Friday, November 5, 2010

Fake ironing

If you prefer, as I do, cotton shirts, the kind whose collars end up wizened after a spell in the dryer, you might be interested in fake ironing. Here’s how to fake-iron a shirt collar:

1. Roll collar into a tight ball, looking something like a cinnamon roll.

2. Wrap collar as tightly as possible with a rubber band.

3. Shower, shave, brush teeth, get partly dressed.

4. Remove rubber band from collar. Don shirt.
It works! I wasn’t plan to write this post this morning, but I wasn’t planning to invent fake ironing either. As you can see, I did, both.

Update, 5:58 p.m.: In response to a request for visual clarification, here’s a photograph. Note the cinnamon-roll effect. More clarification: start by grasping the collar at the back. Bring the two ends together. Roll from the back to the ends, keeping the fabric as smooth and as tightly wrapped as possible.

A related post
Minor kitchen wisdom (Household hints)

comments: 4

Unknown said...

you're going to have to provide visual aids for those of us who don't *exactly* grasp the method. :)

Michael Leddy said...

Coming soon!

Elaine said...

You know I love you, so I hate to do it, but I have to say:

it is quicker to heat up the iron and hit the collar, cuffs, and top 4" of the shirt front. Don a sweater vest or pullover, and you're good to go. Plus, you are keeping alive a dying art.

Michael Leddy said...

But rolling a collar and putting on a rubber band takes less than a minute, even less than half a minute. I do sometimes iron a shirt though, so I’m doing my bit for real ironing, in a very modest way. :)