The owner has a dinner ashore in forty minutes and hands you a linen jacket and a silk blouse. The iron is still set on cotton from the bed linen you did this morning. If you touch that blouse now you will glaze it, and glazing is permanent. Temperature control is the whole craft.
Ironing vs pressing vs steaming
| Technique | What it is | Use on |
|---|---|---|
| Ironing | Sliding a heated soleplate over the fabric | Cotton and linen: bed linen, shirts, tablecloths, napkins |
| Pressing | Lifting the iron, placing it down, applying weight and steam, lifting again | Wool, tailoring, structured garments, anything that must not be stretched |
| Steaming | Hot vapour without soleplate contact, garment hanging | Silk, velvet, delicate knits, pleats, refreshing suits and dresses, curtains and soft furnishings |
Wool and knitwear are pressed, not ironed — sliding an iron over them stretches and distorts the fabric permanently.
Temperature guide
| Setting | Approx. | Fibres |
|---|---|---|
| One dot | ~110°C, usually no steam | Acetate, elastane, nylon, polyester, viscose |
| Two dots | ~150°C | Wool, silk (with a cloth), polyester blends |
| Three dots | ~200°C | Cotton, linen (linen may need steam and damp cloth) |
- Always work coolest first, hottest last — the iron heats faster than it cools.
- Synthetics melt and glaze: a shiny, hardened patch that cannot be reversed.
- Use a pressing cloth (clean cotton or muslin) on silk, wool, dark colours and anything with a nap. It prevents shine and scorch.
- Iron dark garments and silk on the reverse side.
- Iron damp, not bone dry — a slightly damp cotton or linen item presses far better and faster.
Technique
- Work in a logical order on a shirt: collar (underside first), cuffs, sleeves, yoke, back, fronts — so you never crush a finished section.
- Bed linen: iron flat pieces before folding, fold to the boat's standard, and stack folded edge outward.
- Do not iron over buttons, zips or prints — press around them or from the reverse.
- Empty and descale the iron/steamer per schedule; scale spits brown water onto white linen.
- Use distilled or the boat's specified water in irons and steamers where required.
Steaming
- Hang the garment; steam from top to bottom, keeping the head just off the fabric, pulling the hem gently taut.
- Steam from the inside for delicate silks to reduce watermarks.
- Never steam leather, suede, or anything with a glued/fused structure.
- Test on a hidden seam if you have not steamed that fabric before.
Onboard Notes
- Never leave an iron or steamer unattended, and never leave one face-down on a board. Irons are a leading cause of interior fires and burns.
- Secure the iron and board when the boat is moving; do not iron in a seaway if the boat is rolling.
- Let the iron cool fully before stowing, and stow the cable clear of the soleplate.
- If you scorch, glaze or watermark a guest garment: stop, do not try to fix it, and report it immediately.