How to Iron a Graduation Gown

  • Written by Phil McPeck
    on Nov 04, 2009
    To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.
    Reviewed by
    Lindani Chirambadare
    on Feb 26, 2020
Steam rising from an iron
  • 1 hours
    •
  • Beginner
    •
  • 0-200
What You'll Need
Graduation gown
Iron
Cotton towel
White vinegar
Spray bottle
Clean water

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.



  • Phil McPeck
    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
    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.