How to Iron a Graduation Gown
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1 hours
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Beginner
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- 0-200
Ironing a graduation gown is an important part of looking your best before commencement exercises. It's a tough assignment because gowns hold wrinkles and creases from shipping for the very same reason they are lightweight, satin-looking and flowing: Most are 100 percent polyester (see the label).
Step 1 - Iron Setting
The secrets to pressing a gown are patience, persistence, and proper temperature of the iron. Keep the steam iron setting low to moderate—3 or 4 on a scale of 10 if your iron doesn't have its own polyester setting. Polyester essentially is plastic and too much heat will irreparably damage the lightweight fabric.
Step 2 - Damp Cloth
Use a damp (not soaking wet) ironing cloth over the gown. A solid-color cotton towel or dish towel will do. Iron with pressure, repeating as needed to rid the gown of wrinkles.
Step 3 - Options
For creases that won't budge, moisten the ironing cloth with white vinegar. An alternative is to mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water in a clean spray bottle and spray the crease. The vinegar's acidity will react to the fabric to release the polyester's molecular memory for hard wrinkles from packaging. The vinegar aroma will evaporate with the heat of the iron.
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![Phil McPeck]()
Phil is a contributing writer for DoItYourself.com. He's an experienced home improvement researcher and project creator with a wide range of interests, and especially enjoys learning about working with fabrics.![Lindani Chirambadare]()
With over 20 years of professional home cleaning experience, Lindani has extensive knowledge about best practices, space management, and cleaning solutions. Lindani especially loves researching natural, non-harmful ways to clean. She holds an LLBS from the University of Zimbabwe, and is a lifelong learner who always seeks to improve the world around her.
