Brits should follow 1 rule when ironing clothes or risk consequences

While most Brits may not relish the task, it’s safe to say that owning an iron is a commonality. After all, no one wants their attire to be marred by creases or wrinkles.

However, you might be surprised to learn that you could be ironing incorrectly, and the consequences can be quite severe. This issue was recently highlighted on TikTok when a woman shared her disastrous experience with an ironing mishap. In the video, she confessed to feeling “stupid” for not heeding expert advice before undertaking the task, and it appears there are certain things one needs to know before tackling the ironing.

Abby Szydlik lamented: “Am I stupid? This is my shirt that I just tried to iron, and now my shirt is attached to my iron. That is my shirt – hole.

“Literally, I put it on there to try to iron it, but what the heck? It literally just destroyed this shirt. It’s so wrinkled, as you can see. Can you not iron this type of material?

“Is this common knowledge? Somebody please let me know. How do I get this off my iron? It is fused. My poor shirt.”

In the video, Abby humorously recounted how she quickly unplugged her iron upon realising something was amiss, managing to see the funny side of the mishap. Yet, viewers were swift to highlight the potential hazards of ironing, offering their advice in the comments section.

One viewer cautioned: “You have to read the material tags. Also, irons have settings.” Another chimed in with a personal preference, adding: “That’s why I don’t buy cheap polyester.”

A third commenter reminded everyone: “It’s a synthetic material, remember that rayon, nylon, polyester etc are essentially made of spun plastic. So, yes, they melt if you iron them. We have a steamer, and that’s much safer.”

Adding to the conversation, another person pointed out: “Why are people being so rude like they’ve never made an error in their life? I will say, I prefer my steamer over an iron though. Maybe that’ll help with that material.”

Despite the ease with which anyone can slip up, it’s crucial to be informed about the dos and don’ts of ironing. Love2Laundry, a London-based laundry service, has even dispensed some vital tips on its website.

Their guidance states: “Ironing is the most popular method that people use to get rid of creases in their clothing once it’s been washed. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s the best method out there for all garment types.

“Ironing is not always bad for your clothes if it’s done right, but things can easily go wrong. Overall, we would recommend keeping ironing to a minimum where you can, and use other methods of getting rid of creases wherever possible.

“By ironing your garments, you are likely to shorten their lifespan. This may not always be the case if you know what settings to use and which fabrics to avoid.

“Depending on the type of fabric you iron, you can ‘burn’ the material, which will cause discolouration, shrink the fibres, or even melt the fabric if it is synthetic. After spending the money you did on such delicate fabrics, the threat of an iron is one that most people should seek to avoid.”

Regarding materials you should steer clear of pressing, fabrics such as Lycra or spandex are absolute no-gos as these synthetic materials will melt under heat. Polyester presents similar risks, being prone to melting when exposed to iron temperatures, making it another synthetic to avoid.

Fortunately, these three materials rarely require pressing anyway, as they seldom develop wrinkles. Additional fabrics that should be kept away from irons include cashmere, wool, silk, corduroy and velvet.

Whilst some of these textiles might tolerate low or cool iron settings, it’s advisable to bypass ironing altogether and employ alternative crease-removal techniques.

In most instances, specialists suggest using a steamer to tackle wrinkles in these delicate materials. Alternatively, you can mist certain items with water and allow them to air-dry naturally.