For me, I wash it when I get home but I do not iron it until I am ready to use it. When I am ready to cut fabric, I am ready right now and do not want to wait on it. And I have to wash it or my poor fingernails will start splitting and my finger tips get tender. I have never had a problem doing it that way. I read somewhere it is the ironing that is really hard on the fabric - so I don't do it until I need it. (Also, I'm lazy and don't want to iron twice.) Most of my new fabric is washed, dried and then put on the comic book boards when I bring it home, and that helps keep it fairly flat before it gets ironed.