How do I iron a shirt properly?

The order that gets a shirt done in five minutes without re-creasing the parts you have already finished.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 10 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Iron in this order: collar, cuffs, sleeves, back, then the two front panels. Working from the small fiddly parts outwards means nothing you have finished gets crushed by what comes next.

The order is the whole technique. Doing the large panels first and the collar last means resting the finished body on the board while you fight with the collar, undoing the work. Small parts first solves it.

Safety

Irons reach temperatures that cause serious burns and are a common cause of house fires. Never leave a hot iron unattended or face-down, keep the cable clear of the board, and unplug it as soon as you finish.

What you'll need

Iron and board
Spray bottle of water (optional)
Hangers (optional)

Step by step

Check the label and set the temperature accordingly.Cotton and linen take high heat, synthetics need much lower. Start low and increase — heat damage is instant and permanent.
Iron while slightly damp, or use steam.Slightly damp fabric releases creases far more easily. A spray bottle works if the shirt is already dry.
Start with the collar, underside first.Flatten it out fully, iron the underside, then the top. Work from the points inwards to avoid pushing creases towards them.
Do the cuffs next, unbuttoned and flat.Inside first, then outside. Iron around buttons rather than over them — the iron will not sit flat and buttons can melt.
Then the sleeves.Lay flat with the seam along the edge, smooth out, and iron both sides. Iron only to the shoulder, not into it.
Then the back, worked in sections over the board.Start at one shoulder, work across. The yoke across the shoulders is easiest done over the narrow end of the board.
Finish with the two front panels.The button placket last. Iron around the buttons, and use the tip of the iron between them.
Hang it immediately.On a hanger while still slightly warm. Folding a warm shirt puts creases straight back in.

Tips

Take shirts out of the dryer or off the line slightly damp and hang them straight away. Many need no ironing at all after that.
A shirt hung in a steamy bathroom loses light creases in fifteen minutes with no ironing at all.
Iron in sections and move the shirt around the board rather than dragging the iron across a large stretched area, which distorts the fabric.

Common mistakes

Ironing the collar and cuffs last — The finished body of the shirt gets crushed against the board while you work on them. Small parts first is the whole method.
Ironing over buttons — The iron cannot sit flat, so the surrounding fabric stays creased, and plastic buttons can melt or crack.
Folding a shirt while it is still warm — Warm fabric holds whatever shape it cools in. Hang it until fully cool.

Questions people ask

What order should I iron a shirt in?

Collar, cuffs, sleeves, back, then the front panels. Doing the small fiddly parts first means nothing already finished gets crushed while you work.

Should shirts be damp when ironing?

Slightly damp fabric releases creases much more easily. Either iron them straight from the line while just damp, or use steam or a spray bottle.