Some older advice said to use distilled water, but this isn’t necessary and might even damage the iron. The one exception is if the tap water in your area is particularly hard, meaning it has a lot of dissolved minerals in it. In this case, mix the tap water with half distilled water. [2] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source

Always check the care tag to confirm the material that the shirt is made from. The care tag may also give the ideal temperature setting for the iron. Polyester, wool, and silk shirts can’t handle high heats, so make sure you set the heat lower if you have shirts made from these materials. Don’t go any higher than the low or medium setting on your iron.

You can skip this step if your clothes are still damp from washing.

Some dress shirts have buttons holding the collar down, so make sure you undo these first. Remember to unbutton the shirt too.

You can make a few more passes if the collar still looks wrinkled, but 1 or 2 is usually enough. Some say that you’ll get a better finish if you iron the front or back of the collar first. [8] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source There’s disagreement, so you can experiment to see if you notice a difference.

If you’re having trouble getting any of the wrinkles out, try spritzing the collar with the spray bottle a bit more.

Be careful not to hit any of the buttons with the iron or you could rip them off. If the space in between the buttons is wrinkly, then carefully press the thin point of the iron into these spots.

On most dress shirts, the pocket is on the side without the buttons. Smooth over this very carefully so you don’t rip it.

Don’t try this same motion on the other side with the buttons, or you might rip them off.

You could also do the back of the shirt first if you prefer. The order doesn’t matter.

It’s common to miss this spot, and many people overlook it. Don’t be one of them! Make sure your whole shirt is crisp and smooth.

You might find it easier to just use the front edge of the iron for this. It fits into the cuff better. Watch out for the buttons here too. You don’t want to rip any parts of the shirt.

Repeat the same steps for the other cuff.

If there are still some wrinkles left, work the iron across the sleeve to smooth them out.