---
title: "Can you iron polyester? It depends"
description: "Yes on the low synthetic setting, inside out, with a cloth between iron and fabric. What actually happens, what goes wrong, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you/iron-polyester/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you iron polyester?

**It depends: Yes on the low synthetic setting, inside out, with a cloth between iron and fabric.**

Polyester is a thermoplastic: it does not burn so much as melt, and it begins to soften well below the temperature a cotton setting reaches. A hot iron will glaze the surface into a permanent shiny patch, or weld the fabric to the soleplate. The low or synthetic setting, around 110 °C, is safe. Iron inside out with a pressing cloth or a thin tea towel between iron and garment, and use steam rather than pressure — polyester creases relax with moisture far more readily than with force.

## How to do it properly

1. Set the iron to the lowest synthetic setting and let it stabilise.
2. Turn the garment inside out.
3. Put a thin cotton cloth between the iron and the fabric.
4. Keep the iron moving and use steam rather than pressing hard.

## What goes wrong

- Too much heat leaves a permanent shiny glaze that cannot be reversed.
- The fabric can melt onto the soleplate and ruin both.

## Other options

- Hang it in a steamy bathroom — most polyester creases drop out on their own.
- Use a garment steamer, which never touches the fabric.

## Other "can you iron" questions

- [Can you iron linen?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/iron-linen/) — Yes — Yes, on high heat with plenty of steam, while the fabric is still damp.
- [Can you iron velvet?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/iron-velvet/) — No — No. Pressing crushes the pile flat and it does not come back.

## Common questions

### Can you iron polyester?

Yes on the low synthetic setting, inside out, with a cloth between iron and fabric.

### What happens if you iron polyester?

Too much heat leaves a permanent shiny glaze that cannot be reversed. The fabric can melt onto the soleplate and ruin both.

## Related pages

- [Can you iron linen?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/iron-linen/)
- [Can you iron velvet?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/iron-velvet/)
- [Can you microwave styrofoam?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-styrofoam/)
- [Can you microwave aluminum foil?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-aluminum-foil/)
- [Can you microwave plastic containers?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/microwave-plastic-containers/)
- [Can you wash pillows?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-pillows/)
- [Can you wash sneakers in the washing machine?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/wash-sneakers/)
- [Can you recycle pizza boxes?](https://atoneplace.net/can-you/recycle-pizza-boxes/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)