It’s important to have a freshly ironed set of clothes, whether you’re heading off to work or meeting someone new. An ironed-out suit or a neatly pressed shirt will let the other person know you’re professional, clean, and presentable. And with the right iron, you can get the job done in no time flat.
However, sometimes you might not have access to an iron, so getting rid of those wrinkles will be difficult. In this article, you’ll learn how to manage to keep the clothes nice and wrinkle-free using a hair straightener. In fact, you’ll learn several other key methods of keeping the clothes in pristine condition in case an iron is just outside of your reach.
How to Iron Clothes Using the Straightener
Hair straighteners come in various shapes and sizes. And depending on which one you have, they will produce a different effect on your clothes. Some of the options include:
- Ceramic flat irons
- Ionic flat irons
- Tourmaline flat irons
- Titanium flat irons
- Wet and dry straighteners
Broadly speaking, though, they all basically work using the same principle. Namely, you place your hair between the two hot, flat surfaces of the straightener, and you slowly pull the whole device downward. In other words, it goes from the root to the ends of your hair. The heat is what makes the hair follicles softer, i.e., easier to shape, or in this case, straighten.
Incidentally, some of the straighteners have wide plates, while others are thin. Keep this information in mind, since both types can come in handy when dealing with clothes.
Now, how can you apply this principle when it comes to ironing your threads? Here’s a simple guide to help you along.
Locating the Ironing Area
In order to iron clothes properly, even with a hair straightener, you will need a nice, wide, flat surface area to put your clothes on. Most people opt for using an ironing board. After all, you can buy them at a reasonable price in most online retail chains, or even at your local store.
Of course, you don’t really need anything more than a flat space to put your shirts or trousers on, so any old table or countertop will do. However, make sure that the surface isn’t flammable. In other words, don’t go through this process on a wooden table; the straightener may not cause a fire just from ironing, but if you leave it on improperly, it will leave burn marks on the surface of the table.
Pre-Cleaning the Plates
Before you do anything with the flat iron, make sure that it’s clean. If there are any specks of dust or grime on it, it may cause combustion. Furthermore, it can also leave nasty traces on your clean clothes that will be difficult to remove later.
Since hair straighteners operate similarly to clothing irons, you can use iron cleaning liquid to get them in the perfect shape. Otherwise, you may opt for regular straightener-appropriate cleaning products, depending on the hot plate material.
Heating the Flat Iron
This part of the process is actually quite crucial. After all, hair straighteners come with several different temperature settings, and not all of them will be appropriate for a particular type of clothing.
The basic rule of thumb when it comes to the right temperature is simple enough. If you’re ironing soft fabrics, such as silk or cotton, use a medium setting. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with something as thick and hard as denim, you’ll want to turn up the heat.
The Actual Ironing Process
As you would do with hair, you’ll need to place the fabric between the two hot flat surfaces of the straightener. We recommend doing the front side of the clothing item first, and then the back. Leave the sides and the corners last.
Start off by slowly and gently pressing the flat iron against the clothing. Then proceed with small and slow wiggles. The process may stretch the fabric, but not too much. In fact, it will stretch roughly the same amount as a regular iron would.
As stated earlier, you’ll want both wide and thin plate straighteners. Use the wide ones for big sections of clothing, such as the area that covers your chest and stomach or your back. When it comes to wrinkles in tight areas, i.e,. between shirt buttons or near the collar, it’s best to use a thin iron.
With some wrinkles, you may need a bit of moisture. We recommend dabbing the section you want to wrinkle with some water and then going at it with the iron. This process will create some steam, giving the clothing a proper straightening.
Hanging the Clothes
As soon as you’re done ironing the clothes, hang them somewhere for a while. This will keep them wrinkle-free until you actually have to wear them. But there’s an additional purpose to this step. Namely, by hanging them, you’ll allow all of the heat from the flat iron to dissipate properly without any damage.
Once you’re done with ironing, make sure to clean the straightener when it cools down. Use a damp cloth and an iron cleaner to remove any potential stains or hair burn marks.
Additional Uses for a Hair Straightener
Aside from ironing clothes, your hair straightener can help you around the house in several important ways. Some of the most creative uses include:
- Sealing food packets for extra freshness
- Melting butter for certain meals
- Pasting fabric stickers on clothes
- Drying wet currency
Other Methods of Ironing Clothes
Not having an iron around the house can be quite an issue, especially since you can use it for more than just ironing clothes. But don’t fret, since there are other methods that will keep those wrinkles away from your outfits.
Firstly, try to use a mixture of white vinegar and water. Spray the wrinkled part of your clothes and then hang them out to dry overnight. If that doesn’t work, hang them in your bathroom while you shower. The steam ought to get the wrinkles out quickly.
Next, you can try rolling your shirts and placing them under a mattress for an hour. Alternatively, moisten a clean towel and lightly pat the wrinkled area with it. Of course, if you happen to own a hot pot, you can try filling it with hot water and pressing it onto your clothes, like a little makeshift iron.
If all else fails, you can always use a hair dryer to straighten your wrinkled outfits. It will take a bit of time, but it’ll ultimately get the job done.
Ironing With a Hair Straightener Summed Up
Obviously, if you can get your hands on a proper clothing iron, we recommend doing so. But it’s always good to have an alternative solution when it comes to ironing clothes. And if you need one that’s effective 99% of the time, then hair straighteners are the way to go.
