Ironing pleats in polyester

Use fine silk thread to baste *all* the pleats into position, then press with a slightly damp press cloth. Use the warmest setting you can without melting the fabric. Test for the right heat if possible on the wrong side in the hem area. If necessary, press from both the right and the wrong side. Allow each area to dry and cool completely before moving the fabric. If you have a clapper, use it vigorously.

HTH,

Beverly

Chuck the skirt in the bin. Life's too short. Go do something that you enjoy!

Gina

I seem to recall that vinegar is used to set pleats. And are you using a pressing cloth? I would pin the skirt to the ironing board (pinning each pleat in place in several places on the edge of the pleat and shoving the pin right through the board so that only the head was showing). I'd then use a mix of vinegar and water, rinse the pressing cloth in this and wring it out till it's damp. Put the press cloth on the skirt and press (not iron) and then leave the skirt in place for at least 10 minutes before attempting to take out the pins and move it. You'd only need to do this over the first width of the iron base to see if it works. If it doesn't, I think I would then chuck it. Unpressed pleats look pretty grim.

If it were I, I'd check with a good dry cleaner to see what they could do for it. If not, I'd use Beverly's suggestion of basting the pleats, then press on a piece of plywood covered with muslin, and let the pleats get stone cold after pressing before moving the garment.

Pressing on an unpadded surface and using a clapper results in the sharpest possible pressing. Letting the fabric cool thoroughly before moving it results in the longest lasting pleat.

You may also need heavy paper strips under the pleats to help prevent marks on the underlying fabric.

Kay

I have to agree with Gina; chuck it in the waste bin. It's always going to look like a polyester skirt that was wrongly pressed. The old marks cannot be removed.

Teri

I often do much of my own ironing because I'm rather fastidious, and I've found the proper equipment makes a BIG difference. I have an iron which has a steam generator that is heated separate and apart from the soleplate. This allows one to set the soleplate temperature low for polyester yet give you a large amount of steam on demand. I also use a Rowenta ironing board, which has a large, muslin-covered, padded surface. Both are pricey, but IMO the ease of ironing, the final result and time saved makes it worthwhile.

This kind of iron will make it MUCH easier, and then as Kay said, then allow the garment to get absolutely cold before moving it.

Wow! The thought of getting someone else to do my ironing is hugely appealing. The downside of that would be that I'd have to live somewhere where there were more people, so I'll stick to doing it myself.

And if you baste the creases in, leave the basting until you want to wear the skirt. Time is a great crease-setter.

As everyone who has found a skirt that fell off the hanger a few days ago will attest.

Joy Beeson

Doesn't Clotilde have a pressing cloth that permanently presses in pleats? I think I bought one years ago but that was then.....God knows where it is now.

Hope this helps, AK in PA

Actually, there are a lot of laundries around here (NYC/northern NJ) where you can drop off your dirty wash in the morning, and they wash, dry, fold and iron, and you pick it up at the end of the day!