Be careful in ironing lace, ribbons, or any long, narrow strips, not to stretch them crooked, but iron them slowly, straight, and evenly; and with the point of the iron press out every scallop separately. Needlework should always be ironed on the wrong side. In ironing collars, care should be taken not to stretch one half the collar more than the other They should be ironed first lengthways, then crossways. Sheets and table-cloths should be ironed with a large iron pressed on them heavily.

All colored clothes require a cooler iron than white clothes, as too great heat is liable to injure the colors. Chintz should be ironed on the wrong side, as the starch is apt to show on colored clothing when ironed on the right side.

When ironing a dress, if the table is not large enough, set a chair in a convenient place to receive the sleeves, or any part which may hang down, so as not to let them touch the floor. First iron the body, next the sleeves, and lastly the skirt. A skirt board should be made wide at the bottom gradually narrowing toward the top. Cover it first with a piece of blanket, and then with coarse muslin; both of which must be sewed over it tightly and smoothly. This board is to slip into the skirt of a dress, which may thus be ironed without a crease. Puffings or gatherings should be folded or creased in half along the middle, and ironed out like a flounce or ruffle.

In ironing a shirt, begin at the bosom, then iron the sleeves, and lastly the back. A small board, covered like that used for dresses, will be found very useful to slip under the bosoms of shirts when ironing them.