The correct technique for how to iron pants will ensure they're ready to wear, especially during important occasions and events in your life. Learning how to iron pants might seem straightforward, but any missed spots or remaining creases might completely ruin your look on that special day.
How to Iron Pants - The Right Steps
Ironing pants can be a daunting task since you need to be thorough and careful to ensure they’re free of wrinkles and folds while preventing any damages. Although you’ll find wrinkle-free types of pants today, you probably have plenty of pairs made of material, such as cotton, linen, nylon, and denim, that will look best when ironed.
Step 1 - Preparation
To ensure everything is prepared before the actual ironing process, there are two main steps you need to take, and they are:
- Check Your Pants
- Set Up Your Tools
Check Your Pants
One of the secrets for how to iron pants correctly is to make sure they’re free of stains and dirt that can worsen or permanently stain in the presence of heat. You must also check your pants’ tag or laundry symbols to see if they’re safe to iron and the recommended iron settings. Check the pockets and ensure they are empty.
Set Up Your Tools
The ironing board is a tool that will make it easier and more convenient to smooth wrinkles and folds away. Set it up near an electric outlet and at a height comfortable to you. Also, make sure you lock the legs securely to ensure your safety while doing the task.
A flat, clean surface, like a table, can work if you don’t have an ironing board. Either way, cover it with a fire-resistant piece of white cloth.
If you use a steam iron, which is preferable since steam helps eliminate creases, wrinkles, folds more quickly, fill its water tank with the recommended amount of water. Next, turn your iron on and set it to the right temperature or setting meant for the fabric your pants are made from. When the iron is ready or reached the right temperature, turn the steamer function on.
FURTHER READING: Pressing Tools
Step 2 - Turn Your Pants Inside Out
This step is optional, but it’s best to do so, especially for colored and delicate fabrics. Heat can lead to quicker color fading and may also leave shiny marks on the fabric.
Step 3 - Remove Folds and Wrinkles
Removing wrinkles and folds from your pants requires that you don’t push the iron along the fabric. The best way how to iron pants is to lay the whole iron base on the fabric for two to three seconds, lift it, lay it flat on the next area, and then repeat until you’re done ironing.
With that said, the best technique for how to iron pants also includes ironing one part of the pants before proceeding to the next. Be systematic and iron from top to bottom.
How to Iron Pants Pocket Linings
The pocket linings are often forgotten but if they are wrinkled, they can be seen through the pants’ fabric. This is especially true for slacks.
How to iron pants pocket linings:
- Turn the pants to the wrong side.
- If your pockets are made from a synthetic fabric, use a pressing cloth in between to prevent melting or scorching. Alternatively, turn the iron down in temperature and wait for it to cool.
- Lay the pocket lining flat on the ironing board and gently press the hot iron on it. Do this on both the front and back linings.
- Allow the ironed pockets to cool down by leaving them untouched for at least five minutes.
How to Iron Pants Waistband, Rise, and Seat
For these parts of the pants, following these steps on how to iron pants wasitband, rise and seat:
- Unzip and/or unbutton the pants and then slip your pants' waistband and whole top section around the board’s narrow end. Ensure the fly is facing your floor.
- Start ironing the waistband’s middle area, following the technique mentioned earlier, and then move to the next part of the waistband. Repeat until you are done with the whole waistband.
- Proceed to iron your pants’ seat, from the top (below the waist) to the bottom. If there are visible wrinkles and folds, press your iron’s steam button to expose them to a higher amount of moist heat.
- Once done, remove the pants from the ironing board, and then pull and gently stretch the waistband.
- Slip your pants’ top section around the board’s narrow end, but this time, the fly should be facing you. Start ironing from the middle, using the same technique of how to iron pants’ waistbands as earlier.
- When you’re done with the waistband, zip or button up the pants and work on the rise. Use the same technique as to how you ironed your pants’ seat.
How to Iron Pants Legs
The best way on how to iron pants’ legs is to work on one leg at a time.
- Lay one of the pant legs flat on the ironing board, being careful not to wrinkle or fold the already ironed parts. You must also ensure that the leg is parallel with the board.
- Iron it from the bottom to the top (crotch area), using the bottom edge of the pocket lining as your guide as to where to stop.
- If there are visible wrinkles and folds, press your iron’s steam button to expose them to a higher amount of moist heat.
- You must also work on the pants' seams by pressing the iron’s tip on top of the seams and moving the iron from bottom to top.
- You can flip the leg over and iron it using the same technique.
- Repeat the whole process on the other leg.
How to Iron Pants Leg Crease
Some of you might want to wear pants with creases or have pants that are already creased for added style or a more professional look. This is usually common on dress pants or slacks.
How to iron pants leg creases:
- Lay one of the pants’ legs flat on the ironing board, and then fold it lengthwise in the center. The inseams should be aligned properly to ensure you create a smooth and straight crease.
- Iron the fold, beginning at the bottom of the pants and ending at the bottom end of the pocket.
- Work on the other leg by following the same steps.
Step 4 - Let Your Pants and Iron Cool Down
Unplug your iron and leave it to cool down. Next, lay the ironed plants on a clean, flat surface and leave them untouched for two to five minutes to allow them to cool.
Folding or hanging the pants while they’re warm can lead to wrinkles and unnecessary creases. On the other hand, if you wear them immediately, the warm or hot fabric can burn your skin.
Step 5 - Clean Up
Once your iron is cool, remove the water tank and drain the water. Let the tank dry before putting it back in the cupboard. It’s also best to clean the iron’s soleplate using a clean piece of white cloth or paper towel. (how to clean an iron)
Step 6 - Store Your Pants
When your ironed pants cooled down, you have two options on how to store them: hanging or folding. Whichever you choose depends on your preference, but hanging them is highly recommended.
Hanging
If you’re using a coat hanger with clips, all you have to do is clip both ends of the waistband. Alternatively, if you’ll use standard hangers, use the fly as a guide to vertically fold the pants in half. If your pants have a leg crease in the middle, fold the pants by following the crease.
Next, slowly insert the folded pants into the hanger and then grab the legs via their hems, making sure you’re holding both. Slowly drag the pants to the other side of the hanger until the legs' bottoms are approximately one inch above the pants' crotch area.
Release the pants and then straighten the pants using your hands while hanging on the hanger to ensure there are no unnecessary creases or folds. Hang them in your cabinet, ensuring there’s enough space between other items inside your cabinet.
Folding
If you want to store your pants in a drawer, the best way to do so is to fold them horizontally in half, with the hem touching the waistband. If that’s not possible or you don’t have enough space, fold the pants into three. What you need to do is grab the hem and bring it to the crotch area. Next is to bring your pants’ waistband toward the folded part you made earlier.
How to Iron Pants - Helpful Tips
Ironing pants, or ironing in general, is time-consuming and requires patience and attention to detail. Below are some expert-recommended ways on how to iron pants more effectively.
Iron Pants While Damp
Damp pants are easier and quicker to iron; in fact, experts recommend that you iron your pants right after you take them out of the washing machine. Not only will you straighten wrinkles and folds, but it also helps save your pants’ fabric from the possible damages caused by dryers or drying machines.
Of course, if ironing damp pants isn’t possible, you can always use your iron's steam function or use a spray bottle or mister with water to dampen the pants before ironing.
Consider Ironing in Batches
Ironing your pants in batches will save you time, sweat, and energy. It will also be easy on your iron since you don’t need to use it multiple times a week.
Protect Delicate Fabric
Delicate fabric materials, especially some types of wool, will require more care and attention than other fabrics. Although each pair of pants has a required temperature setting, the best way how to iron pants made of delicate fabrics is to add extra protection. That is placing a piece of clean, white handkerchief or cloth between the pants and the iron plate. It will prevent exposing the fabric to the hot soleplate.
Use Aluminum Foil
Placing aluminum foil on top of your ironing board before placing the fabric cover can help speed up the ironing process. Aluminum is a heat conductor, so with its help, you can iron out wrinkles, creases, and folds on both sides simultaneously.
Keep Your Iron Clean
Using an iron with a dirty soleplate will cause problems rather than fix them because the dirt can be transferred to your pants. (How to clean an iron)
How to Iron Pants - In Conclusion
Keeping your pants in pristine condition will give you more confidence, especially while delivering a speech, presenting a report or proposal, defending a thesis, on a date, and on countless other occuasions. Spare enough time to iron your pants and follow the detailed steps and tips on how to iron pants properly.
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