Make ironing less of a chore with sewing expert Denise Wild’s help. She shares her tips and favourite gadgets, here.

What to look for when choosing an iron

• Heavy weight
• Lots of steam vents
• A smooth surface that glides easily
• Features like a longer automatic shut-off, a large water reservoir and new technology like scorch guards on the Oliso Smart Iron.

Useful tools

• Ironing ham or tailor’s ham: a padded cushion to put under curves, like the bust or hip area, and prevent creases
• Pressing cloth: available at fabric stores (or use a sheet of cotton or linen) to protect delicate fabrics from the heat
• Sleeve board: a miniature ironing board for ironing sleeves

Tips

1. To avoid dents or impression lines down the side of your trousers, iron them inside out.
2. Iron a shirt cuff inside out first, then the do the outside if needed. For a French cuff, open it up and iron the inside. Fold it in half and fold it again (so it’s folded in quarters), and then give it one big press from the outside so you get a good crease down the side of the cuff.
3. To iron delicate fabrics, put a pressing cloth between the iron and the garment.