Is it possible to iron wet things with an iron? What to do in an emergency
What about wet things, is ironing contraindicated for them? Ironing wet things is unsafe: some types of threads, such as silk, quickly become thinner and break due to such aggressive drying.
Is it possible to iron wet things, why not?
Wet items made from any material do not tolerate a hot iron well. It is better to first dry the product a little using other methods, and then iron it through a protective layer of gauze.
Why is “drying” with an iron dangerous for different fabrics:
- Natural silk will definitely become unusable. Thin natural threads become thinner and tear, the material loses its smoothness and presentable appearance.
- Cotton is always ironed slightly damp and with the moistening/steaming function, but the iron easily stretches wet fabric. Cotton bed linen will lose strength and softness from aggressive drying with an iron.
- Thick linen can be ironed while wet, but first, wring it out and shake it well, and be sure to use a protective mesh/gauze.
- Gently iron corduroy items when wet. In principle, fleecy fabrics should be under-dried; splashing them with water and using an iron to dampen them is not recommended - stains will remain. But they are ironed not wet, but well wrung out.
- Artificial silk is dried with an iron at low temperatures and only from the inside out.
Laundries have provided quick drying and ironing: there, wet laundry is pulled onto a heated cylinder. Thus, both drying and ironing occur simultaneously.But this cannot be repeated at home, so tricks are used.
Advice from purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine
A drying machine will save the housewife from garlands of drying clothes, dampness in the room and constant “drying” with an iron. The device quickly removes moisture from various types of clothing, shoes and linen. Modern units are so delicate that they do not even harm lace.
How to stroke something wet
If in an emergency you need to urgently dry wet clothes or linen, then calm down and put the iron aside. First you need to dry the item. This is done using a hair dryer, radiator, heated towel rail (it is recommended to hang the laundry on top of another fabric, such as a cotton towel) or a special machine drying function.
Be careful here too: Not all fabrics are allowed to dry quickly. If the item is dear to you, then look for an alternative option in the closet and let it dry properly.
When you have dried the product, proceed to ironing. You will need a protective net for the iron or a piece of gauze folded in 2-3 layers. There is no need to moisten the mesh, since the clothing itself contains a sufficient amount of moisture.
Iron a wet item only from the wrong side! And place a dense hygroscopic fabric under the product to speed up the evaporation of water.
On the iron, select the mode without humidification and steaming - there is no need for excess moisture. Do not forget about the recommended ironing temperatures for the material. A device that is too hot may stretch the fabric or otherwise deform it. For white cotton, maximum temperatures are set, for synthetics and cotton knitwear, average temperatures, for silk and other delicate fabrics - minimum temperatures.
Advice
It is better not to iron damp things in the usual sense, but to lightly press them with the sole of the iron.The fabric will “hover.” Gradually move the iron over the entire product. And sliding the platform on a wet surface will inevitably cause stretching.
An ironed item will most likely remain a little damp. Do not fold it or put it in the closet, but let it dry.
Speed up the drying process with an iron only if absolutely necessary, do not overuse this method. Better calculate your washing cycles so that your home always has clean and dry clothes.
Somehow I urgently needed to dry my T-shirt. I decided to do it with an iron.
I set it to maximum and stroked it. As a result, the T-shirt stretched. If I suddenly have to iron a wet T-shirt again, I’ll try to do it taking into account the tips from the article.