What Is the Proper Way to Iron Chiffon?

The proper way to iron chiffon is to place it beneath a clean white towel and use an iron on the warm setting. Each pass of the iron must last no more than 30 seconds, even if the chiffon has serious wrinkles. If some wrinkles remain after ironing, hang the garment in a steam-filled bathroom. The steamy air relaxes the wrinkles.

Hot, direct steaming damages chiffon. However, wrinkles that persist through ironing and bathroom steaming benefit from quick, careful steaming through a white towel or sheet. For best results, use a garment steaming machine on its lowest setting and hold the nozzle several inches from the wrinkled area. After steaming for several minutes, uncover the chiffon and inspect the wrinkle. Persistent wrinkles require a second session with the steam cleaner. Hang the garment out of direct sunlight until it is completely dry.

One of the most luxurious and popular chiffon fabrics is called silk chiffon. Other silks also need extreme care during ironing and wrinkle removal. Silk fabric is extremely delicate and requires slow, fastidious ironing to prevent thermal damage. Burned silk is ruined.

Writing for Life123, columnist Timothy Braseth states that silk fabrics only tolerate ironing on the lowest heat setting. Some irons have a special setting for silk. Braseth recommends turning the freshly washed garment inside out and ironing it while it is still damp. Like chiffon, silk benefits from ambient steaming in a closed bathroom.