Shirts look their best when laundered and pressed by a professional dry cleaner. But if you can't get it to the cleaners, you can do a pretty good job with an iron and a little patience. Give yourself a little extra time so the job is well done and you can make it to that important appoinment or date on time. If you need to wash a cotton dress shirt, wash it in cold water on delicate cycle in the washing machine, or wash it by hand in the sink. Hang it up to dry. The shirt should be almost completely dry before ironing.

Step 1: Prepare ironing board and iron.

First, stand up the ironing board near an electrial outlet. Be sure there is enough slack in the power cord to move the iron freely. Next, follow these steps:
Fill up the iron with water in the designated spout (if it has one). This will help steam press your shirt.


Plug in the iron and set the fabric dial to "Cotton" (or other appropriate setting). Be careful: the further the dial goes to the right, the hotter the iron gets. Irons that are too hot can ruin a shirt. A tag usually found at the back of the collar indicates the type of fabric.


Stand the iron upright so the hot area does not sit on the ironing board. Never leave the iron sitting face down on the board, as it will quickly burn whatever is below it.


Wait a few minutes for the iron to heat up.


Flick a few drops of water onto the bottom of the iron. If it sizzles, it's ready.

Step 2: Strike when the iron is hot!


If your shirt is exceptionally wrinkled, then a small spray bottle of water or special ironing spray may help. Spray the liquid onto the part of the shirt that is about to be ironed.

If the shirt has a button-down collar, unbutton the collar. Then iron these parts of the shirt in order.
Collar - both sides
Sleeves
Back
Front

For best results, iron only one part of the shirt at a time, leaving the rest of shirt to droop of the side of the ironing board. On the collar and cuffs, start at the points and move inward.

Take extra care to iron the seams. They are the hardest to iron but can affect the appearance of the shirt the most.

Step 3: After ironing.

Hang the shirt on a hanger until you are ready to wear it.


Turn the iron off and pull the plug.

Leave the iron sitting upright on the ironing board for 15-20 minutes to cool down. It is then safe to put away.