How to Iron a Tie

Ironing a Tie

Set up the ironing board. Put the board on a flat surface so that it is steady and will not flip over while you are ironing. Make sure that it is clean and dry before setting your tie down.

Put the iron on the appropriate setting. Read the label on the tie to figure out what material it is made out of. Most irons are labeled with fabric settings such as silk. If your tie does not say which material it is made from, play it safe and use the lowest setting on your iron. Silk and polyester ties should use a cool setting. Wool ties will need a medium-hot setting. Cotton and linen ties can use a hot setting.

Lay out your tie. Make sure your hands are dry, and then lay your tie face-up across the ironing board. Smooth out the tie the best you can. Make sure the tie is not stained, because if you iron over a stain it may permanently set-in and ruin the tie.

Saturate a pressing cloth. Ties are typically delicate, so you do not want to press the iron directly onto the tie fabric. Instead, you need to wet a clean, white cloth. Make sure that the cloth is damp, but not dripping with any excess water. Any drops of water that fall onto a tie could potentially leave a water stain. Keep wringing out the cloth until it does not drip any water.

Cover the tie with the pressing cloth. The purpose of the pressing cloth is to protect the tie fabric from coming into direct contact with the iron. Lay the pressing cloth completely over the area of the tie that you iron.

Iron the tie. To safely iron your tie, you will gently move the iron over the pressing cloth, and let the steam produced from the cloth work to release any wrinkles from the tie. Never let the iron rest in one spot. Using gentle pressure, start from the bottom, and work your way to the top. Iron small sections at a time as you move the iron from the edges inward to prevent creases. When you have finished one side, flip it over, and repeat the process. Make sure your pressing cloth is still wet. If it feels dry, get it wet again, and wring it back out.

Hang the tie to cool when you are finished. Before storing your tie or wearing it, make sure that it has completely cooled off, or it may wrinkle again.

Using Alternative Methods

Use bathroom steam to release wrinkles. If you want to avoid the iron, hang your tie in the bathroom as you shower. The steam should soften the fibers to help reduce wrinkles.

Make a "tie-roll" to remove wrinkles. Try rolling up your tie, and then lay it in a clean space with the flat side down for a couple of hours. Then, unroll your tie, and the wrinkles may have released.

Untie your tie when you are not wearing it. It may be tempting to loosen your tie, slip it off, and throw it on the dresser while you go relax. Try not to do this because this will cause major wrinkles, kinks, and maybe even permanent damage to your tie. Always undo your tie completely, and then hang it up on a rack, or lay it out flat when you are not wearing it.