Steam Press a Sweater or Other Knit Garment
You can't iron a sweater, and there are some garments that will be ruined if you try to iron them. Here's how to get your sweater looking like new again.
Steps
- Start your iron heating up.
- Dampen a towel, preferably one that is not terrycloth.
- Lay your garment on the ironing board with any wrinkles smoothed out by hand.
- Lay the damp towel over a section the garment.
- Put the heated iron on the damp towel, and allow it to rest on the towel for about one second. Keep the iron still, and do not slide it around the way you usually do when ironing.
- Keep repositioning the iron until you have pressed the entire area that you are working with.
- Put the iron down in a safe place, and move the garment so that you can do the next section.
- When you have finished pressing the garment, lay it flat until it has cooled off and completely dried. Do not use hangers. That will misshape the garment.
Tips
- If you are pressing a garment that is finely knit, use a towel that is not terry, or the texture in the terry may leave marks on the piece.
- You may need to re-dampen the towel as you work to keep the steam coming.
Warnings
- To avoid risk of electrocution, don't take the plugged-in iron into the bathtub with you.
- Don't leave the iron in one place too long, or you may damage the garment.
Things You'll Need
- Iron
- Towel or other medium-sized cloth, preferably not terry
- Ironing board
- Water
- Rumpled garment
