you’re ready to go!

But, before you jump right in, consider the best approach for tackling that dress shirt in front of you.

First, be smart about how you go about ironing each section; you don’t want to ruin all your hard work by getting parts wrinkled again.

But, on the other hand, if you are careful as you move on to each area of your dress shirt and work in a particular order, you’ll reduce your risk of re-creasing what you’ve already ironed.

Ironing the Dress Shirt’s Collar

The first step to ironing your collar is to remove any stays that may be there and set them aside. If your shirt has buttons instead of stays, unbutton your collar.

Next, open up the collar and flip it up so that it forms an unfolded continuation of your dress shirt. Finally, spread it flat on the ironing board.

Your collar should be well-dampened. After spraying it, allow the moisture to soak in for about 30 seconds.

Move your iron over the underside of the collar, going slowly from one side to the other. You’ll need to press down while you move the iron, not just lightly gliding it across the fabric.

Once you’ve completed the underside, flip the garment over and repeat the ironing process from the other side.

If you find that some stubborn wrinkles are refusing to disappear, try to at least press them into the underside of the fabric, where they’ll be less noticeable.

If you like your collar to have a sharp crease at the front, your final step will be to fold down your shirt collar and iron the front while it’s folded. However, many people skip this step.

Ironing the Shirt’s Front

Start on your shirt front on the side with the buttons.

Position your dress shirt on the ironing board with the narrow end of your board firmly fitted inside the shoulder of your dress shirt. The front panel of your shirt should be smooth against the board.

Start by gently working your iron around the strip of fabric with the buttons. Next, work the tip of your iron between each button and around them, but never over them.

After you’ve completed ironing the button panel, position your iron at the top of your shirt at the shoulder.

Next, move the iron down the entire length of your dress shirt, smoothing out the fabric as you go. This will require a couple of passes from the top down to the bottom.

Time to switch sides. If you have a shirt placket, flip your shirt over and press the placket from underneath with the tip of your iron.

Then, turn your shirt back over and iron over the top of the placket, moving from the top down to the hem, pressing hard to smooth it. You may need to go over this area a few extra times for insurance.

Stretch the shirt over the ironing board so that it’s pulled taut. Slide the tapered end of the board into the shoulder pocket again.

Repeat the process from the other side, working from top to bottom.

If your dress shirt has a pocket, run the iron carefully over that area from the bottom up, taking care not to press a wrinkle into the pocket or snag the opening.

The pointy tip of your iron is excellent for tight spots around the front of your collar, where the entire iron is too large to fit.

Flip the Shirt and Iron the Back

Leaving the shirt unbuttoned, slide it over the board again, this time with the back facing up. Start with one shoulder draped over the tapered end of the board, again.

Run the iron down the dress shirt from top to bottom. It is helpful to pull the fabric taut from the bottom as you go, keeping the material smooth for your iron.

If you encounter any tricky or unresponsive creases, add a bit more water.

When you’ve completed the entire length of the shirt that’s laid out on your board, move the shirt over to work on the other half.

Work gently around pleats if your shirt has them, either in the center or at the shoulder blades. Get as close as you can to the folds without pressing the area into a wrinkle.

Iron the Dress Shirt’s Sleeves and Cuffs

Lay one sleeve down on the length of the ironing board. Moreover, lay it so that the sleeve is folded along the seam that runs under the arm.

Take a moment to smooth the fabric with both hands. Working out any bumps or folds in the material will ensure you don’t inadvertently iron in some new wrinkles.

Begin ironing in the area by the armpit. Next, work your iron down the sleeve toward the other end.

If you want your shirt to have a strong crease at the top of your sleeve, iron over the sleeve edge opposite the seam.

But you need to be sure that the sleeve is folded in a straight line first; otherwise, you’ll look askew. If you don’t want to mess with a top crease, don’t run the iron over the edge; just near it.

To iron your shirt’s cuffs, open all the buttons. Don’t overlook the ones on the wrists, not just the cuffs.

Spread the cuff open, with the inside exposed. Iron across this band, using the tip of the iron. It will fit there much easier than the entire iron.

Flip the cuff over and iron from the other side in the same fashion. Again, remember to be mindful of the buttons! You don’t want to sew any back on if you get overzealous with the iron.

Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut with your shirt’s sleeves; you’ll need to iron each one individually.

What to Keep in Mind

The more practice you get with ironing your dress shirts, the better you will be. The faster you will move, too!

Soon it will feel like second nature moving through each step. But until then, remember a few key areas each time you pull out your iron.

Dress Shirt’s Fabric Type

The material that your dress shirt is made from is critical in how you care for it.

As I said earlier, cotton is incredibly popular for dress shirts. People flock to cotton because it’s highly breathable and comfortable.

It’s also super durable, making it a breeze to care for. It wrinkles easily, but it is also easy to iron and can withstand high heat.

Dress shirts made from a blend of materials may be more challenging to care for.

They may not be designed to survive direct high temperatures from an iron, and some fabrics are even very sensitive to lower heat temps.

As a result, you may want to place a towel on top of some materials instead of directly laying the iron.

Iron Only Around the Dress Shirt’s Buttons

The buttons on a dress shirt are a delicate area. Never run a hot iron over the buttons; it would be terrible if you inadvertently melted part of your shirt’s buttons.

You also would risk snagging the edge of one of the buttons and ripping it off.

Likewise, move the iron very slowly and gently around each button. If you hit the button too hard or forcefully, you may find yourself fetching a needle and thread before you can wear the shirt again.

Dress Shirt Must be Clean Before You Iron

Before you take the time to iron your dress shirt, give it a good check to make sure it’s clean.

If you notice any spots or rings around the collar and cuffs, toss them in the washing machine.

You may not even need to put it through the dryer cycle. Some people like to iron their dress shirts while still damp from the wash.

This would serve the same purpose as spraying your shirt with water before you iron. However, your shirt can’t be soaking wet. Your iron will be pretty useless against a sodden garment.

Using Steam Provides Life Into Fabrics

Steam is your best friend when you are ironing. When you direct steam onto your fabric, the warm moisture infuses deep into the shirt’s fibers, helping to loosen them up.

Then, when you apply the heat and pressure of the iron, your fabric is more pliable and is willing to take the shape you need.

Steam also encourages evaporation, so your garment won’t feel wet when you finish ironing. You can wear it immediately, no waiting for drying time!