Ironing linen, silk, wool and synthetics without damage

01Why fabrics need different heat

An iron does two jobs: it heats fibres so they relax, and it presses them flat so they set in a new shape as they cool. Different fibres respond to heat very differently. Natural plant fibres such as cotton and linen can take a lot of heat and steam before they are damaged. Animal fibres such as wool and silk are proteins, similar to hair, and scorch, shrink or lose their sheen at much lower temperatures. Synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic are plastics, and they soften and melt if they get too hot. Man-made fibres from plant material, such as viscose, sit somewhere in between and become weak and easily marked when damp and hot.

That is why one heat setting cannot suit every garment, and why the same iron that makes a cotton shirt crisp can leave a shiny patch on wool trousers or a melted hole in a polyester blouse in seconds. Knowing what each fibre needs, and checking the label before the iron touches the fabric, prevents almost every ironing disaster.

02Test before you iron

When in doubt, test. Find a hidden area, such as the inside of a hem, a seam allowance or the inside of a pocket, and press it briefly at the lowest setting. Check for shine, change of colour, stickiness or any change in texture. If nothing happens, increase the heat a little and test again. Stop at the lowest setting that removes creases.

Testing takes a minute and can save a favourite garment. It matters most with unfamiliar fabrics, garments without labels, vintage clothing and anything with a special finish.

03The pressing cloth

A pressing cloth is a piece of thin, clean cotton or muslin laid between the iron and the garment. It protects delicate fabrics from direct heat, prevents shine on dark wool and synthetics, and stops the soleplate leaving marks. A clean cotton tea towel or an old white cotton pillowcase works well. Dampen the cloth slightly for extra steam on wool.

Use a pressing cloth for wool, silk, dark fabrics, synthetics, velvet, prints and anything you are unsure about. It slows ironing slightly, but it is the single most useful tool for delicate fabrics.

04Ironing a mixed pile in the right order

If you have a pile of different fabrics to iron, the order matters, because irons heat up quickly but cool down slowly.

Start with the fabrics that need the lowest heat: silk, nylon, acrylic and delicate synthetics. Then move to polyester and blends on a slightly higher setting. Next come wool and viscose at medium. Finish with cotton, denim and linen at high heat with plenty of steam. This way, you never have to wait for the iron to cool, and you never risk putting a hot iron on a delicate fabric by mistake.

Sort the pile into heaps by heat setting before you start. It takes a minute and makes the session quicker and safer.

05Linen

Linen is made from flax fibres. It is strong, cool to wear and creases heavily, which is both its charm and its challenge.

Linen takes a hot iron and plenty of steam. The key is moisture: iron linen while it is quite damp, straight from the wash or after misting it well. Dry linen is very hard to press flat. Iron on the reverse side first to avoid shine, especially on dark linen, then finish lightly on the right side if needed. Press firmly and keep the iron moving.

Accept that linen will crease again as soon as it is worn. Many people like its relaxed, lived-in look. For a crisper finish on linen shirts and tablecloths, a light spray of starch helps.

06Silk

Silk is a protein fibre with a natural sheen. It is easily damaged by heat, water marks and pressure.

Use the lowest heat setting, usually one dot, and no steam unless the label allows it. Iron silk inside out, ideally while very slightly damp, with a pressing cloth over it. Keep the iron moving and use light pressure; pressing too hard can flatten the sheen. Never spray water directly onto silk, since drops can leave water marks.

For light creases, hanging silk in a steamy bathroom or using a handheld steamer from a distance is often safer than ironing. Valuable silk garments, such as evening dresses and lined silk jackets, are best left to a professional.

07Wool

Wool is another protein fibre. It shrinks and felts with heat, moisture and pressure together, and it develops a shine when pressed directly with a hot iron.

Wool usually takes a medium setting with steam. Always use a damp pressing cloth between the iron and the wool. Rather than sliding the iron back and forth, press it down gently, lift it and move it, so you do not stretch or flatten the fibres. Let the garment cool and dry on a hanger before wearing.

For wool trousers with a crease, press the crease line through a damp cloth. For jackets and suits, steaming is often better than ironing; tailored garments have structure that an iron can flatten. Wool knitwear is best steamed lightly or simply laid flat to dry in shape.

08Cashmere and fine knitwear

Cashmere, merino and other fine knits are among the most delicate garments people own. They should rarely, if ever, meet a hot iron directly.

The best way to remove creases from knitwear is to wash it correctly and dry it flat, reshaping it with your hands while damp. If it still has creases once dry, hold a steamer or a steam iron a short distance away and let the steam relax the fibres, then smooth the knit gently by hand. If you must press, lay the knit face down on a towel, cover it with a damp pressing cloth and lower the iron gently onto it without sliding, at a low wool setting, then lift and move.

Never press the ribbing at cuffs and hems flat; it loses its stretch and the garment looks tired. And never hang heavy knits to dry or store them on hangers, which stretches the shoulders.

09Polyester and polyester blends

Polyester is a synthetic fibre that resists creasing, which is why it is used in so many shirts, blouses, dresses and uniforms. It is also heat-sensitive.

Use a low to medium setting. Iron polyester inside out, or with a pressing cloth, to avoid shine. Too much heat makes polyester glossy or, at worst, melts it onto the soleplate. Polyester-cotton blends can usually take a little more heat than pure polyester, typically two dots.

Because polyester resists creasing, it often needs only a quick touch-up. Hanging polyester garments straight from the wash often removes most creases.

10Nylon, acrylic and other synthetics

Nylon is strong but melts at relatively low temperatures. Iron it on the lowest setting, inside out, with a pressing cloth, or avoid ironing altogether. Many nylon garments, such as sportswear and lingerie, do not need ironing.

Acrylic, often used in knitwear, softens with heat and can stretch or go limp. Use the lowest setting with a pressing cloth, or steam lightly. Elastane, found in stretch fabrics, loses its stretch with heat; iron blends containing elastane on low heat.

11Viscose, rayon and modal

Viscose, also called rayon, and its relatives such as modal and lyocell, are made from plant material but behave differently from cotton. They are weak when wet and can shrink, stretch or mark easily.

Iron viscose on a low to medium setting, inside out, while very slightly damp. Use a pressing cloth on dark colours to prevent shine. Do not press too hard or stretch the fabric while it is warm and damp. Lyocell and modal are often a little more robust but still benefit from gentle treatment.

12Velvet, velour and corduroy

Fabrics with a raised pile, such as velvet, velour and corduroy, need special care because pressing them flat crushes the pile and leaves permanent shiny marks.

Never press velvet directly. The safest method is steaming: hang the garment and pass a steamer or an iron on the steam setting a short distance from the fabric, letting the steam relax the creases without contact. If you must iron, lay the velvet face down on a thick, soft towel or a special needle board, and press very lightly from the back with steam.

Corduroy is more forgiving. Iron it inside out on a medium setting with steam, then brush the pile gently while it is still warm to lift it. Avoid ironing the right side, which flattens the ridges.

13Denim

Denim is heavy cotton and can take high heat and steam. Iron jeans inside out to protect the colour and avoid shine. Iron the pockets and waistband first, then the legs. Many people prefer jeans without a front crease, so iron the legs flat with the side seams together rather than pressing a crease down the front. Stretch denim, which contains elastane, needs a slightly lower heat.

14Printed fabrics and transfers

Printed designs, especially screen prints and heat transfers on T-shirts, can crack, smear or stick to the iron if pressed directly.

Always iron printed garments inside out. If you need to iron the right side, use a pressing cloth. Never iron directly over vinyl prints, glitter or rubbery transfers; they can melt and stick to the soleplate. Many care labels on printed garments show a crossed-out iron over the print area.

15Sequins, beads and embroidery

Embellished garments are among the most difficult to iron.

Sequins and many beads are plastic and melt or warp with heat. Never iron directly over them. Turn the garment inside out, lay it face down on a thick towel and iron gently from the back on a low setting, avoiding the embellished area where you can, or use a steamer from a distance.

Embroidery should also be ironed from the back, face down on a towel, so the stitches sink into the towel and keep their raised texture rather than being flattened. Metallic threads can tarnish or melt with high heat.

For valuable embellished garments, such as wedding and evening wear, professional pressing is the safest option.

16Lace and sheer fabrics

Lace and sheer fabrics such as chiffon, organza and voile are delicate and easily scorched or stretched.

Use the lowest suitable heat, with a pressing cloth. Iron lace from the back, laid on a towel so the pattern is not flattened. Move the iron gently and avoid dragging, which can catch the iron on the lace. For sheer fabrics, a steamer is often easier and safer.

17Leather, suede and coated fabrics

Leather and suede should not be ironed with a normal iron. Heat can shrink, crack or discolour them. Creases in leather often drop out by hanging the garment on a padded hanger in a warm room. Coated fabrics, such as waterproof jackets, often have labels forbidding ironing, because the coating can melt or peel. Follow the label, and take leather or suede to a specialist cleaner if it needs pressing.

18Garments with more than one fabric

Many garments combine fabrics: a cotton shirt with a polyester lining, a wool coat with a silk lining, a viscose dress with lace panels. Iron each part at the heat suited to the most delicate fabric it touches, and use a pressing cloth when the iron might cross from one fabric to another.

Linings are often polyester or viscose and need lower heat than the outer fabric. When pressing a lined garment, it is often easier to press the outer fabric through a cloth and leave the lining alone, or to steam the whole garment.

19Trousers in different fabrics

Trousers come in every fabric, and the right technique depends on which.

Cotton chinos take a hot iron and steam. Iron the pockets and waistband first, from the inside, then lay each leg flat with the inside and outside seams together and press. Wool suit trousers need a medium setting, a damp pressing cloth and the press-and-lift technique, especially along the crease. Polyester and blended trousers need lower heat and a cloth to avoid shine along the crease. Linen trousers want plenty of steam while damp.

For a sharp front crease, line up the existing crease carefully before pressing. A crease pressed slightly off its old line leaves a double crease that is hard to remove.

20Dresses and skirts

Dresses and skirts bring together many of the challenges in this guide: mixed fabrics, linings, pleats, gathers and embellishments.

Start by reading the label and identifying the most delicate fabric. Iron or steam the lining first, if it needs it, at its own heat. Then iron the bodice, working around darts and seams with the tip of the iron. Iron skirts by sliding them over the narrow end of the board and turning them as you go, from waistband to hem.

Pleated skirts need care. Lay each pleat flat as it was sewn, pin the bottom edge to the board if necessary, and press through a cloth. Do not iron across pleats, which can create new creases. Permanently pleated synthetic skirts often only need steaming, since heat can undo the pleats.

Gathered skirts and dresses are easiest steamed or ironed from the waistband downwards with the tip of the iron, working into the gathers.

21Jackets and tailoring

Tailored jackets are built with layers: an outer fabric, interfacing that gives shape, padding at the shoulders and a lining. Ironing them like a flat shirt can flatten the structure, leave shine and even separate the interfacing, creating bubbles.

For tailored jackets, steaming is the safest home option. Hang the jacket on a shaped hanger, steam the body and sleeves from a short distance, and smooth with your hands. If you need to press lapels or a specific crease, use a damp pressing cloth and a medium wool setting, pressing lightly. For deep creases, shiny patches or anything more than a quick refresh, a professional presser has the forms and equipment to do it properly.

22Household linens

Household textiles have their own ironing needs.

Cotton and linen tablecloths and napkins take high heat and steam and look best ironed while damp. Iron napkins flat and fold them while still warm for sharp edges. Cotton bedding can be ironed for a hotel-style crispness, though many people only iron pillowcases and the turn-down of the top sheet. Curtains are often too large to iron easily; steaming them in place after hanging is usually more practical. Tea towels can be ironed to make them flatter and neater in a drawer, but it is not necessary.

23When to steam instead of iron

Steaming relaxes creases with hot moisture and no direct pressure. It is often the better choice for delicate and structured fabrics.

Steaming suits silk, wool jackets and coats, knitwear, velvet, pleated skirts, dresses with linings or embellishments, and curtains. It is quick for refreshing garments between wears. It does not give the crisp, flat finish of an iron on collars and creases, so it is less suited to business shirts and trousers that need sharp lines.

To steam, hang the garment, pull the fabric gently taut with one hand and pass the steamer slowly over it from top to bottom, holding it slightly away from delicate fabrics. Let the garment cool and dry before wearing.

24Steam, water and water marks

Steam helps most fabrics, but water can mark some.

Silk, some viscose, taffeta and certain finished fabrics can show water spots where droplets land and dry. To avoid them, do not spray water directly onto these fabrics, use a dry iron or very light steam, and use a pressing cloth. If an iron spits water, it may not be hot enough for steam yet, or the steam holes may be clogged with limescale; let it heat fully and descale it regularly.

In hard-water areas such as most of London, using the type of water recommended by the iron's manufacturer helps prevent white mineral spots on dark fabrics.

25Removing shine marks

Shine happens when heat and pressure flatten the surface of fibres, so they reflect light differently. It is most common on dark wool, polyester and blends.

Light shine can sometimes be reduced by steaming the area well, then brushing it gently with a soft clothes brush while the fibres are warm and damp to lift them. On wool, holding a steamer close to the shiny area and brushing can help. Some shine is permanent, especially on synthetics, because the fibres have been partly melted.

Prevention is far easier: iron dark and synthetic fabrics inside out, use a pressing cloth and keep the heat low.

26Dealing with scorch marks

A scorch mark is a brown or yellow mark where the fibres have been burned. Light scorch on cotton can sometimes fade with washing. Deeper scorch on cotton, and almost any scorch on wool, silk or synthetics, is permanent because the fibres have been damaged.

Prevent scorching by checking the heat setting, testing on a hidden area, keeping the iron moving, never leaving it face down on fabric and using a pressing cloth for anything delicate.

27If something melts onto the iron

If a synthetic fabric or a print melts onto the iron, unplug the iron immediately and let it cool. Do not try to scrape melted plastic off a hot soleplate. Once cool, clean the soleplate with a cleaner made for irons, following the manufacturer's advice. Check the garment; melted synthetics usually leave a hard, shiny patch or a hole that cannot be repaired.