Hamilton Beach^®
Ironing Tips: Do's & Don'ts

Do’s
Although most irons heat up quickly, wait about two minutes before starting to iron. This ensures that the iron has reached the desired temperature/setting.

An iron heats up much faster than it cools down. If you have to change from a high setting to a lower one, wait about 5 minutes for the iron to reach the lower temperature. That’s why if you’re ironing several items, it’s faster and easier if you sort them by temperature and start by ironing the items that need the lowest setting first.

To set the height of the ironing board, stand with your elbows bent at right angles, then drop your hands slightly so that your arms are in a comfortable position. Set the height of your ironing board to this height.

A pressing cloth can help reduce unwanted “shine” on fabrics. You can purchase a pressing cloth in the laundry care section, or use a clean white dishtowel, unbleached muslin or white cheesecloth. You won’t need to increase the recommended iron temperature when using a pressing cloth.

Don’ts
A high steam setting should not be used with a low temperature setting. Trailing happens when the iron soleplate is too cool to turn the water inside it into steam. Make sure the steam setting is set to the appropriate temperature to avoid dripping or trailing water.

Never iron in a circular motion as this can stretch fabric. Instead, iron lengthwise.

Misconceptions
You might have heard the terms “ironing” or “pressing” used interchangeably, but they are actually quite different. When ironing, you slide the iron back and forth over fabric; when pressing, the iron is pressed in one spot and lifted. A “pressing” technique is helpful to avoid crushing fabrics.

There is no connection between the weight and performance of the iron. Some people prefer a heavier iron because it seems to make the job easier, while others like a lightweight iron that put less strain on the wrist and hand.

The size of the iron soleplate is more a matter of preference than a benefit since a bigger soleplate doesn’t iron much more fabric than a smaller one.

The number of steam vents on an iron soleplate does not determine the steam output. The steam rate is influenced by other factors such as the design of the soleplate, the wattage and how fast the water drips from the reservoir. Increased vents will not result in improved steam performance.

Higher wattage does not affect ironing performance, but will result in a faster heat-up time.