Drying and ironing

Machine-drying

Check care-label advice regarding the correct temperature for machine drying. If you have added starch to the rinse water, dry the load separately in the machine on an air-only setting, and if they are dark-colored, turn them inside out.

Your clothes will be less likely to wrinkle if you keep the dryer load to less than half full. (An average washer load will fill about one-third of the dryer space.) Items of similar fabric weight will dry more evenly. Care labels will advise you regarding drying times and temperatures. Do not put rubber-backed bath mats in the machine; their backing can crumble. Remove dry items promptly to avoid wrinkling. Remove items that will be ironed while they are still damp.

Air-drying and blocking

Hang washable garments on nonrust hangers and line-dry indoors or out. Hang easily stretched items on padded hangers or lay them flat. To ensure that the dried garment is sized properly, before washing it trace its shape using safety pins and a towel. After you wash, rinse, and blot the item, put the pattern on a clean, dry towel, then lay the garment on top. Gently pull and pat ("block") it to match the pattern and let it dry flat, away from direct heat as well as from the sun, which could bleach or discolor it. When it's dry on one side, turn it over.

General rules for ironing

Garments will be smoother if you iron them when they are damp, so if possible remove them from the dryer or line before they are fully dry. Smooth out seams and pleats on garments and pull linens back into shape immediately upon removing them from the dryer or taking them down from the line; even if they still need ironing, the job will be easier.

If you can't get to the ironing immediately, let items dry fully. Dampen them when you're ready to iron, sprinkling them with water and rolling them in a towel to distribute the moisture; or use the spray on your steam iron as you go. You might be able to use tap water in your iron instead of distilled water, depending on the manufacturer's instructions and how hard your water is.

When using starch or sizing, spray each item as you go, but allow a few moments for the starch or sizing to soak in so there's no buildup on the soleplate.

If you have a quantity of clothes to iron, deal with the garments that need ironing at the lowest temperatures first, such as synthetics and silk; as the iron heats up, work on the wools, then the cottons, and finally the linens.