How to Iron a Shirt
Iron a dress shirt at the heat its care label names, in a fixed order from collar to back panel, without creasing the sections you have finished, then hang it right away.
You will end up with a pressed dress shirt on a hanger, ironed once through in a fixed order: collar, yoke, cuffs and sleeves, the two front panels, then the back.
The order is what keeps you from creasing one section while you press the next. The small parts go first and the large panels go last, so the panels you have finished get handled as little as possible. The University of Arkansas extension service publishes a free illustrated leaflet that works the same way, with the collar, cuffs, sleeves, and yoke before the front and back panels. The one difference in order is that it irons the yoke after the sleeves.
An iron, an ironing board, a spray bottle of water, a hanger, and a clean dress shirt. For a dark shirt, add a pressing cloth, which can be a clean cotton pillowcase. Spray starch is optional (see FAQ 3 below). Without an ironing board, lay a thick towel on a sturdy, heat-resistant table. Shoulders and sleeves are harder on a flat surface, because you cannot drape the shirt over the end of a board.
Check the care label and heat the iron
Read the care label inside the collar or along the side seam first, and set the iron to the fabric it names. Check the shirt for stains at the same time, because heat sets oil stains. Cotton and linen take the highest settings, and the Arkansas leaflet notes that the cotton setting is the usual one for dress shirts. For a blend, set the iron for the fiber that needs the lowest temperature, the rule New Mexico State University's extension guide on pressing gives. If the label is missing, start on the lowest setting, test on an inside seam, and raise the heat until the wrinkles come out. Fill the water reservoir before you plug the iron in, never while it is connected. Use the water your iron's manual names. The Arkansas leaflet recommends distilled water to avoid mineral buildup, and manuals differ. Farberware's says its iron is designed for tap water and calls for distilled only where the water is very hard. A hot iron burns. CHI's steam iron manual warns that burns can occur from touching the hot metal parts, hot water, or steam, and says not to leave the iron unattended while it is connected or on the ironing board. Between sections, stand the iron upright on its heel rest, never face down on the board. Now plug the iron in and let it heat fully. If it has a ready light, wait for it to show the iron is at temperature, as your manual describes. Otherwise give it 2 minutes, the preheat CHI's manual specifies. A steam iron that has not preheated can drip hot water from the soleplate. Iron the shirt while it is slightly damp, as the leaflet advises. If it is fully dry, mist it with the spray bottle or turn the steam to maximum.
Start with the collar
If the collar has removable collar stays, take them out first and put them back when the shirt is done. Unfold the collar and lay it flat on the ironing board, underside facing up. Iron from the collar points toward the center on each side, in small strokes. That is the direction both the Arkansas leaflet and CHI's manual give. Ironing from the center outward pushes fabric into the points, where it puckers. Flip the collar over and repeat on the top side. Then fold the collar back into position and crease the fold line into place by hand. For a stiffer collar, use the spray starch method in FAQ 3 below.
Iron the yoke and shoulders
The yoke is the double-layered panel across the upper back and shoulders. Drape one shoulder over the narrow end of the ironing board so the yoke lies flat. Iron from the center of the back toward the shoulder. Rotate the shirt and do the other shoulder the same way. The yoke is easy to miss, and it shows as soon as your jacket comes off.
Iron the cuffs and sleeves
Unbutton the cuffs and lay them flat, inside facing up. Iron from the edges toward the center, then flip and iron the outside. For the sleeves, lay the sleeve flat on the board with the seam running along the edge. Smooth the fabric with your hand to prevent double creases. Iron from the shoulder down to the cuff in long, smooth strokes. Flip the sleeve over and repeat. If you want a crease along the top of the sleeve, press firmly along the fold line. If you prefer no crease, iron the sleeve slightly rotated so the edge is not directly on the fold.
Good to know: Keep every stroke straight, here and on the panels. CHI's manual warns that ironing in a circular motion can stretch the fabric.
Iron the front panel with buttons
Lay the button-side panel on the board. Iron around the buttons, not over them, and use the tip of the iron to work between them, as the Arkansas leaflet shows. Iron the button placket first (the strip where the buttons are sewn), then smooth outward across the rest of the panel. Work from the shoulder area down to the hem in long strokes.
Iron the remaining front panel
Lay the buttonhole-side panel on the board and iron it the same way as the other front panel, working from shoulder to hem. Doing both fronts back to back means you only set up for that shape once.
Iron the back panel and hang immediately
Lay the back of the shirt flat on the board. If the shirt has a center pleat or box pleat at the yoke, iron around it to keep the pleat intact. Use long strokes from the yoke down to the hem. Reposition the shirt on the board to reach both sides. Pull the shirt taut with your free hand as you iron to avoid creating new creases. If a stubborn wrinkle will not flatten, mist it with the spray bottle, or press the burst-of-steam button if your iron has one, and iron over it again. Once all sections are done, button the top button, the third button, and the bottom button, then hang the shirt on a hanger right away. The Arkansas leaflet says to hang it immediately and not to fold it until it is completely cool and dry. To transport the shirt, button it fully and hang it in a garment bag. Then turn the iron to its lowest setting, unplug it, and leave it standing on its heel until it has cooled.
If the iron drips water onto the shirt, CHI's manual lists four causes: too much water in the tank, the steam set too high, steam used before the iron was hot, or the steam lever left on while you dry iron. It also warns that steaming on a low temperature setting can make the soleplate drip. Fill the tank no higher than its fill line, let the iron preheat fully (step 1), turn the steam down, and start again. If a dark shirt comes up shiny, turn it inside out, as FAQ 2 below explains. If you find a grease mark before you iron, our guide on how to remove oil stains from clothes covers what to do first. To save time, iron the week's shirts in one session and hang them in your closet. Once the shirt is on, our guide on how to tie a tie covers the knot.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
For a dress shirt, use an iron. A steamer relaxes wrinkles in hanging fabric, but nothing presses the collar, cuffs, and button placket flat, so they do not come out crisp. Use a steamer to freshen a casual shirt or to touch up a shirt at a hotel. If your iron has a vertical steam function, it does the same job on a shirt that is on its hanger.
Turn the shirt inside out. New Mexico State University's extension guide says to press dark cottons on the wrong side to prevent shine. Where you have to iron the right side, put a pressing cloth between the iron and the shirt. CHI's manual says a clean white dish towel or a 100% cotton pillowcase works as well as a bought pressing cloth, and that you do not need to raise the temperature when you use one.
Starch is optional. The University of Arkansas leaflet says it helps a shirt stay crisp, resist wrinkles, and hold its shape through the day. To use spray starch, work on one section at a time, on a shirt that is clean and slightly damp. Hold the can 6 to 10 inches away and mist lightly without soaking the fabric. Let it sit for a few seconds, then iron as usual. Use less starch for a softer finish. The leaflet says to avoid starch on delicate fabrics like silk and on synthetics, and to clean the iron regularly so starch does not build up on it.
Dampen the crease, smooth the fabric flat with your hand, and iron over it again. Use the spray bottle or the spray button on the iron. On a sleeve, check that both layers are flat before the iron touches them, because a fold in the under layer gets pressed in with the top one.
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How to Iron a Shirt
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