ironing tips

Hi, not sure if my last message was posted as I am a relatively newcomer! However, my question was "how can I remove shiny iron marks from my black trousers". I am desperate!! Many thanks

Hi patriciaann, welcome! It sometimes takes a while to receive answers on here, so please be patient! If you click on 'watch this thread', you will be able to call it up later by clicking on 'Watching' above. I have had the same problem in the past, but I think the fabric will have been permanently damaged and it is too late now. It will be great if somebody comes up with a remedy! Good luck!

I think its something to do with ironing the trousers through a layer of brown paper. DH does all our ironing I'll ask him A good website to consult is Good Housekeeping - lots of tips on there. Welcome by the way.

Be VERY careful using the brown paper method! My husband tried to remove grease from a pair of suit trs, and ended up with an iron sized hole in them.
We laugh about it now , it was 45 yrs ago , he had 2 suits and we had very little money and wasn't so amusing then.

Oh! DH has a special ironing cloth he tell me now its a mesh thingy but he cant remember where he got it from.

My ancient household tips book says sponge with vinegar( just the ordinary sort) then press using a damp cloth. Hope it works

I was thinking what would happen if you took a wet cloth and dampened the fabric on the shiny area?

The only trouble with using Vinegar and then pressing is that they will stink possibly permanently . Go online and Google it Patricia ann

I agree with the vinegar remedy. I remember my mother doing that for my brothers school uniform.

I think you might be stuck with iron marks.
I iron everything inside out. Then use a damp cotton or linen teatowel if the like of trouser creases are needed.

Used to get this all the time and I really hated it. A friend recommended using a steam generator iron to iron my clothes because they can be used vertically. All I do now with a lot of my clothes is hang them on a coat hanger, hanging them from the side of my dining room cabinet and go to town with the steam iron on it.

You're probably not going to get quite as good results from ironing this way in comparison to using a traditional iron and ironing board, but it is a great alternative which will help you avoid the annoying marks. We chose our steam generator iron based on the information on this site: beststeamgeneratoriron.co.uk

That's a brilliant link - thank you unflith

As a former tailor, I'm missing a couple pieces of important information here:
What material are they made of? (e.g. cotton, polyester, acrylic, silk, rayon etc. and the percentages if they are a mix)
Is it a woven or knit fabric?

Oh, and the vinegar smell is nothing to worry about. It dissipates fairly quickly. I use it in place of fabric softner for most things all of the time.