Home and Living general advice thread

how do i iron a shirt without fucking up constantly and leaving creases in?

Ok, firstly check the care instructions to see what kind of material your shirt's made of. Synthetic fabrics or synthetic blends have a lower melting point and can be scorched by a too-hot iron.

Getting wrinkle-free shirts is easiest if you have a proper ironing board, because you unbutton the shirt, shove the pointy end of the ironing board into the shoulders of your shirt, and use that as an anchor to iron the two front panels and the back of your shirt. Mostly you just run the iron over whichever bits are wrinkly in a constant but unhurried motion, because leaving it sat on one spot increases the likelihood of burning something. Where possible, iron on both sides of the fabric.

The sleeves on a long-sleeved shirt are toughest to get right - the best method is to fold it as crease-free as possible along the inner seam (the one that runs from armpit to wrist) and adjust the placement of the two layers of fabric as you work along the arm.

The collar should be sprayed with starch before ironing (if you have it); give it a once-over without any folds in it so it sticks up, then let gravity do its thing.

Also: for problem spots, use the pointed tip of the iron rather than the larger flat area. Using just the tip allows more pressure and control (dohoho), and is necessary on the cuffs, collar, and around buttonholes. Be especially careful around buttons if they're plastic, and remember to promptly hang the shirt up on a coathanger as soon as you're done.

A quick bit of google-fu brings up all manner of guides with pictures/video, but I'm sure if you wanted a demonstration of how to do it without an ironing board I could whip up a set of instructions for my half-assed methods.


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I moved to a town a slightly further distance than what you're talking, Crowstone, for university, and moved into a non-university flat in my second year.

I don't think you really have to do anything, other than informing relevant parties (your bank is the main one that comes to mind) that your contact details have changed. Assuming you'll be renting at first, you'll have a contract with either the landlord or a subletter (a tenant who's been given permission by the property owner to rent out rooms and collect money for it). This will describe how household/utility bills will be paid and what's covered under your rent, which will vary depending on your situation.

In New Zealand, water and gas are paid by the building owner, so it was incorporated into my monthly/weekly rent. Electricity was separate; if you're moving into an empty property you'll need to look at your options there, but if someone's already living there it's usually already under control. Internet is a similar situation, but any or none of these things may be wrapped up in the rent you'll pay.

I can imagine all this being quite different in the States, so you'd best ask someone with some actual experience living there. Having a car makes things a fair bit easier, though.