Pleat to pleat, or how to iron a pleated skirt at home

Pleating is a popular design technique used by fashion designers when creating women's clothing.

A pleated skirt is at the top of fashion, but over time the folds can lose their appearance, so it is important to know how to properly iron such a product.

Our article will tell you whether and how to iron a pleated skirt at home.

Preparing for ironing

Do not rush to take up the iron and iron your pleated skirt. Before starting this work, you need to prepare:

1. Carefully study the information on the clothing label. It should indicate what temperature setting can be used for the fabric when ironing. By neglecting this rule, you risk ruining the item.
2. Clothes must be washed before ironing. It is better to wash the product by hand, but you cannot rub or twist it. When choosing machine wash, you need to set the “delicate mode” and the temperature according to the information indicated on the label.
3. Many housewives, before ironing the pleating, sew each fold with a thin thread, without tightening the stitches. It is not necessary to do such labor-intensive work; you can simply fasten the folds along the hem and in the middle.

These simple and affordable preparatory work will make the ironing process easier and more enjoyable, and the result – efficient and fast.

How to iron a pleated pleat with an iron?

It is not easy to iron a skirt with pleats, especially if there are many and they are small. With ideal care for the product, each fold must be ironed well. However, not everyone has the time, energy and desire to engage in such a scrupulous task.

There are some simple tips and little tricks, which will allow you to return the product to an attractive appearance:

1. First, set the iron to the lowest setting to evaluate the reaction of the fabric fibers.
2. When ironing, use the steam function; not all fabrics tolerate contact with water at high temperatures well.
3. Before ironing a pleated skirt, if this is your first time doing this, place a thin cloth or gauze on top so as not to burn the material.

If you dry the pleating properly after washing, you don’t have to iron it out at all.. The skirt should be dried naturally in a well-ventilated area, laying it out on a flat surface and carefully straightening out each fold. Clothespins cannot be used, they will deform the fabric.

When sewing pleated models, chiffon, silk, fine knitwear are mainly used, and much less often leather, wool and dermantine.

Each material has its own individual characteristics, which are important to consider when ironing a skirt.

Silk

If the skirt is made of artificial or natural silk, you need to iron it from the wrong side. Heat treatment of fabric can give it a greasy appearance.

Best when ironing a silk skirt To form beautiful folds, use slightly damp gauze. Ironing should be done carefully, avoiding pressing the iron hard on the fabric.

You don’t have to iron a silk skirt, using a non-standard approach:

1. Hang the silk pleated skirt on hangers in the bathroom, straighten out all the folds with your hands.
2. Turn on hot water for 10-15 minutes, creating a steam bath effect.
3. Leave the product in the bath for 5-10 minutes so that the fabric is properly lightened by the steam.

It is important not to let moisture touch the silk directly, otherwise the water will ruin the fabric.

Chiffon

Chiffon is the most capricious material among all the types of fabrics from which pleated skirts are made.

To properly iron the product and not spoil it, follow these tips:

• Avoid getting moisture on the material; even steam can harm chiffon.
• The iron should be moved with smooth movements without strong pressure in the direction from the center to the edges of the folds.
• After completing the procedure, let the product cool, leave it on a hanger for 10-15 minutes.

If you wash a chiffon skirt in a stocking, you don’t have to iron it.

Woolen

Pleated wool skirt experienced housewives recommend ironing through two layers of gauze using the steam mode.

Knitted

To iron a knitted pleated skirt and still have the product last for many years, follow these rules:

1. A skirt made of knitted fabric should not be exposed to high temperatures. The temperature when ironing should be set to a minimum.
2. You need to iron clothes through several layers of gauze or thin cotton fabric.
3. Ironing must be done from the wrong side.

Upon completion of care, the front side of the fold should be treated with steam.

Made from polyester

Most often, ironing of pleated polyester skirts is not provided and is sometimes even prohibited. You can find out about the dos and don’ts of ironing on the product label.

Pleated skirt You can iron it in two ways:

• Not with a hot iron. Baste all folds, wash, carefully iron through gauze in 2-3 layers.
• Use steamer. You need to hold the device at a distance of 10-15 cm and not linger too much in one place.

The second option is simpler. To ensure that the pleated skirt holds its shape well, before ironing the inside of the skirt, you need to draw lines along the folds with dry baby soap.

Made of leather or leatherette

If you need to iron a pleated skirt made of leather or faux leather, follow these rules:

1. Set the iron to “Wool” mode.
2. Turn the product inside out.
3. Place on ironing board.
4. Place a thin cotton fabric on top and iron the skirt.
5. Hang it on a hanger and leave it for a couple of hours.

From dermantine

In order for such products to retain their attractive appearance for a long time, it is important to learn how to properly wash, dry and store them in a closet.

How to restore wrinkles after washing at home?

If stored improperly in a closet or if washing rules are not followed, the folds lose their shape. You can restore them on pleated fabric in several traditional ways:

1. Grate laundry soap and mix with warm water. Add 1 tbsp to the soap solution. l. vinegar, starch and the white of one chicken egg. Moisten gauze or thin cotton cloth in the prepared solution, squeeze lightly and iron the pleated skirt through it, in which you want to restore the folds.

   Due to the egg white content in the solution, the iron may stick slightly to the fabric, so it is recommended to place a sheet of paper on top. With this method, your skirt will become like new again.

2. Impregnation for restoring and fixing folds can also be prepared according to this recipe. Take laundry soap, water and gelatin. For 1 liter of water you will need 100 g of soap shavings and 1 tbsp. l. edible gelatin. Completely dissolve all components in warm water, moisten the fabric and iron the folds on the skirt.
3. Mix water and vinegar in equal proportions. Soak the fabric in the solution and iron the folds.

Tips and prohibitions

By following these simple tips, ironing a pleated skirt will be much easier.:

1. It will be easier to iron folded fabric if you place the item in a stocking before washing and dry it like that.
2. When washing in a washing machine, do not use a spin cycle, it will ruin all the folds.
3. Before you start ironing the item, you need to prepare a clean and perfectly flat surface.
4. To make sure that the iron mode is selected correctly, you need to touch it to the fabric in an inconspicuous area of ​​the skirt.
5. First, iron the lining of the skirt, then iron the waistband of the garment, without touching the pleating. From the wrong side you need to iron the seams of the product.

There are also some prohibitions that you need to know about before ironing a pleated skirt:

1. You can’t linger on one piece of fabric for too long, as this can scorch the product.
2. The iron should not be pressed; its sole should lightly touch the material.
3. Do not spray directly onto the skirt from a spray bottle; a cloth soaked in water is used to generate steam.

Video on the topic

How to iron a pleated skirt:

Conclusion

Careful care, according to the information indicated on the product label, and compliance with the rules for ironing a pleated skirt will allow you to maintain the attractiveness of your favorite product for many years.