Polyester is the common name for a whole group of synthetic fabrics that mimic a wide variety of materials - from silk and organza to brocade. They are united by one thing - composition. All types of polyester are made from polyester fiber, which is obtained from petroleum. Synthetic fabrics have been leaders in the field of sewing clothes, curtains, bedding, upholstery, bedspreads, carpets and many other household products for many years. However, not everyone knows whether it is possible to iron polyester and how to do it correctly.
Material Features
Polyester masquerades as any kind of fabric - it can be tulle, organza, satin, brocade, and many other options. For example, in the manufacture of bedding, a synthetic polyester fabric masquerades as a cotton cloth, but the marking on the label puts everything in its place.
Why is polyester so good? This material has a lot of advantages:
- Low price. To understand the price range, it is enough to compare the cost of natural linen curtains and their analogues from polyester - it will differ several times.
- Resistance and durability: products made of polyester do not lose color and shape when washing, do not fade in the sun, do not shrink.
- The material does not stretch over time.
- The polyester is well cleaned from dirt and dries quickly.
- It is light weight.
- For moths, polyester is not of interest.
There are also many shortcomings: the fabric does not allow air to pass through, it is uncomfortable in the heat in such clothes, and due to the fact that the fabric does not absorb moisture well, it is uncomfortable to sleep on polyester linen. Also, this material has increased rigidity, because of which not everyone understands how to iron polyester. It is also difficult to stain, but this drawback relates more to the production stage.
Proper washing is the key to success
How to iron polyester? In fact, you need to start not with this. In order for the material to be easily smoothed out, it must be properly washed. It can not be said that synthetic fabric is too capricious in washing, such as wool and silk, but you will have to adhere to some rules:
- Almost all synthetic fabrics are deformed by hot water - they shrink, wrinkle, ugly folds appear on them, etc. It is impossible to smooth out such defects later. Therefore, it is necessary to wash the polyester at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. On the washing machine, the synthetics mode is selected - 30 ° C or 40 ° C. With hand washing, the temperature can be controlled by hand - it should not be hotter than the one at which the baby is bathed.
- All synthetics are quite electrified, so with the last rinse you need to add a little antistatic.
- Polyester products in the washing machine must be wrung out at minimum speed. With manual extraction, the synthetics are not twisted and not wrung out with force - just squeeze out a little.
Drying
If you properly dry things from polyester, then they may not have to be ironed. After pressing the product, shake and hang it on the dryer, carefully smoothing all the folds. The jacket and windbreaker should be hung immediately on the shoulders, so things will be aligned under their own weight.
Synthetic fabrics respond very well to forced drying if the air is not too hot. However, caution must be exercised here, since many products are sewn from several types of fabrics at once, and not all of them will withstand such a procedure. For example, things with leather inserts need to be dried only naturally.
Traditional ironing from polyester: rules and recommendations
Despite all efforts, there are situations when ironing cannot be avoided. How and at what temperature should I iron polyester? In order for everything to go without unpleasant surprises, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Carefully study the label with information about the composition of the fabric and how to handle it: the ironing mode is indicated by the iron pattern with dots inside. For polyester on a tag, the iron is drawn with one dot - this indicates the minimum temperature. It corresponds to 110 ° C or lower.
- It is impossible to iron the polyester at a temperature above 110 ° C, otherwise it will deform.
- On the iron, the regulator should be set to the first position or to the one that matches silk.
- Often, a test flap is attached to synthetic products - on it you can check the correctness of the selected temperature. If it is not there, it is necessary to start ironing the thing from a small and inconspicuous area - from the inside and the edges of the thing.
- If possible, the polyester is ironed from the inside out and only through an additional protective layer, for example through a damp cotton cloth, gauze or dry paper. This will help to avoid thermal deformation.
- When ironing, do not press on the iron.
- For strongly crumpled things, you can slightly increase the temperature regime, however, you should first conduct a test - on a special test patch or a barely noticeable area.
Re wash
It is not always clear how to iron polyester if the thing is too wrinkled. Raising the temperature is dangerous, so re-wash is recommended for especially serious cases. More precisely, it is necessary not to wash, but to wet the fabric in warm water, squeeze it slightly, hang it, smoothing out all the folds and creases, and dry it. After this procedure, the product can be ironed.
Steaming
Steaming is the second most popular way to iron polyester fabrics. This is done using a steamer or iron with a function of vertical steaming. The procedure is as follows: the product is suspended in a steam state at a distance of several centimeters from the surface of the material. The device mode is “for delicate fabrics”.
The steaming process not only helps to remove wrinkles on the polyester, but also to freshen up the thing, rid it of surface contaminants and unpleasant odors.
Folk method
Alas, not everyone has steamers and modern irons. Nevertheless, it is possible to smooth out a product made of synthetic material even with a minimum of possibilities.
How to iron polyester using folk methods? To do this, the product in suspension must be placed above a container with very hot water. It can be either a standard bathtub in the apartment, or any tank. But the procedure should be carried out in a small room, so that the steam fills the room and gradually smooths the folds. Then the product is thoroughly dried. In fact, this is steaming, only more troublesome and time-consuming.
Recommendations for ironing polyester windbreakers
Polyester almost does not let water through, so it is often used when sewing raincoats, windbreakers and jackets. How to iron a polyester windbreaker?
The recommendations are the same: after washing, dry it on the shoulders, and then the product will not need to be ironed. If this cannot be avoided (for example, the thing is wrinkled during long-term storage), then the jacket is best steamed - with an iron or a steamer.
If there is no iron with the function of vertical steam supply, it is necessary to iron the windbreaker as follows: put wet gauze on the crumpled area, smooth out the folds and apply a hot iron. The sole of the device is better not to touch the fabric at all, or at least not to press on it.
