How to iron silk without ruining it
Content:
Silk is a thin and capricious fabric that requires care and storage conditions. Mistakes that are easy to make when trying to smooth out folds and creases can cause a serious deterioration in its quality and appearance. How to iron silk correctly?
How to iron silk
It should be noted that ironing is a procedure that has a negative impact on silk in general. Moreover, when properly washed and dried, this delicate fabric requires virtually no ironing. At the same time, if things made of natural silk still become wrinkled, it is permissible to iron them, adhering to some important rules.
Natural silk
Start the ironing process until the item is completely dry. It is not recommended to iron dry fabric by moistening it with water from a spray bottle. Using spraying, it will be almost impossible to avoid stains and marks from the soleplate of the iron. You should also not allow the item to dry too much, as it may become stiff and difficult to iron out. Before ironing, you should place a piece of cotton fabric on the ironing board.
What iron temperature setting should you use for clothes made from silk fabrics? Ideally, specifically designed for ironing silk fiber fabrics. If you have an iron with a special silk setting, choose that. Otherwise, you can set the temperature indicator between the “Nylon items” and “Natural wool” marks so that the device does not heat up more than 160 degrees. This is the best indicator for ironing silk. If you are unsure of the selected mode, carefully iron an inconspicuous place on the item from the inside out using a heated iron.
It is not recommended to iron natural silk using the steam function, as this can damage the item and change its shade. You can iron clothes made from this fabric from the inside out or without turning them inside out, but in any case this must be done through a layer of dry gauze or thin cotton fabric. Smoothly move the iron over the surface of the fabric. Avoid holding in one area to avoid damaging the silk.
Sometimes the product may dry unevenly and in some parts of the product, especially near the seams, the fabric may still be damp when ironing. In this case, a metallic sheen may appear on the material. In this situation, it is recommended to wash the item again by hand and dry it naturally to correct the problem.
Rayon
Many people believe that natural silk is a difficult fabric to care for and is very expensive. However, even when using artificial silk, you need to know how to properly iron this fabric, since it also requires special care.
Before you start ironing your chosen item of clothing, you need to look at its label.Some items may only be dry clean, while others may be ironed at low temperatures. The choice of method for tidying up clothes depends on the composition of the particular fabric.
If you want to know how to properly iron a silk garment, take note of the following recommendations:
- Hang the silk item on hangers.
- Place gauze on the surface of the item.
- Place hangers so that the garment is vertical.
- Wait for the iron to warm up, select the desired temperature setting, and set the steam mode.
- Steam the item from all sides, but do not bring the iron too close. Make sure that the iron is at least 5 cm away from the silk fabric.
Advice! This ironing method is suitable and safe for both man-made silk fabrics and “real” silk.
By following these recommendations, you will be able to properly iron garments made from artificial fabrics that imitate silk and keep them looking beautiful. Remember that proper care of silk products will help them maintain their attractiveness and durability.
Alternative methods
Many silk items are so delicate that they require alternative ironing methods. They are too easy to damage when using an iron, so many wearers of such clothes use steam to iron their clothes. The article has already described how to iron a silk item using steam from an iron. But, besides this, there are other methods of ironing with hot steam.
Steam generator
A steam generator is a convenient device for smoothing out wrinkles on clothes without using an iron. Different models of steam generators have their own characteristics.
Typically, usage occurs as follows:
- It is necessary to hang the item on hangers so that it is in a vertical position;
- then you need to turn on the steam generator and set its mode, following the instructions for the specific device;
- The next step is steaming itself. The part of the device from which the steam comes is taken into hand. After this, direct a stream of steam onto the item. In this case, it is important to maintain a distance of several centimeters from the device to the item of clothing; you should not press the steamer against the item. The procedure can be completed when there are no folds left on the item.
The advantages of this method include its convenience, safety for silk fabric and speed of smoothing. The only serious drawback is the need to purchase a steam generator. This is a popular, but still not the most common device that can not be found in every home.
Kettle
Steaming with a kettle is a method that has a significant drawback. Boiling water in a kettle cools down very quickly, and little steam is produced. However, this method can be used to smooth out small items. To do this, you need to boil the kettle so that thick steam emanates from the water inside. After this, you just need to hold the item over the steam for a few seconds. This method can help get rid of wrinkles on a very small item made of silk threads, such as a scarf.
Hot steam from a bath or shower
The method is one of the old time-tested life hacks. It can be used if there is no steam generator at home and ironing is not recommended. In order to use this method, you must:
- Hang the item of clothing that needs steaming on hangers so that it is positioned vertically.
- Hang hangers in the room where the bathtub is located.
- Turn on a hot shower or start running a bath - the most important thing is that thick steam emanates from the water.
- The steam will do all the work - very soon you will notice that the creases on silk clothes are smoothed out.
How to prevent wrinkles
Be that as it may, ironing silk items is not recommended frequently. And some things can be ruined by ironing them incorrectly just once. Therefore, it is easier to prevent the appearance of wrinkles than to solve the problem. What is needed for this:
- Gently wash silk clothes by hand, without twisting them, handling the fabric with care.
- Do not wring it out forcefully - it is better to hang it vertically and wait for the water to drain on its own or lay it out on a perfectly flat surface.
- Do not store dried clothes by folding them on shelves - storage is permissible only on hangers, while dresses and shirts must be straightened.
Is any iron suitable for ironing fabrics made from natural silk threads or their artificial analogues?
– Experts do not recommend ironing items made from similar fabrics using the classical method unless the device has a special mode for silk and its minimum temperature is too high. In this case, it is better to use steam.
How to prevent wrinkles and creases from appearing on things?
– Wash, dry and store as described above. Steam ironing is relatively safe for clothes, but it is still better to prevent wrinkles than to correct them.