Ironing and caring for your clothes

Well cared-for clothes look sharper and last years longer. Learn the order for ironing a shirt, how to look after traditional garments such as kanduras and abayas, and how to store clothes so they stay in shape.

Before you start

• Check the iron symbol on the care label and set the iron to match: one dot low, two dots medium, three dots high. A crossed-out iron means do not iron.
• Make sure the soleplate and ironing board cover are clean, especially before ironing white fabric.
• Iron clothes that are clean. Heat does not remove stains and can fix them in place.
• Clothes iron more easily when slightly damp, so use steam or iron soon after washing.
• Start with items that need the lowest temperature and work up, so you are not waiting for the iron to cool down.

Ironing a shirt, step by step

• Collar first: pop it up and iron it from the inside, then fold it, flip the shirt and iron the inside again.
• Front panels: iron from the inside, starting at the side seam and working towards the buttons. Use the narrow end of the board for the shoulders.
• Back: iron right round to the side seams until the damp patches have dried.
• Sleeves: iron each cuff from the inside, flatten the sleeve along its seam and iron from shoulder to cuff, then flip it over.
• Finish the front from the outside, working carefully between the buttons.
• Hang the shirt straight away by the centre of the collar, fasten the top button, and let it cool before putting it in the wardrobe.

Kanduras and thobes

• Start with the care label: it tells you whether machine washing, hand washing, tumble drying and ironing are allowed, and at what temperature.
• Wash whites separately from coloured clothes to avoid dye transfer, and treat stains before washing by blotting, not rubbing.
• Do not use chlorine bleach unless the bleach symbol allows it.
• Do not twist or wring the fabric to get water out. Reshape it and hang it neatly to dry in a well-ventilated place.
• Iron in sections at the label temperature, paying extra attention to the collar and cuffs. For shiny fabrics, iron inside out or use a clean pressing cloth.

Abayas and delicate or embellished garments

• Abayas with beads, sequins or metal details should be hand washed or dry-cleaned.
• For hand washing, use cold water and a little mild detergent, and do not soak for longer than about 10 minutes. Do not rub embroidered areas.
• If the label allows machine washing, turn the abaya inside out and use a delicate cycle at 30C or lower with similar colours.
• Air dry rather than tumble dry, and iron on a low setting, inside out, with a cloth over any embroidery.
• Hang abayas on thick, padded or velvet hangers. Thin wire hangers can stretch the shoulders out of shape.

Storing clothes and iron safety

• Fold knitwear rather than hanging it, so it does not stretch.
• Let freshly ironed clothes cool and dry fully before closing them in a wardrobe.
• Never leave a hot iron face down or unattended. Switch it off, unplug it, and let it cool standing on its heel on a heatproof surface. London Fire Brigade gives the same advice for hair straighteners.
• Empty the water from a steam iron after use if the manual tells you to, and keep the cable away from the hot soleplate.