Tips&TricksCut your ironing time in half with this kitchen staple trick

Cut your ironing time in half with this kitchen staple trick

Ironing trick.
Ironing trick.
Images source: © Brilliant

2:58 PM EDT, May 2, 2024

Is a mountain of wrinkly laundry looming in the corner of your room, waiting to be ironed? Sooner or later, it must be tackled, as the pile of clothes won’t magically shrink—it’ll only grow. To ease this dreary task, we're sharing a brilliant ironing hack that will save you significant time and leave your clothes impeccably smooth.

If I had to pinpoint the most frustrating aspect of ironing, it would be how thankless some materials can be. It’s that moment when, after flipping a garment over, it somehow manages to wrinkle anew. It feels like a never-ending struggle; no matter how often I glide the iron over the fabric, some creases stubbornly remain visible. Is there a way to overcome this? With today’s trick, ironing will no longer feel like a chore.

Ironing becomes a breeze with this trick

Have you ever spent what feels like an eternity ironing a shirt, only to still see wrinkles? There's a handy solution waiting in your kitchen—a roll of aluminum foil. This common kitchen item will revolutionize your ironing routine.

The method is simple: remove your ironing board's fabric cover and wrap the board with aluminum foil, with a shiny side facing up. Replace the cover and proceed with ironing as you normally would. You'll notice the difference after the first pass of the iron. The foil acts as a heat reflector, simultaneously ironing your clothes from both sides. This technique drastically reduces ironing time, and soon, wrinkled clothes will be a thing of the past.

Infuse your clothes with a delightful scent while ironing

Don't just fill your iron with distilled water to further simplify your ironing. Adding a secret ingredient accomplishes two things: it imbues your clothes with a fresh, delightful fragrance and makes the fabric easier to iron.

That secret ingredient is lemon juice. For every 3.4 ounces of distilled water, mix in 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, combine well, and pour it into your iron. This mix makes ironing smoother and leaves your garments smelling fresh. No need to worry about the lemon juice clogging your iron’s steam channels. On the contrary, its acidic nature helps descale them, effortlessly removing buildup.

Even if you choose not to iron with the lemon water mixture regularly, periodically adding some to the water reservoir and steaming through the channels can significantly benefit your iron. It's a cost-effective method for maintaining your appliance, offering a cheaper alternative to store-bought descalers or, even worse, buying a new iron.
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