(NAPSA)—Throughout life there are countless occasions when your appearance affects the way others perceive you. Whether for a job interview, a blind date or meeting the future in-laws, we spend countless hours preparing ourselves to look our best and put our best foot forward. But what really matters most when it comes to first impressions? A survey conducted by Braun FreeStyle irons found that 97 percent of Americans still believe that a well-ironed appearanceis the key to making a good first impression. Maintaining a well-pressed appearance is an important part of looking your best. In most cases, expensive dry cleaningbills are not necessary when you can achieve a perfectly pressed look at home. Saving time and money, more than half of Americans—71 percent of women compared to 27 percent of men—still do their own ironing. And, while ironing may not be our favorite household task—38 percent of people in the career-focused Baby Boomer generation rank ironing as their least favorite chore—it is essential to keeping clothes and, most importantly, overall appearance, neat and wrinkle-free. How can you achieve a neatly pressed look at home? It’s easier and faster than you may think. Here are somehints that can help you masterthe lost art of ironing: * Alwaysuse an ironing board. Garments ironed on tabletops, floors, etc., never look as good as those ironed on a board because one section of ironed clothing inevitably re-wrinkles when you move on to the next section. Choose an ironing board with adjustable height options and position it at hip level to avoid backstrain. * Obey care labels. Sort your laundry so that delicate fabrics such as silk or nylon that need to be ironed at low temperatures are A well-ironed appearance is the key to making a good first impression. tackled first. That way there is no need to wait for the iron to cool down. The light-weight Braun FreeStyle Pro iron (www.braun. com) has a “textile protector” that can be affixed to the soleplate to iron delicate fabrics or decals without needing to lower the heat level. * Never iron clothing that’s completely dry. Using an iron with a steam feature is a great way to remove even the most stubborn wrinkles. When clothes are slightly damp or lightly sprayed with water, they are much easier to iron. Steam heat is also the best way to remove wrinkles from delicate fabrics without needing to apply direct heat. * Never iron dark clothing directly. Iron dark colors inside out or use a pressing cloth between the iron and the garment to avoid shiny patches on the fabric. Using a textile protector can also help prevent unsightly marks to dark fabric. * Keep the iron moving smoothly across the fabric. Make certain to use a light-weight iron that glides freely because areas of fabric that are ironed for too long at a high temperature can scorch or yellow. Also, beware that scratches in the soleplate can cause less than desirable results and can sometimes damagedelicate fabrics.
