Ironing is not a favourite when it comes to household chores, but then again, which chore is?!? Many a person has stood at an ironing board and thought, does this t-shirt really need to be ironed…again? And it’s a valid question, especially when your ironing pile is ever-growing, and every week sees the return of the same items.
Why is ironing clothes important? How you represent yourself is a reflection of who you are and ironed clothes make you look and feel good about yourself. Having clothes that are fresh and wrinkle-free has a direct impact on how you are viewed in both work and personal relationships.
For you firm haters of all things ironing, I hope this makes the ironing chore awaiting you somewhat easier. We don’t need to love the task, but it can be made easier with a slightly rosier perspective… let’s hope we can achieve at least that.
Clothes Look Better for Longer
Steam ironing garments help fabric fibres soften and return to their original state.
This can improve their quality and ensure a long life. Some fabrics stretch out as you wear them changing the original form of the garment.
By ironing shirts and dress fabrics, your garment will maintain its shape and look like new for longer.
Sweater cuffs and even knitted jerseys tend to lose their shape over time. By running over the garment with a steam iron, the fibres return to their just-bought structure. Use parallel strokes instead of a circular motion when ironing to avoid stretching fabrics and distorting the garment’s shape. If seams, pleats, collars, and cuffs are pressed correctly, the garment will maintain its ‘just off the shelf’ shape.
Steam Kills Germs and Eliminates Mould
Ironing, more specifically steam ironing, kills germs and spores leaving clothes and fabrics in top hygienic shape.
What if we told you there’s an added benefit to ironing your clothes. Well, the good news is, there is. Steam iron needs to heat up to 100 degrees in order to generate steam, and at this temperature, the steam kills bacteria, germs, mould, and even dust mites.
So, what does this mean exactly? For germophobes, it means your clothing is free of any living organisms when you put them on. And if you’re health-conscious, steam cleaning is highly effective and replaces the need for toxic chemicals that don’t always do the job of sanitizing as you’d hoped.
Dust mites are another casualty of steam ironing clothing, linen, and drapes. Especially if you have pets, simply running your steam iron over surfaces that seem a little grimy will restore their freshness.
Steam Ironing Removes Odours
But even if you’re not fussed about the occurrence of foreign particles living in your clothes, a natural by-product of bacteria is body odour. By ironing your clothes, bacteria are killed, and the odour dissipates.
If your iron has variable steam settings, turn it all the way up and spot treat shirts under the arms.
Sports gear and polyester fabrics can sometimes come out the wash with a faint reminder of your last workout. A good steam will ensure this is not a problem and leave your clothing super fresh and hygienic.
Improved First Impressions
First impressions last, and just like you’ll be observing what you do and don’t like, so will your date. Don’t allow the wrinkled appearance of your clothing to distract them from the good stuff. A crumpled appearance could indicate you didn’t care enough to put in a little extra effort.
And for those of us already in a relationship, it shouldn’t have to be said, that you need to maintain a personal level of care and hygiene. We’re not saying you need to iron your underwear or pyjamas every night. Lazing around the house on a Sunday morning is perfectly acceptable, but when you leave the house of your partners arm, take pride in your appearance.
Ironing Helps Reverse Shrinkage
Some woven fabrics can tighten up during the washing and drying cycle. By steam ironing the material, you can help relax and flatten the fibres which can restore the natural shape of the garment. This can oftentimes make the difference between clothing feeling too tight, or just right.