Pleat maintenance

[Steve Ashton]

Ironing and pressing are two different techniques. Both use a heated plate to soften fibers which releases wrinkles from fabric and to set creases.

But where they differ is the fabric they are used on.

Dimensionally stable fabrics like cotton can have the plate moved over the surface and in some cases the friction between the plate and the fabric can pull wrinkles from the heated fibers. (Cotton actually gets better and stronger each time you iron it.)

Pressing is used when the friction over softened fibers could distort the shape of the fabric.

On wool fabrics we use steam to heat the fibers and not the hot sole plate of the iron. In fact you can use steam without putting the sole plate in direct contct with the fibers at all. You can shoot steam through the fabric and press with a wood block. The block can act to suck the heat back out of the fabric setting the crease.

A standard household iron uses a very hot sole plate to create the steam. Industrial irons create the steam in a seprate tank. The sole plate of the iron can be cooler so that the fibers are not heated too much, scorching the fibers causing the sheen.

(if you see the sheen, this is actually damage to the surface of the fabric and in some cases is permanent and weakens the fabic shortening its life.)

So, on delicate wool, we do not move the iron over the fabric. We use steam to soften the fibers and then press.

A pressing cloth does not actually protect the surface as much as create the steam. We dampen the pressing cloth and the heat of the sole plate turns that water to steam.

The thing to remember is that wool must get hot to soften the fibers but the temerature needed to set a crease is also the same temperature where the softened fibers are become very delicate and can distort very easily.

The temperature where wool softens happens to be about the same as live steam. But where a household iron can damage wool is due to the sole plate needing to be much higher to create the steam.

The cost of home, tank style irons, (sometimes called pressing systems) has really come down in the last 20 years. Today you can get one for about the same price as a high end regular iron. I would probably not get one just to press one kilt but would really suggest that you investigate one the next time you need to replace an iron.