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How to iron a shirt like a Japanese pro

By on September 1, 2014

Screen shot 2014-09-01 at 5.22.22 PM

Impeccably ironed shirt is a mark of professionalism.  But according to Japanese magazine, My Navi Woman, ironing is one of the hated housework by housewives next to cleaning rooms. Japanese salary men pay 200 – 400 yen per shirt to the drycleaners  just to free themselves of time and relieve them of unwanted stress.

Who doesn’t want  to wear crispy looking, crease-free shirts to work everyday? If you have tried every method possible to iron a shirt by yourself but failed, here are some helpful ironing techniques from professional drycleaners in Japan.

1.  Timing    When washing shirts in a machine, do not complete the dry cycle. The best time to take the shirts out from the tumbler  is when they are slightly moist. Stretch the fabric with both hands before ironing.

2. Cotton Shirts  At the professional drycleaners, shirts are pressed at a very high temperature while literally wet,  for a complete crease-free finish.  Although flatirons for home use do not have the same heating capacity, you should always start ironing while a shirt is slightly wet. Dampening a dry fabric with spray mist does not give the same result.

3. Where to start   Always iron inside out starting from the thick inconspicuous areas. Do the collar-cuffs-sleeves-body order with your other hand pulling the cloth on each area.

4. Put the shirt on a hanger immediately after pressing
After a hot steam press, immediately hanging your shirt to cool will ensure that the fibers stay in place.

Lastly, view the clip to see  how it’s done.

 

 

 

About Ted Tanaka