SingaporeMotherhood | Preschooler & Up
December 2018
How to Iron School Uniforms Perfectly. Don’t worry, it’s not rocket science!
Our Singapore school uniforms are pretty cool. But how can you iron school uniforms — with their pleats, cuffs, and what not — perfectly? Get the pro-tips here.
School uniforms are great. They ensure sartorial equality, take away the hassle of daily outfit planning, and ensure that our ultra-casualwear kids look respectable at least a few times a week. But Singapore’s hot and wet climate, PE lessons, and general mucking around after school means that our kids’ school uniforms get grubby pretty quickly. While getting them clean is easy – just chuck them into the washing machine – it’s what comes after they’re dry that’s a hassle for most of us. Yes, I’m talking about the ironing.
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What with pleats and folds and collars and more, ironing school uniforms is a chore to blast all chores. But school starts in a week and those uniforms have to be prepped so here’s a guide on how to iron school uniforms, from the Ironing Guru at Philips Singapore, Aw Ee Ling, Senior Marketing Manager of Personal Health at Philips Singapore.
What’s the biggest challenge in ironing school uniforms?
The biggest challenge is ensuring a a quick and effortless burn-free ironing process as parents need to prepare crisp uniforms every morning for their children. Shine is another big challenge with school uniforms, especially on dark-coloured trousers and skirts.
Which school uniforms are the easiest to iron?
One with less hard-to-reach areas, buttons, starched collars, and pleats, will be much easier to iron efficiently.
What are the things that we need to take note of when ironing school uniforms?
To help your child look smart and presentable throughout the day, it is important to keep in mind that school uniforms are items that are worn daily and should be treated delicately with care. When ironing school uniforms, you’ll need to ensure that the fabric is ironed with the right heat and steam settings. If you have no idea how to adjust these, use an iron that does.
How long would it take you, the expert, to iron a typical Singapore girls’ school uniform?
The time taken depends on the type of iron you are using. With Philips irons that come with OptimalTEMP technology, it usually takes less than 10 minutes to adequately iron a typical Singapore’s school uniform set. With normal steam irons, this would be longer.
What are the right tools to help us non-experts iron school uniforms perfectly?
Good garment care practice is a key factor in keeping school uniforms looking their best for as long as possible, and this includes ironing. Choosing the right iron, like a steam generator iron, can help too.
How do we choose a suitable iron?
Ironing does not have to be a chore, if you make the right choice of iron! I like the Philips PerfectCare Expert Plus pressurised steam generator iron, which is an award-winning innovation right out of Singapore. It guarantees a no-burn on all ironable fabrics with no-temperature settings. This means mums (or anyone else doing the ironing) will not have to stress out about leaving the iron on for too long and still being able to get the perfect crease-free garment care experience. Every. Single. Time.
But in general, some things to look out for when selecting irons include:
• No-burns guaranteed: So you no longer have to fret about leaving the iron on for too long because you had to answer a call.
• Powerful steam generating capacity: To help you speed through your ironing routine: A constant high flow of pressurised steam helps to reduce ironing time by penetrating more layers of the garment and relaxing fabric fibres instantly, so you can tackle even the thickest fabrics with ease.
• Irons that are comfortable and lightweight: This helps to reduce wrist strain, especially if tackling a family-sized pile of laundry. Look out for irons that are lightweight and versatile enough to perform vertical steaming as well!
Any tips and/or tricks? Please share them with us!
For Sharp Shirts:
• Iron the back of the collar first and then the front by using the tip of the iron.
• Iron the yoke – this is the part of the shirt that connects the collar to the rest of the shirt.
• Start with the shoulder areas first and then do the back.
For Cuffs:
• If your child’s school uniform has cuffs, iron the cuffs by pressing inside of cuff first, then the outside.
• Lay the sleeve flat on the ironing board with the cuff opening up and begin ironing from the shoulder seam down to the cuff. Turn the sleeve over to iron the other side and repeat the process with the other sleeve.
• Iron the body of the shirt starting from one front panel, then do the back and finally the remaining front panel.
• Use the tip of the iron to press the area around buttons but don’t iron over the buttons. Voila!
For Perfect Pleats:
• Fold or arrange the pleats the way they are supposed to fall. As you hold them in place, iron over the arranged pleats beginning at the top of the pleat and working your way downward.
• You may find it helps to pin the pleats in place but do not iron over the pins. Pull them out one at a time as you iron.
• Remember to work from the top down!
This is the last week of the school holidays before the new school term begins on 2 January 2019. If the kids’ school needs (uniforms, name tags, school bag, books, stationery, transportation, etc) have not been sorted out and prepped yet, get started on them now. At least the ironing part will be a breeze now, huh?
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