Polyester is a very flammable material that is sensitive to heat as well. Because of this, many people worry when they need to iron a patch on it. Don’t be too concerned though, we are here to help you!
Precautions
If you don’t want the polyester to catch fire and be ruined then you can take a few precautionary steps. These will most definitely save you some trouble.
First of all, start by setting your iron to low heat. This will ensure that the polyester doesn’t get ruined by the high temperature itself, plus it’s harder to generate fire this way. Make sure that you don’t use steam either, as you will just get everything wet and the low heat won’t be able to do much with it.
Then grab a piece of parchment paper or a thin material (we highly suggest cotton in this case). It should be big enough to cover the whole patch, so you don’t need to move it around. If you decide to skip this then there will be a ton of extra heat on the polyester and it will catch fire much more easily.
Make sure that you only have one layer of polyester below the patch, as it’s such a delicate and thin material that the glue can flow to the other side. If you don’t watch out then you will stick the back and the front of a piece of clothing together. And unfortunately, there’s no undoing that.
Then you can start the ironing. Make slow circular motions on the patch for 30-40 seconds while the glue melts. After the time is up try to lift some of the edges while holding down the rest of it. If the patch isn’t completely stuck to the polyester then repeat the circular motions.
Alternatives
If you would rather skip all the excessive steps and got straight to work then we have options for you.
Covering
The second precaution we advised was to grab a thin piece of cotton. That one still applies in this case, as it will be the only thing you need to do. Except for one part. It needs to be a thick and strong material that you stretch over the patch. This is enough to spread out the heat and the polyester won’t be damaged by the high temperature.
We highly suggest outlining the patch on the cotton though. That way you will be able to see if it’s still in the right place or if it has moved.
Fabric Glue
The easiest way to skip the whole messy ironing process is by using fabric glue. Simply put some of the back of the patch and attach it to the polyester. Make sure that there is no excess glue flowing out from under it and that you do this on a hard surface.
If you don’t want the patch to have 2 layers of glue at the bottom because it doesn’t look good enough then you can peel it off beforehand. Just grab a small knife and lift the edges. Be careful though, if the glue has already melted into the patch then you will have a harder job.
Conclusion
If you’ve been told that it’s impossible to iron patches on polyester or that it will just melt then now you know the truth. Share this knowledge with your friends!
You can also read our Newbie Guide – How to Iron on Patches with Ease (Newbie Guide)
