Maybe OT but how do I do this?

[susancheerleader]

I have more then a few skirts. Some are pleated (I love pleats!) But apparently to wash them there is something to it.
I washed one of my favoret pleated denim mini's and the pleats came out!
The top is still somewhat pleated, but as it works down, the pleats fade to nothing. It looks a bit rediculous.
Anyone have ideas how to get them back? If I ahve to iron then I need a "how to" with that also! ;)

[Dana]

I have more then a few skirts. Some are pleated (I love pleats!) But apparently to wash them there is something to it.
I washed one of my favoret pleated denim mini's and the pleats came out!
The top is still somewhat pleated, but as it works down, the pleats fade to nothing. It looks a bit rediculous.
Anyone have ideas how to get them back? If I ahve to iron then I need a "how to" with that also! ;)

To iron pleated skirts, clip the bottom with clothing pegs.
Sprinkle and rub the base of the iron with talcum powder (while it’s still cold, of course) to avoid silky fabrics sticking to the iron. Alternatively, place a thin towel or handkerchief between the iron and the fabrics.
Fill a spray bottle with water and use it on cotton or linen before ironing to smoothen out creases. :D

[Julie York]

I've never tried this but I like pleated skirts too so this is something I recall from....somewhere?

If you lightly sew the pleates along the bottom to hold them in place then it can be washed and then ironed easily with the pleats still where they should be. You actually 'press' them by using a damp cloth between the iron and the skirt. Then air dry, then remove the light stitching.

[Stephanie Brooks]

Hey, it's denim - cotton. It's tough, and you must treat it that way. I HATE ironing anything cotton because it takes LOTS of heat and steam to iron properly. Pleats are no joy either. Combine the two and you have a challenge in front of you.

Set the iron for steam and set the temp for cotton.

Using a spray bottle, spray a fine mist along the pleat, w/o worrying too much if you get a fair amount of water on it. Don't drench it, but don't leave it practially dry either.

Straighen the skirt and pleats to look the way they should look. You can only do one or two pleats at a time. Now run the iron along the length of the pleats, one pleat at a time. Take your time. You will NOT hurt denim. Once done, rotate the skirt to get to the next pleat(s).

A pleated denim skirt would take me 20 minutes to iron, and that's mostly because of the pleats.