Polyester is the general name for a whole group of synthetic fabrics that imitate a variety of materials - from silk and organza to brocade. One thing unites them - the composition. All types of polyester are made from polyester fiber, which is obtained from petroleum. Synthetic fabrics have been leading the way in clothing, curtains, bedding, upholstery, bedspreads, carpets and many other household items for many years. At the same time, not everyone knows whether it is possible to iron polyester and how to do it correctly.
Material features
Polyester disguises itself as any type of fabric - it can be tulle, organza, satin, brocade, and many other options. For example, in the production of bed linen, synthetic polyester fabric camouflages well under cotton canvas, but the markings on the label put everything in its place.
Why is polyester so good? This material has a lot of advantages:
- Low price. To understand the spread of prices, it is enough to compare the cost of natural linen curtains and their counterparts made of polyester -it will differ several times.
- Durable and durable: polyester products do not lose color and shape when washed, do not fade in the sun, do not shrink.
- Material does not stretch over time.
- Polyester washes well and dries quickly.
- Light weight.
- Polyester is of no interest to moths.
There are also many disadvantages: the fabric is poorly breathable, in the heat it is uncomfortable 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, which is why not everyone understands how to iron polyester. It is also difficult to dye, but this disadvantage is more related to the production stage.
Proper washing is the key to success
How to iron polyester? In fact, this is not where you should start. In order for the material to be easily smoothed, it must be washed properly. This is not to say that synthetic fabric is too capricious in washing, like, for example, wool and silk, but some rules will have to be followed:
- 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 polyester at a temperature not exceeding 40 ⁰С. On the washing machine, the "synthetic" mode is selected - 30 ⁰С or 40 ⁰С. When washing by hand, the temperature can be controlled by hand - it should not be hotter than the one at whichbathing the baby.
- All synthetics are quite electrified, so a little antistatic agent should be added at the last rinse.
- Products made of polyester in the washing machine must be wrung out at minimum speed. When manually squeezing, synthetics are not twisted or wrung out with force - just wring it out slightly.
Drying
If you dry your polyester items properly, they may not need to be ironed. After wringing, the products are shaken and hung on a dryer, carefully smoothing out all the wrinkles. 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 as long as the air is not too hot. However, care must be taken 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, items with leather inserts should only be allowed to dry naturally.
Traditional polyester ironing: rules and guidelines
Despite our best efforts, there are times when ironing cannot be avoided. How and at what temperature to 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 an iron pattern with dots inside. For polyester, the iron is drawn with one dot on the tag - this isindicates the minimum temperature. It corresponds to 110 ⁰C or below.
- It is impossible to iron polyester at temperatures above 110 ⁰С, otherwise it will deform.
- On the iron, set the regulator to the first position or to the one that matches the 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, you need to start ironing the thing from a small and inconspicuous area - from the inside out and at the edges of the thing.
- Polyester, if possible, 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 avoid heat distortion.
- When ironing, do not press on the iron.
- For heavily wrinkled items, you can slightly increase the temperature, but you should first test it - on a special trial piece or inconspicuous area.
Rewash
It is not always clear how to iron polyester if the thing is too wrinkled. Raising the temperature is dangerous, so for especially serious cases, a second wash is recommended. More precisely, you do not need to wash it, but wet the fabric in warm water, wring it out slightly, hang it up, 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. Do this with a steamer or an iron with a vertical steam function. The procedure is carried outas follows: the suspended product is treated with steam 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 remove wrinkles from polyester, but also refreshes the item, rid it of surface dirt and unpleasant odors.
Folk method
Alas, not everyone has steamers and modern irons. However, it is possible to iron a synthetic fabric well even with a minimum of effort.
How to iron polyester using folk methods? To do this, the product in a suspended state must be placed above a container with very hot water. It can be either a standard bath in an apartment or any tank. But you need to carry out the procedure in a small room, so that the steam fills the room and gradually smoothes out the wrinkles. Then the product is thoroughly dried. In fact, this is steaming, only more troublesome and time-consuming.
Ironing recommendations for polyester windbreakers
Polyester is almost waterproof, so it is often used in raincoats, windbreakers and jackets. How to iron a polyester windbreaker?
Recommendations are the same: after washing, dry it on a coat hanger, and then the product will not need ironing. If this cannot be avoided (for example, the thing is wrinkled during long-term storage), then it is best to steam the jacket - with an iron or a steamer.
If there is no iron with a vertical steam function, you mustiron the windbreaker like this: put damp gauze on the wrinkled area, smooth out the wrinkles and apply a hot iron. It is better not to touch the fabric with the sole of the device at all, or at least not to put pressure on it.
How to iron polyester curtains
Curtains must be maintained in accordance with their declared composition:
- 100% polyester fabrics should be washed at 40⁰C or less and ironed at 110⁰C.
- Viscose with an admixture of synthetics must be washed at low temperature and ironed when damp, otherwise the curtains will stretch under their own weight.
- Polycotton and linen/polyester blends should be ironed as soon as they leave the tub of the washing machine. Otherwise, they will dry out, and only repeated washing will save them.
- The silk/polyester blend should be ironed with the same care as natural silk.
