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Ironing Pants

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-422 -- More Projects »
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Iron with straight back-and-forth strokes. Ironing with a circular motion will cause unnecessary wear on clothes.
TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham points out the best way to iron a pair of pants.
  • To avoid heavily wrinkled pants that will be difficult to iron, shake them out when transferring them from the washer to the dryer. This simple step will tremendously cut down on wrinkles.

  • The best way to iron pants is to start by pressing the waistband. Rotate the top of the pants until the band is ironed all the way around.

  • Next, iron the pockets of pants. To avoid bumps, pull the pockets inside out and lay flat and press.

  • Iron the remaining top area of the pair of pants before placing the pockets back inside the pant.

  • To iron the legs, begin by laying the pants on the ironing board with the seams aligned. Fold back the top leg, and iron the leg underneath. Flip the pants over and repeat.

  • Realign the top leg on the bottom leg. Iron the top leg using steam bursts to make sure the crease sets. Flip the pants over and repeat.

  • If ironing without using steam, it is best to iron pants that are still slightly damp because the moisture on the pants will have a steaming effect and make it easier to remove wrinkles.

  • Add a drop of lavender essential oil to the steam water to add a nice scent to pants while ironing.

  • Always iron using a back-and-forth motion. A circular motion will stretch fabric and wear it down.

  • When creasing pants, normally the crease begins a few inches below the waistline, somewhere between the crotch and the middle of the fly. The crease should run down the center of the pant leg. For pleated pants, begin the crease right where the pleats end.

  • When ironing wool pants, be sure to use a pressing cloth. This will prevent the wool from developing a shine.

  • To iron pleats run over each pleat individually with the warm iron.

  • Hang ironed pants on a wire hanger that has a hard cardboard tube on it. This is the best way to prevent wrinkles.
Also in this Episode
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-422
•Caring for An Ill Person
•Ironing Pants
•Cleaning Bath Fixtures
•Tip of the Day
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