Ironing damage is almost always a temperature error. Every fibre has a point at which it stops relaxing and starts melting, scorching or glazing, and the dot system on a care label exists to keep you below it.
The temperature table
| Dots | Max temp | Fabrics | Steam |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 110 °C / 230 °F | Acrylic, nylon, acetate, polypropylene | No — usually dry only |
| Two | 150 °C / 300 °F | Polyester, wool, silk, viscose | Yes, with care |
| Three | 200 °C / 390 °F | Cotton, linen | Yes, freely |
Two practical consequences. First, always start cool and work up — an iron heats quickly and cools slowly, so a mixed pile is ironed synthetics-first. Second, on an unknown fabric, start at one dot and increase only if it is not working.
Fabric by fabric
Cotton and linen
The easiest. High heat, plenty of steam, and — the key detail — iron them slightly damp. Bone-dry linen is extremely difficult to press and easy to scorch; damp linen presses almost effortlessly. Take it off the line just before it is fully dry, or spray it.
Linen creases sharply and permanently. Iron it on the reverse to avoid the shine that high heat produces on the face.
Wool
Never press a hot iron directly onto wool — it flattens the fibre and produces a permanent shine. Use a pressing cloth (a piece of plain cotton) between the iron and the garment, medium heat, and plenty of steam.
Better still: steam rather than press. Hold a steam iron a few centimetres above the fabric and let the steam relax the creases without contact. Wool responds to this better than almost any other fibre.
Silk
Low to medium heat, always on the reverse, and never with steam directly on it — water spots silk and the marks can be permanent. Iron it while slightly damp if it is creased badly, or use a pressing cloth.
Do not spray silk with water to dampen it. Uneven wetting produces rings.
Polyester and synthetics
Low heat, and this is where the melting happens. A polyester shirt under a cotton setting will glaze — develop a permanent shiny patch — in seconds, and glazing cannot be reversed. Iron on the reverse, and consider a steamer instead.
Viscose and rayon
Medium heat, dry iron, on the reverse. Viscose is weak when wet and water-spots easily. Iron it dry rather than damp, which is the opposite of the advice for cotton.
Velvet, corduroy and other pile fabrics
Do not iron flat. Pressure crushes the pile permanently. Steam from the reverse, hanging, and brush the pile back up with a soft brush while it is warm. A needle board is the proper tool if you do this often.
Embellished, printed and coated fabrics
Iron on the reverse, always. Printed graphics, sequins and heat-transfer vinyl melt onto a soleplate and ruin both the garment and the iron.
Technique that makes the difference
- Iron along the grain, not in circles. Circular motion stretches fabric out of shape, particularly on knits.
- Work from small parts to large — collar, cuffs, sleeves, then the body. This way you are not crushing finished sections while doing the fiddly bits.
- Use the point for gathers, plackets and between buttons.
- Hang immediately. Fabric sets as it cools, and a shirt folded warm sets its own creases.
- Keep the board cover taut and clean. A loose, soiled cover transfers marks and makes pressing uneven.
Water and the iron itself
Check the manual before filling with distilled water. It sounds like the obvious choice, but many irons are designed for tap water and their anti-calc systems rely on its mineral content. Others specify distilled. Both exist, and using the wrong one shortens the iron’s life.
Clean the soleplate when it drags. For general residue, a paste of bicarbonate of soda on a cold soleplate, wiped off carefully. For melted synthetic, warm the iron slightly and lift the residue with a wooden scraper — never anything metal.
Run the self-clean or anti-calc function monthly in a hard water area. A scaled iron spits brown water onto the thing you are ironing, usually onto something white.
When a steamer is the better tool
A garment steamer relaxes fibres without contact or pressure. It is better than an iron for:
- Wool and knitwear
- Velvet, corduroy and pile
- Anything embellished
- Structured jackets, where an iron flattens the internal shaping
- Curtains and upholstery in place
What it will not do is produce a crisp crease. Trouser creases, shirt collars and anything tailored need an iron and pressure.
Ironing less
- Take laundry out of the machine immediately — creases set as clothes sit damp under their own weight
- Shake each item hard before hanging. Two seconds, and it removes most of the work
- Hang shirts on hangers to dry rather than pegging them
- Take things out of the dryer slightly damp and hang them to finish
- Do not overload the machine — crushed laundry comes out creased
Common questions
Why does my polyester shirt have a shiny patch?
Glazing — the fibre has partially melted under an iron set too hot. It is permanent and cannot be reversed. Polyester is a two-dot fabric, maximum 150 °C, and it should be ironed on the reverse. A steamer is safer still.
Should I iron cotton damp or dry?
Damp. Bone-dry cotton and especially linen are difficult to press and easy to scorch, while slightly damp fabric presses almost effortlessly. Take it off the line just before it is fully dry, or spray it and let the moisture even out for a minute.
Why should silk never be steamed directly?
Water spots silk, and the marks can be permanent. Iron it on the reverse at low to medium heat with a pressing cloth, and do not spray it to dampen — uneven wetting produces rings that are worse than the creases you were removing.
Distilled or tap water in the iron?
Check the manual, because both designs exist. Many irons are built for tap water and their anti-calc systems rely on its mineral content; others specify distilled. Using the wrong one shortens the iron’s life, and this is one of the few cases where the obvious answer is often wrong.
When is a steamer better than an iron?
For wool, knitwear, velvet and corduroy, anything embellished, and structured jackets where an iron flattens the internal shaping. What a steamer cannot do is produce a crisp crease — trouser creases and shirt collars need an iron and pressure.