Right, I’m at the end of my tether and about to commission the laundrette to starch and iron an Egyptian Cotton Dress shirt.

Before I do, what am I doing wrong? Twice now I’ve washed, tumbled dried to damp, ironed and hung it but then after 30 mins of wear it looks as though I’ve screwed it into a ball.   It can’t be this difficult surely?

Do I need starch?

I buy M&S non-iron Egyption cotton shirts and they just need to see an iron at 30 paces and the creases fall out. Very impressive, although I believe a whole load of highly toxic chemicals are involved in de-creasing the shirt in manufacture…..

Before we go down that route I have a whole wardrobe full of non iron shorts.  I don’t need buying advice – albeit thanks for effort.

I need to know how to iron this one, so it looks decent enough for at least a bit longer than 30 mins.

Egyptian Cotton can be a nightmare, have you tried lining up your ironing board with the Great Pyramid of Giza?

OR

Don’t tumble dry it.

Take it out the washing machine give it a quick shake then stick it on a coat hanger and let it dry that way.

what am I doing wrong?

Not buying non-iron shirts? 😉

On a serious note, no idea. My Dad used to have to starch all his shirts at University, but other than that I’ve never heard of anyone doing it this Century…

Touché… 😀

I would try this:

“Take it out the washing machine give it a quick shake then stick it on a coat hanger and let it dry that way.”

If that doesn’t work, put it in the bin, it is causing you too much stress.

Mick

after 30 mins of wear

Don’t bloody wear it then

Commission?

It’s a shirt, not a sculpture.

To be fair, commission does simply mean instruct.

e.g. I’m about to go and commission the barista to brew me a double mocha half-caf frappuccino latte with ice.

Did you google it .

Life is too short for bad ironing

Agree with geomickb. Since commuting daily and leaving my shirts screwed up in a locker, ironing is just not worth the effort. I don’t miss ironing.

 

after 30 mins of wear it looks as though I’ve screwed it into a ball

If it’s smooth after ironing then it crumples after you wear it, it’s not the ironing that’s at fault. Ironing gets creases out (which it’s doing), it doesn’t prevent them coming back.

I wouldn’t worry about it overly – wear creases are different to not-ironed crumple, and people can see this. That’s why linen still works even though it gets creased as hell. If it bothers you, pass the shirt on.

although I believe a whole load of highly toxic chemicals are involved in de-creasing the shirt in manufacture

I don’t think so, it’s a heat treatment.

I don’t think so, it’s a heat treatment.

I’m sure one method was to soak the material in formaldehyde and then heat press it….

That’s making MDF you’re thinking of.

Take it to a laundry/ dry cleaner pay the £1.50 ish to have it washed, ironed and put on a hanger, get on with life.

Can’t stand ironing and now I have to be reasonably smart for work I put all my shirts in at the dry cleaners.

Take it to a laundry/ dry cleaner pay the £1.50 ish to have it washed, ironed and put on a hanger, get on with life.

This is likely outcome.  Would asking them to starch it help make it last less creased much longer and for how long?

No idea I’ve never asked for starching and the shirts look fine, some will be on the hanger for weeks before I use them and they then get rolled up for the cycle to work with no problems.

If it’s a dress shirt surely only the very front needs to be crease free.

That’s making MDF you’re thinking of.

Turns out it is a similar process…

Process

Cross-linking is the chemical process to produce textiles with wrinkle resistance.[12] Wrinkle resistance is achieved by the crosslinking of cellulose chains to stop the molecules from moving when in contact with water or other environmental stress.[13] Cotton cellulose polymer comprises three different regions: the crystalline region, the amorphous region, and an intermediate region between them. Although in the crystalline region the cellulose chains are closely arranged, limiting their mobility, chains in the amorphous and intermediate regions are bonded together by weaker bonds making them more susceptible to breaking.[14] There are two types of crosslinkers, which are the chemicals that bond together cellulose chains, the first ones only bond cellulose chains, while the second self-polymerize resins as well.[13]

N-methylol and DMDHEU are reagents commonly used for the treatments because of their relatively low costs; however, they produce free formaldehyde,[14] which has been identified as a potential human carcinogen, and it can also cause harmful dermatological effects.[15] The use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) (as a catalyst/ co-catalyst for these reactions) has become an alternative way to minimize the formation of free formaldehyde and fabric strength loss.[14]

Dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) is the most commonly used durable-press finish. In this process, the chemical is first applied to the fabric. Then the fabric is heated to allow the chemicals to react with the cellulose molecules. In the reaction, the molecules of the fabric are bonded together to keep them from moving and causing wrinkles.[10][16] For this reason, durable-press treated garments behave as synthetics.[10] However, almost all the wrinkle resistant garments are made with poly/cotton blends fabrics.[17]

There are problems with the post-curing process, the final step of the treatment, because if the process is not done perfectly the garment gets damaged and can even turn yellow.[17] Companies have overcome the post-curing issues by producing wrinkle-resistant clothes using pre-cured fabrics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrinkle-resistant_fabric#Chemistry

Keep your jacket on and buttoned up.

If it’s only for wearing in “this season” then get the launderette to do it for a couple of quid..

Then once worn, get them to do it again and hang in the wardrobe until next season…

And repeat for 30years.

Seems to me that the issue isn’t in the ironing, it’s in the way you wear it.

1/ get fatter so the shirt is essentially stretched across you better.

2/ stand around rigidly, with arms held out at 45 degrees. No bends = no wrinkles

Failing that:

Keep your jacket on and buttoned up.

That’s the good bit about the colder seasons, i can then wear a pullover over my shirt and get away without ironing for best part of 6 months.

This is my kind of thread .
Soldering ,lawns and now this, heaven.
All the cool dudes wear them crumpled these days . 😉
We have some Egyptian cotton bedding that makes me weep when it comes to ironing it!

I haven’t ironed anything apart from the shirt I got married in for over 20 years. 🙂

Mind you, the lawn is immaculate.

If it costs less than an RS6 Avant, just bin it! Or alternatively, get a flight to Egypt for a new one?

@senor j you iron bedding??

I iron shirts for weddings and funerals and that’s about it. I think I’ve ironed 3 times this year.

When I first got married we didn’t have a washing machine and my mother in law kindly did our washing. Turns out she irons pants and socks! There is a lady with too much time on her hands!

When I first got married we didn’t have a washing machine and my mother in law kindly did our washing. Turns out she irons pants and socks!

For various reasons about a year after we got married we spent a month at the in-laws.
My MiL actually ironed creases in my underwear…
So very wrong.

“@senor j you iron bedding??”
Oh yes – nothing like nice crisp sheets. I draw the line at tea towels though.
🙂

*reads thread

*checks list of things that get ironed in our house….

*ticks off underwear, socks, bedding and tea towels

*feels a tingle of revulsion for all you crinklies

In my bachelor days I would iron a shirt for weddings or funerals, so not often.
My wife on the other hand moans about the enormous pile of ironing that’s produced every day!
I’m convinced she just sends it round again once done, Drop the Dead Donkey reporter style.

things that get ironed in our house

That sounds rather like you’re not the one doing it…

Our cleaners do my ironing (shirts!) and I love it.

As to the OP – I’ve never heard of shirts getting more creased with wearing, at least not in an unnatural needs ironing sort of way. Usually my body heat ( B~) ) smooths out any minor creases. Is it possible that Kryton is inventing an issue?

That sounds rather like you’re not the one doing it…

It’s a collective effort for the common good.

We’re like laundry communists.

It’s a harsh, brutal existence behind the ironing curtain

We have some Egyptian cotton bedding that makes me weep when it comes to ironing it!

Life is definitely too short for that kind of nonsense!

Commission?

It’s a shirt, not a sculpture.

Different kind of iron

Usually my body heat ( B~) ) smooths out any minor creases. Is it possible that Kryton is inventing an issue?

Its a very tight shirt but Kryton has a very crumpled physique

Egyptian cotton should really be ironed on both sides.

after 30 mins of wear

Don’t bloody wear it then

Buy 10 and change every 30 miinutes

People do actually iron socks and pants! I’ve seen my mate’s wife do it! I thought it was a 70s thing that my mum used to do. It really is quite a bizarre way to spend your time.

Hey, just thought – does that mean people iron their cycling gear too? 😆