Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Chet Wautlands]

Hi. I liked the movie Iron Man. I don't like ironing. It takes me a long time and in the end I ruin shirts more often than I actually dewrinkle them. I've had it with ironing. I miss my dryer that got wrinkles out of all my clothes...

What do you do? Do you iron? Any tips? Any secrets? Gadgets?

[tzechuk]

Send them to your dry cleaner.

They normally charge 1,000 won per shirt and 1,500 for a pair of pants.

When I had a husband that was what I did.

[bundangbabo]

With shirts - start on the small parts like the sleeves and the collar and then iron the bigger parts for minimum crease-age.

If you can find starch for lovely ironed in creases then so much the better!

The ironing boards in this country are crap!

Tzechuk - let me know when you are free for a date!

[nuthatch]

I just wash them myself

and then I take them over two blocks to a nice man who has a small drycleaning/washing shop - he is always working hard there day and night - I ask him to JUST iron the shirts/blouses - he charges me a very low price - it is worth it -

a small, farm town, too

just look around in your neighborhood

[waynehead]

I would appreciate any other ironing tips experienced ironers could give, too. Sans dryer I am kinda hopeless.

[prideofidaho]

When your clothes are clean and ready to be hung to dry, whip them really well. Kind of like you're holding a blanket or sheet and you want to get crumbs or dust off of it. Just shake it out to get as many of the wrinkles out as you can. This way, when the clothes are dry there are less wrinkles. Trust me, this really works.

With Ironing, make sure you've got water in your Iron, and that it has a steam function. Most do. Steaming the clothes as you Iron them moistens the fabric and makes it much more receptive to heat.

And finally, don't worry about ironing the shirt perfectly. A soon as you sit down, or move around a bit there will be some natural creasing.

Hope this helps.

[aboxofchocolates]

Hang them up when you are in the shower and the bathroom is all steamy- that can help a little, but it isn't perfect.

[prideofidaho]

^ that's the best thing to do, really. Too bad my shower is my bathroom.

[Underwaterbob]

I've got a fleece blanket I put on the floor to iron on, like someone said: the ironing boards here are crap. An old Febreze bottle full of water and a dry iron. Spray, iron, spray, iron. It works OK.

[Chet Wautlands]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I'm going to try and upgrade my iron, ironing board, and even my drying rack. It'll be a war of attrition. If it fails, I'll try and find a way to have it done for me at minimal cost. Thank you for your battle strategies! With any luck, we'll make it out of this iron age.

[sheilabocchine]

I'm definitely going to have someone else do it for me! No reason to learn how now!

[michaelambling]

[dimnd]

It is not like you have so many things to take to a dry cleaner..

few shirts and pants on a weekly basis is so minimal...and saves from all that..wash at home and hang up to dry and then take to a cleaner to get them pressed.

or just take em and save electricity...to a drycleaner..

esp in the summer when it gets so humid..nice to have them be crisp to start..

[Harpeau]

I find using a vertical steam iron much better. Using some starch can also work to stiffen the clothes some and get out many wrinkles.