Skip to Content

Can You Iron Satin?

Satin is a beautiful fabric that is unique from other fabrics because it can be made out of many different types of fibers. It has a unique and shiny texture, but because of its texture, it can become wrinkled over time if you haven’t worn it in a while. You want to be able to get the wrinkles out while also avoiding damage to the fabric. So can you iron satin?

Satin can be ironed, but you just have to be careful to avoid damaging it. Use a low heat setting on the iron, turn the fabric inside out, and place a cloth over it before ironing it. As long as you follow those steps, you should be able to effectively remove wrinkles from satin without damaging it.

In this article, I’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to iron satin and how to iron specific types of satin garments. I’ll also explain how to remove wrinkles from satin in other ways.

Can You Iron Satin

Does Satin Wrinkle Easily?

Satin can wrinkle just like other fabrics. It’s not completely wrinkle-resistant, but it can take a while to wrinkle, mostly if it’s been folded up and not used or worn in a while. With that being said, the thicker the fabric is, the longer it takes to wrinkle. Satin fabric that is thicker will also wrinkle more quickly.

How quickly satin wrinkles also depends on what type of fibers the fabric is made of. For example, satin can be made of cotton, polyester, rayon, etc., or a blend of those fibers. Satin made from rayon and cotton will wrinkle more easily than satin made from polyester or other synthetic fibers.

Satin can also wrinkle when it gets wet or is exposed to heat. With that being said, if you wash satin and dry it in the dryer but don’t remove it immediately, it can become wrinkled as it cools off. It can also become creased, but again, it depends on the thickness of the fabric and what it is made of.

Can You Iron Satin?

You can iron satin, in most cases, as long as you’re careful about doing so. There is a reason why this is the case and some exceptions to ironing satin. Satin is not like other fabrics because the name ‘satin’ describes the type of weave used to make the fabric rather than the type of fiber.

For example, cotton fabrics are made from cotton fibers, polyester fabrics are made from polyester fibers, etc. Satin fabrics can be made from cotton, polyester, silk, rayon, acrylic, acetate, or any type of fiber woven together using a satin weave.

The satin weave gives the fabric its smooth and shiny texture, not the type of fiber used. The texture of satin also means that it can burn or scorch more easily when exposed to direct heat, especially when certain types of fibers are used to make it.

That said, satin made from synthetic fibers such as acetate and acrylic can not be ironed. Synthetic fibers are more prone to damage by melting and scorching than natural fibers are, so you’ll have to find another way to remove wrinkles from satin made from these fibers.

The exception to this is polyester. Polyester is a synthetic fiber that can be ironed, but it is still more prone to melting and scorching than natural fibers like cotton and rayon are. But natural fibers such as cotton and rayon can become damaged due to heat, mostly by shrinking.

This, combined with the unique texture of satin, is why it’s very important to use the right settings to iron it. As long as you use the right iron settings, you shouldn’t cause any damage to the fabric. But, if you’re ever in doubt, check the care tag to see if the fabric can be ironed before you do so.

Iron Setting for Satin

Remember that the unique texture of stain can burn easily no matter what type of fiber it is made of. Using the right iron setting is the most important thing that you can do to keep this from happening.

The right temperature to use for ironing satin is a low heat setting. The exact setting that you have will depend on your iron. For example, some irons have a setting that specifically says low heat. Other irons have numbers, while some have settings for specific fabric types.

If your iron has numbers, the 1 or 2 setting is safe as long as you correctly follow all the steps for ironing satin. Some irons have a setting specifically for satin, so that’s the setting you should use if your iron has it.

Other irons have settings for ‘synthetic fibers,’ ‘cotton,’ etc. If your iron has those settings, it’s best to go ahead and use the setting for synthetic fibers, even if the satin fabric is made from a natural fiber such as cotton.

Settings for synthetic fibers are a lower temperature than the setting for cotton or other natural fibers. Remember that with any type of satin, a low temperature is what you want when ironing it.

How to Iron Satin: Step by Step

How to Iron Satin

The biggest thing to remember when ironing satin is that you want to protect the shiny side of the fabric from getting burned. Before ironing the fabric, check the care tag first to see what it is made of. As long as the fabric is made from polyester, cotton, silk, or rayon, it is safe to iron.

Although you’re going to use a low-temperature setting for ironing any type of satin, the other steps you’ll need to follow depend on what type of satin garment you’re ironing. Here, you’ll find the steps for ironing satin dresses, shirts, tablecloths, and even satin ribbons to make sure to do it properly without damaging the fabric.

Dress

If you need to iron a satin dress or wedding dress, check to see what type of fibers it is made from first. Especially with a wedding dress, you don’t want to damage it. As long as it’s made from natural fibers or polyester, it’s safe.

You’ll also want to make sure to turn the garment inside out before ironing it. Doing so will protect the satin fabric and any embellishments that are on the dress. Once you’ve turned the fabric inside out, follow the steps below.

  1. Lay the dress on an ironing board or a larger surface, if necessary. If using a surface besides an ironing board, place a towel between the surface and the dress.
  2. Plug the iron in and turn it to a low-temperature setting.
  3. Place an ironing cloth over any areas that you need to iron.
  4. Start with the thicker areas first, then work your way out to the thicker ones.
  5. Don’t apply too much pressure with the iron.
  6. Use short strokes and lift the iron after each one instead. Leaving the iron in one place for too long can cause damage.
  7. After ironing the dress, let it cool before removing it. Remember that heat can cause satin to wrinkle even more, so the dress needs to stay as flat as possible while it cools.
  8. After the dress cools, hang it up so that it doesn’t wrinkle again. Protect it with a garment bag, if necessary.

Shirt

The steps for ironing a satin shirt are similar to ironing a dress. You’ll first want to check the care tag to see what type of fibers it is made of. Then, turn the shirt inside out before ironing, provided that it is safe to iron, and follow the steps below.

  1. Place the shirt on an ironing board or another surface. Again, make sure to lay a towel underneath if you use another surface.
  2. Plug in the iron and turn it on to the lowest temperature setting.
  3. Place a cloth over any areas that you need to iron.
  4. Don’t apply too much pressure with the iron and use short quick strokes.
  5. If the shirt has a collar, place a cloth over it before pressing it into place.
  6. Let the shirt cool on the ironing board before removing it.
  7. After the shirt cools, hang it up if you don’t intend on wearing it.

Tablecloths

Ironing satin tablecloths is a bit more difficult due to their size, but otherwise, the steps for ironing them are the same. Unless the whole tablecloth is wrinkled, you’ll likely only need to focus your ironing on certain areas.

You can lay your tablecloth on an ironing board, but it may help to just go ahead and place a towel underneath it and lay it on the table so that you have more space and so that the tablecloth doesn’t touch the floor as easily. The safest thing to do is to turn the tablecloth over and iron on the dull side of the fabric as well. When you’re ready to iron, follow the steps below.

  1. Plug in your iron and turn it to the lowest temperature setting.
  2. Place a cloth or large towel over the areas you need to iron.
  3. Don’t apply too much pressure and iron in one direction over the wrinkles and creases using quick strokes.
  4. If you need to iron other areas, let the first area cool before readjusting the tablecloth so that it doesn’t become too wrinkled.
  5. Once you’ve ironed the whole tablecloth, flip it back over and place it on the table.

Ribbon

Ironing satin ribbon can be a little different since ribbons are so then. You’ll still want to use the lowest temperature setting on your iron, but you’ll want to mist both sides of the ribbon with water first to prevent damage.

Once you’ve misted the ribbon, stretch it across the ironing board with the dull side facing up. Hold one end of the ribbon and place the iron near that end. Then pull the ribbon underneath the iron instead of moving the iron across the ribbon. This ensures that the iron doesn’t stay in one place on the ribbon for too long.

If the ribbon starts to become twisted, remove the iron and lay it back flat before continuing to iron over it. Depending on the size and depth of the wrinkles, you can run the iron over it a few times using the process above to remove them.

Can You Steam Satin?

Can You Steam Satin

Steaming satin is another effective way to remove wrinkles, as the water helps prevent damage caused by heat. You can use the steam setting on your iron to remove wrinkles from satin.

You’ll still need to turn the fabric inside out and place an ironing cloth over the area. Then, hold the iron a few inches away from the fabric and press the steam button. Steam over the wrinkled areas, then run the iron over the areas you steamed using quick strokes and very little pressure.

You can also use a clothing steamer to steam satin and remove wrinkles. Just hang the garment up, hold the steamer a few inches away from the clothing, and run the steamer from the bottom of the garment to the top. Make sure to not stay in one area for too long. Repeat the process if necessary, then let the garment dry completely.

Alternatively, you can hang the dress up in the bathroom, turn the shower on with hot water, and close the bathroom door. Let the steam from the shower remove wrinkles from the satin. Check the dress every five minutes to see if the wrinkles have been removed.

Can You Heat Press Satin?

You can heat press satin. But again, satin can be sensitive to heat, so you have to be careful while doing so and it depends on what the satin is made of. Remember that if the satin fabric is made from acetate, acrylic, or other synthetic fibers that are more sensitive to heat, you won’t be able to heat press them. But if it is made from polyester or natural fibers, you can heat press it.

When heat pressing satin, you’ll want to use similar methods when ironing it. Make sure to set the heat press to a low temperature. When applying the heat press to the fabric, use a medium amount of pressure and only leave the press on the fabric for about 10 seconds.

Conclusion

You can iron satin, but because of the unique nature of satin fabric, you have to be careful when doing so. Remember that satin refers to the type of weave used to make the fabric, not the type of fiber, so it’s more the texture of satin fabric that can become damaged due to heat; it’s not necessarily dependent on the type of fiber.

The biggest things you want to do when ironing satin is use low heat, light pressure and turn the fabric inside out before ironing it or iron on the dull side of the fabric.