How Many Shirt Wearings Per Ironing?

Huntsman · Jul 6, 2007

Seriously. I do not enjoy ironing shirts. Yet, after one day of wearing they are too wrinkled for reuse without ironing.

I spend much time at a desk, and I get the fabled 'honeycombing' around the elbows, wrinkles near the beltline, and general not-so-fresh-lookingness. Is this normal, if so, what do you do? Wash and iron after each wearing? Iron without washing???? If its not the case, what am I doing wrong? My shirts aren't Charvet and Borelli, but all decent and 100% cotton.

Help.

Regards,
Huntsman

Sartorially Challenged · Jul 6, 2007

You wear shirts more than once between washings?

gdl203 · Jul 6, 2007

edmorel · Jul 6, 2007

You should wash your shirts everytime after wearing them. Your body has oils and sweat that seep into the fabric. Ironing them without washing will set all this dirt and crap into your shirts.

Huntsman · Jul 6, 2007

Well, at least that's the consensus. Sartorially, yes, I would consider wearing a shirt more than once between washings. We have AC, and how many times are suits worn between washings? Quite a few.

Ed, I didn't really consider ironing a worn shirt, hence the extra ????s.

Will this ironing never end?!

Regards,
Huntsman

m_wave · Jul 6, 2007

You must wash your shirt each time you wear it

gdl203 · Jul 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Huntsman

how many times are suits worn between washings? Quite a few.
I tend not to wear my suits commando

AlanC · Jul 6, 2007

Sometimes I will wear a shirt for only a couple of hours, and this with an undershirt, too. When that happens I will sometimes use the shirt again for another two hour outing before I wash it. But if it gets anything approaching a full day's wear or it's simply too wrinkled into the laundry basket it goes.

I think it's just impossible to try to iron an already worn shirt.

Huntsman · Jul 6, 2007

Originally Posted by gdl203

I tend not to wear my suits commando

<laughs> Nor I, with my shirts.

Really though, I expect there are more square inches of skin/trousers contact than shirt/skin contact, especially as I always wear a white crew-neck underneath. However, the neck probably makes up for it alone.

Regards,
Huntsman

overdog · Jul 6, 2007

If I wear a tie with the shirt, the collar gets more yellow since there is a lot of direct transfer of oils to the shirt. When that happens, I try to wash after every wear. If I wear a shirt without a tie, usually the collar doesn't look too dirty after one wearing and I can wear it again.

That being said, recently I wore a shirt for a day, got some heavy oil stains inside my collar, let the shirt sit in my closet for 3 weeks, ironed the collar along with the rest of the shirt, and then wore the shirt again. When it came time to wash the shirt, I scrubbed the yellowness out with no problems.

aarghh · Jul 6, 2007

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Will this ironing never end?!

Regards,
Huntsman

Huntsman,

Here is what I suggest:

Post-shower and shave put on some music that will set the tone for the day - I find Art Tatum and Bix Beiderbecke work well for me. Then begin ironing. Once the shirt is ironed, have a cup of espresso. Remember, the coffee should be ground fresh, and the beans roasted less than a fortnight ago. Have the espresso, taking care to chew on the flavor, then dress.

Repeat every morning. Ironing should be savored. It is not a chore.

Tarmac · Jul 6, 2007

If you don't wash your shirts every time, the collars will turn out like this:

Luc-Emmanuel · Jul 6, 2007

Wash them after each wearing, iron them after each washing. If you don't want to iron them, buy more shirts

Sometime, if I know I will be wearing a sweater all day, I grab an unironed shirt, and I wash it again after wearing.
Regarding the suits comment, you are not wearing your suit directly against your skin.

!luc

globetrotter · Jul 6, 2007

sorry, hunt, every time I wear a shirt, even for an hour, it goes into the laundry, and then ironed.

horton · Jul 6, 2007

Following up on Ed's comment, don't iron a worn shirt or you risk setting in all forms of junk.

I would recommend one wearing only between washes, but in any case don't iron once worn

How Many Shirt Wearings Per Ironing?

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