The Ultimate Guide to Ironing a Shirt

Jamie Kim, Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Institute
·4 min read

While there are different ways to iron a shirt, finding a foolproof but easy method will make the task faster to do and leave you with wrinkle-free results. Achieving a crisp shirt without any creases can be tricky if you don't have your ironing routine down, but we’re here to help.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we have experts that know how to make everything about doing laundry easier, including ironing. We test just about every laundry-related item you can imagine, such as washing machines, dryers, laundry detergents as well as items that will make ironing a shirt easier like steam irons and clothes steamers. To get that perfectly ironed shirt, see what tools you'll need and follow our step-by-step guide below.

How to iron a dress shirt

  1. Starting with the shirt collar, lay the underside of the collar face up and iron. To keep the fabric smooth and wrinkle-free, press outward from the body to the edge of the collar. Then flip the collar over and iron the other side the same way.

  2. For a long sleeve shirt with cuffs, start by opening one cuff and laying it flat on the ironing board. Iron the underside of the cuff first then flip it over and iron the outerside. Use tip of iron to get into the pleats around it. Repeat for the other cuff.

  3. Place one sleeve flat on the ironing board with the underarm seam closest to you. If you don’t want a center crease on the sleeve, iron up to the edge but not over the top of it. If you don't mind a crease, iron the whole sleeve including the top edge. Flip the sleeve over and do the same on the other side. Repeat with the other sleeve.

  4. Lay one-half of the placket — the center front strip with the buttons and button holes — upside down on the board and iron the back. Flip it over and iron the right side, maneuvering around the buttons when you come to them. Repeat with the other placket half.

  5. Slip the shirt on the ironing board with half of the front on top. Iron entire front from tail to the collar, including the armhole seam and around buttons. Rotate the shirt to iron the side seam, back and shoulder yoke, other side seam and rest of front.

  6. Lay one shoulder seam on the tip of the ironing board and smooth out the fabric. Iron the entire shoulder area for a flatter line. Repeat with the other shoulder.

How to iron a t-shirt

  1. Starting with the t-shirt collar, lay the upper portion of the shirt (the collar, chest and sleeves) flat on the ironing board. Smooth out any wrinkles. With the iron, press all the way around on the collar.

  2. Smooth out any wrinkles on the sleeves and starting with the underarm seam, iron the sleeve working your way up to the top. If you don’t want a center crease on the sleeve, iron up to the edge but not over the top of it. If you don't mind a crease, iron the whole sleeve including the top edge. Repeat on the other sleeve. Then flip the t-shirt over and repeat on the back of the sleeves.

  3. Slip the shirt on the ironing board with half of the front on top. Iron entire front from tail to the collar, including the armhole seam. Rotate the shirt to iron the side seam, back body, other side seam and rest of front.

GH Lab Tip: When ironing t-shirts, it's best to use a gentle pressing motion in short strokes rather than dragging the iron to prevent the shirt from stretching out.

More GH Cleaning Lab ironing tips

  • Check the shirt’s care label for the recommended ironing temperature and set your iron to the proper setting.

  • Start with the most delicate fabrics needing the lowest temperatures first and work up to the sturdiest, highest temperature fabrics. Irons take longer to cool down than to heat up, so doing this will keep you from scorching delicate fabrics with a too hot iron.

  • Use your iron’s spray feature to lightly dampen areas of fabric before passing the iron over them for smoother results.

  • Use a light starch spray 6-10 inches away from the shirt and let it soak in a minute before ironing for the smoothest results and to keep spray starch from building up on your iron’s soleplate.

  • For stubborn creases, apply a burst of steam to help get rid of them.

  • To prevent your steam iron from clogging, be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations on what type of water to use as some types can cause build-up, block the holes and cause spitting. Always remember to empty the iron before storing it.

  • Immediately after ironing, hang the shirt to prevent wrinkling or neatly fold the shirt if storing in a drawer.

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