A Little Talk on Ironing

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 35, 14 March 1930, Page 25

A Little Talk on Ironing

The Do's and the Don'ts for Full Success

THE modern electric iron is a great improvement over the old-fash-ioned irons, that were heated up om the kitchen stove. As it is always ready for use, ironing can often be done in the cool of the evening or at any time when there is an hour to spare, but the time to think about it for the purpose of making it still easier, is before the washing is finished. Hang the clothes on the line as straight as possible and like things together, so that they are ready to take down in order from the line. It is easier to iron articles that have been folded to avoid extra wrinkles. If we have time to take table linen, towels and sheets from the line, when still slightly damp, we may not need to sprinkle them, but all things are better for being tightly rolled up for an hour or two. The damper the linen, the fresher, crisper, and glossier it will be when ironed. Particular pains should be taken to see that the sprinkling is even, so that the moisture will penetrate thoroughly and prevent spots. In warm weather, it is not wise to leave clothes that have been dampened as it heightens the risk of mildew. . ; Little girls’ dresses, boys’ blouses, ete, should have the sleeves ironed first, then the collar, yoke and body, ironing the fronts first, and then the backs. Hold the iron on the buttonhole a few seconds, and to have the collar and bands especially nice, iron first on the wrong side and then on the right. OR men’s underwear, the suit should be buttoned, smoothed out straight on the ironing board, and the front done first. Then iron each sleeve toward the cuff, fold the cuff to the shoulder and iron again. Fold the sleeves across the garment. Do the legs in the same manner, then fold the whole suit up from the waist line and press back. This method is good for either cotton, or silk and cotton mixture, but woollen underwear should be ironed on the wrong side. Hints for Silks. ALU silk lingerie should be ironed on the wrong side with a cool iron, and to bring out the lovely soft sheen of the silk, again on the right side when dry. Never iron across. the weave for this breaks the | delicate strands and shortens the life of the silk. Roll silk things carefully when damping them, to minimise creases, and never touch with a too hot iron, as silk scorches easily. If ironed when too damp, silk looks stiff and papery. Iron the cuffs of shirts first as they are the showy part of a sleeve. Then fold the sleeve with the seam and iron from shoulder to cuff. Pass the hand through the sleeve to straighten out wrinkles and iron on the back. Iron

the cuffs on the right side, and if they are French ones, on the inside also. Then iron the front, the back, and lastly, the neckband, in the order given. Button the shirt and lay it front down on the board. Fold each side of the shirt over about the width of the sleeve and turn the _ sleeves lengthwise. Then, fold the whole shirt once across. Tucked fronts should have the deep tucks raised with a thin paper knife and the material beneath pressed smooth. Flannel shirts should be ironed on the wrong side. Practical Points. ILK blouses and dresses should always be ironed on the wrong side, with the grain or lengthwise of the goods. It is a safe rule to iron the sleeves of the garment first and the collars last. If the sleeves have cuffs, the cuffs should be ironed first, and then the body of the sleeve. When they are perfectly smooth, iron the front and then the back, and finish with the collar. All seams must be ironed until quite dry, or they will wrinkle and pull the garment out of shape. Coloured ginghams should not be ironed with a very hot iron, as it causes the colours to become dull and faded. Linens must be ironed very wet, or the wrinkles simply will not come out. To iron linen on the wrong side, keeps it beautifully smooth and glossy, but it scorches very easily and scorching is fatal, since it breaks the strands of the fabric. Tablecloths and table napkins should be ironed on both sides, to give them a rich, soft gloss. Fold lengthwise and iron the folds but do not iron the crosswise folds, There is no strain about ironing with an electric iron, as we can give all our attention to what we are doing. It is not the ironing that wears one out, but the uncertainty about the irons, when doing it in the bad old way. An electric iron is the perfect solution of all ironing problems.