Help with laundry, ideas please

We have exactly the same problem. I am currently camped out upstairs...away from the builders...surrounded by several large laundry baskets of ironing. Worse still, at the moment I can't do any as I've got carpal tunnel (well that's my excuse anyway!)

How old are the kids? If they are 5 or over...start by getting them to help.
I try to seperate out our laundry, so that I wash pants & socks & towels together - none of which need any ironing. Then atleast I know that that load can be put straight away. I get my eldest to pair socks & sort out whose pants are whose.

We've stopped ironing all unnecessary things. Sleepsuits, PJs, children's sheets (although I do like mine to be ironed )

I try not to use the TD, but when we do, yes you can fold most things straight away. It's best to give each item a really good shake before you fold it. When I hang stuff up to dry...whether inside or out...I also shake it well first & try to hang it as straight as possible.

I am trying to buy, atleast for myself, more clothes that don't need ironing. I have several lovely crinkle skirts & shirts which need tying up into a ball to dry. Sadly, the boys are not into these

Finally, I try to wash all things which need ironing together. That way I don't have a full clean laundry basket looking at me, when half of it might just be filled with socks (I really think I have a family of centipedes)




If all else fails, I ask the cleaner to do a few extra hours....normally she doesn't iron, & just keeps the kitchen & bathrooms looking less like a bombsite

i've recently found that not all of the clothes that are put into the laundry bins need washing - I've actually found some that have still been folded & ironed. The children sometimes seem to put their clean laundry anywhere but in their wardrobes/drawers and then when they decide to tidy their rooms, all clothes on the floor/chairs etc are put into the wash bin!

I now check everything and they know that if it doesn't need washing, it'll go back on a hanger and they just have to put up with the 'smelly sock' fragrance it has acquired

I'll put things on the line to freshen up too. I'm trying to educate them that washing unnecessarily is not only a waste of my time (because I'm the only one 'trained' to use washer and iron but hope to change that soon ), it's also wasting a huge amount of resources with electricity, powder etc too!!

We have a td and rarely use it but if i do, like others, I hang up or fold stuff straight away. and I never iron anything that does not absolutely need it

i have recently moved to a house with big garden so can use washing line hurray, but previous house was just a tumble dryer, if you dont over pack the tumble drier and do it as soon as it finishes it should all be fine just to fold and put away no ironing needed. but if you over load it will crease up. also if you forget about it in the td and it has creased dampen a flannel and put in or a couple of wet wipes put back on for another 10 mins and it should of removed most of creases. alot of clothes etc they days dont need ironing, if you no of things that always need ironing try giving it a really good shake out put on a clothes hanger and hang in the airing cupboard/balcony or outside space or in a sunning window etc. ive even heard people that put things under te matress to flatten it x

I rarely iron anything . Most things look fine once they've been worn for a short time. Sheets certainly don't need ironing or T-shirts and jeans. Poly cotton shirts if hung up to dry or tumbled are normally fine. I tend to avoid things like 100% cotton as it's too much work to keep nice.
Marks and Spencers non-iron shirts are expensive but a dream and come up looking lovely and smart . My 17 year old has to wear suits for sixth form and dress "as if he was at a job interview " so a M & S washable suit and M & S non-iron shirts all hung up to dry on the airer on the landing and he looks lovely, no ironing, no dry cleaning , it was worth the expense !

The few items we have which do need ironing tend to sit in the basket for weeks at a time until I need to use them. I discovered a top in there that I had forgotten I'd bought as worn once months ago and then waiting to be ironed !

Oystercatcher

i iron nothing...never have,(Except for weddings and funerals)

I see it as a miserable chore,that women (mostly) feel forced to do. i use a washing line or indoor rack. To be honest when i look at other kids,after they have been in their clothes for 10 mins,you`d be hard pressed (pun intended) to tell the difference between theirs and mine.

in fact DD`s best friend told her the other week that she always knew when DD was behind her because she could smell a clean washing smell (hey you can even buy candles with clean laundry fragrance!!)
Ladies release youselves....life`s to short to stuff a mushroom....and don`t even think about ironing it !