Pants and skirts look amazing when they are freshly pressed. It projects an image of professionalism and displays pride and thought in your appearance. But, who likes to hunch over an iron for hours getting the perfect press?
Of course, we’d love to perfectly press all your pants and skirts for you. But, we know there will be days in which after constructing the perfect ensemble, you’ll discover the pants or skirt needs ironing pronto.
When this happens, follow these easy tips:
- Read the care label and always select an iron temperature and setting consistent with the pant fabric.
- Test on a small hidden area such as the pocket bag or waistband inside before pressing the entire pant.
- Press on a long flat surface, preferably a padded ironing board.
- Turn the pant or skirt inside out, pull out any pockets and press them flat first.
- Pull the waistband over the end of the ironing board and press the band area, rotating it around the end of the ironing board as you go.
- Continue pressing the upper pant section down to the crotch curve, being careful not to over press.
- To press creases in the legs, fold the pant legs in half carefully matching the inseam and out-seam, and lay both legs along the length of the ironing board up to the pant crotch level.
- If the pants are cuffed, be sure to firmly press the crease through the cuff/hem area.
- If the pants (or skirt) have pleats, keep them positioned as stitched and lightly steam into place.
- Press the pant legs only in the lower hem area if the pants are flat-front (no pleats or darts at the waistline) to help the legs hang properly.
- Press along the entire leg length if the pants have pleats or tucks. Creases may be pressed firm to the crotch area then softer as they join tucks or pleats at the upper pant.
- When pressing creases, use a lifting motion with the iron. Sliding and pushing the iron may stretch the leg crease area and cause distortion.
- Let the pants cool after pressing each leg before changing legs. This will help set the crease-line.
Additional Tips:
1. If you accidentally press the creases in the wrong place, dampen the crease-line with a spray bottle of water and re-press them in the proper position.
2. To help with the longevity of pant creases, you can set them with a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and dampen a press-cloth (don’t spray the pants directly). Place the damp cloth over the crease-line and press until it’s dry, then respray and move to the next area. The solution helps give the fabric memory.
3. Store your pants from a pants hanger or folded over a hanger keeping them in the creased position. Store your skirts hanging from a pants hanger, careful not to crowd them in the closet to avoid wrinkles and smashing.
When you’re not in the mood to iron, we’ll press your pants and skirts to perfection for you. Just bring them to any of our locations or if you are part of our free pick up and delivery service, just leave them for your route driver.
– S.O.
