How to iron
Here's a range of adaptations and techniques to make ironing safer for people with sight loss.
On this page
Safety considerations before ironing
Ironing techniques
Step-by-step guide to ironing
- Check the water level by gently shaking the iron and top up if required.
- Decide which part of the garment you want to iron first and place it in front of you.
- Start ironing from the bottom of the garment so you can pull the garment towards you as you move upwards to iron the next area.
- When you move the iron across the fabric, always lead with the pointed end. Use systematic grid or circular movements to cover the fabric.
- Always put the iron back in the 'hot zone' or iron tray before you place the next part of the garment in front of you.
- Unplug the iron as soon as you’ve finished ironing and leave it to cool for at least 10 minutes before putting it away.
Having less ironing
- Consider buying ‘easy iron’ clothing or clothes that don’t need ironing at all.
- Make sure that anything that creases easily is hung up in the wardrobe with enough space around it so that it doesn’t get squashed.
- When you take clothes out of the washing machine, shake or brush out the creases and hang them as straight as possible. Putting them on coat hangers to dry is a good way to reduce creases.