Ironing Day Blues!!

Glad

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]

[Deleted User]

I don't mind iroing as I find it quite theraputic and i watch t.v. whilst doing as well.but I have always sat down to iron so maybe thats the thing .My eldest DD irons for England in that she seems to be constantly ironing whilst my youngest who has five children rarely does as most of their stuff is drip dry or her OH will iron the kids school stuff before they go in the morning as she leaves for work at 7.30.a.m. four mornings a week and rarely gets home before 7.30.p.m. at night.Her OH works from home and is not bothered about doing it he is a smashing chap he also cooks like a dream

NJW69

I iron very little.

I wear suits for work so dry cleaned and hung straight up inbetween.

Try not to buy things that look like they will be really creased after washing.

In winter use the drier and take out and fold up straight away, bedding is stretched, decreased, folded and dried on radiators and then put away.

In summer everything is decreased, stretched and put on line, folded and put away.

Me, OH and DS are all known for being well dressed and our house is pretty immaculate (do have cleaners) but I think I only iron about once a month.

OH wears polo shorts for work and sweatshirts.

When we had school uniforms I had to do it then but still not everything as I bought M&S no iron shirts etc.

My friend has loads of ironing but she doesn't spend the time decreasing and folding etc and just throws everything in the ironing basket in a heap.

If bedding is really creased you can iron it on the bed.

Penelope_Penguin

freakyogre wrote: »

OK, i'm currently having an amusing 'argument' with my sister about our ironing habits.

Do you iron everything (that needs ironing) and then put it away or do you wash, dry and put away and then iron as and when you need it?

I iron twice a week, and get it hung up and away I have no time to iron in the morning before work or school :eek:

I'll add this to the existing OS thread to keep ideas together.

Penny. x

borderlakland

jackieb wrote: »

And when the men in white coats come to take me away, i'm going to iron their coats before I go!

pmsl... thank you for that it made me laugh so much i spat my pepsi over the keyboard:rotfl:

orangesmartie

freakyogre wrote: »

OK, i'm currently having an amusing 'argument' with my sister about our ironing habits.

I happened to comment that I had a 'pile' (meaning probably about 10 items) of thing to iron, but I haven't done them yet as quite frankly, can't be bothered (which has probably created more work as it's got creased more in The Pile). I tend to do my ironing on a Sunday while watching TV, there is never a lot as I live on my own! I have to iron work clothes though as work in an office and don't think i'd get away with crinkly trousers and shirts

Anyway, my sister said that she doesn't understand people who have loads of ironing to do and iron for the sake of it. Her argument is that some of it doesn't get worn for ages so she puts it away once washed and dried and when needed, pulls it out and irons it on the day.

I said that I don't see the logic in putting creased (whether mildy or badly) clothes away as I like to know that I can go to my wardrobe and pull out anything and know that it's ready to wear. I don't iron for the sake of it, only things that need doing. Some of my things rarely get worn, so I won't miss them for a week or so while they sit in the ironing pile of doom.

She says it takes 2 minutes each morning to do. I say that in total I spend about half an hour max a week doing everything. I personally know that I wouldn't do it in the morning (and wouldn't want my board up all the time!), but know that she has to be up early anyway.


Anyway, getting to the point (which isn't to take sides...honest)

Do you iron everything (that needs ironing) and then put it away or do you wash, dry and put away and then iron as and when you need it?

...and before anyone says it, I am well aware I could have done some ironing in the time it's taken to post this :rotfl:

I iron in one go (when i absolutely have to). If i did a bit every day that would be:
1) 5 minutes to wrestle with the ironing board
2) 2 minutes to locate iron
3) 5 minutes waiting for it to heat up
4) 1 minute to swear because i forgot to turn the socket on
5) 5 minutes waiting for it to heat up
6) 3 minutes to iron said item
7) 5 minutes waiting for iron to cool
8) 5 minutes wrestling with the ironing board

Which equals 31 minutes that I would have to get out of bed earlier.

And i quite like rolling out of the shower in the morning knowing my clothes are ready for me. I just hate the preparation of ironing

EllieA_3

I have very little time at weekends and even less during the week, yet i've manage to lose two hours of my precious time to ironing every week!

I know there are people on the boards who iron very little, so my question is HOW!!??? because i would love to re-gain some of my time.

Back in the old days i used to have a seperate washer and dryer i found alot of things could be "tumble ironed" and that it would surfice, but since moving to a smaller house i've have to get an all in one washer/dryer and i honestly dread the day's i have to use the dryer function because when i do it seems to jump up and down on my washing so the creases are so ingrained it takes me ages to steam them out.

I work in a job that involved a full suit every day so i can't really slum it (though i often spend my weekends creased )

Help anyone?? any tips and tricks for a frazzled and fed up ironing hater!!??

greenbee

I now work from home most of the time, so don't have to deal with the daily suit trauma anymore, but can sympathise. OH and I returned from a month of work travel last year (we had odd days at home in between but not enough to make a real difference) and had about 30 shirts to deal with which OH insisted on doing at home (I wanted to have them done at the laundry with the bulk dry clean we also had). However, only 5 of them were mine, as I have managed to locate tshirts and other tops to wear with suits that don't need ironing. Anything with stretch doesn't need ironing, and neither do some of the uncrushable fabrics that I but for work clothes (I don't want to have to iron on arrival after travelling for hours).

While you slowly replace the stuff that needs ironing with stuff that doesn't, as your existing wardrobe wears out, one thing that does help is putting shirts on hangers to dry and hanging them on an airer. Dry slowly to let creases drop out but not so slowly that they smell musty.

BitterAndTwisted

The one thing I know about combined washer/dryers is that you cannot dry a full wash-load as there's not enough space in the drum, you have to split the load up in two halves. This is one thing my sister neglected to remember when doing her family's laundry and everything alwayscame out looking like a crumpled old dishrag.

The other thing is to never leave anything hanging around in the dryer, you must take the clothes out and fold them as soon as it has finished.

And lastly, never dry anything until it's completely bone-dry. It's better to take the stuff out and put it on hangers or on a line.

I don't own a dryer, I just dry my laundry on an airer indoors and the only things I ever iron are linen items in the summer-time. Life's just too short to be pressing if you don't enjoy it. If you can't get by without ironing pay someone to come in and do it for you if you can afford it.

zippychick

Hi Ellie

I can't remember the last time I ironed. I think it was last June when i started that new job..... I don't wear a suit per say but i do dress in smart business attire but seem to get away with it! I believe it's all about how you hang your clothes to dry and years of learning which fabrics crease less. I maybe am a little shameless too but I turn up highly poished for work every day

I looked up some threads which should help with advice and previous discussion

how much ironing do you do?

Ironing day blues

Anyone use a steam press for ironing?

Ironing water (while we're here )

I hate ironing (ref a tumble dryer)

if you iron so much you may need to clean the sole of your iron

Hope these help and ill merge this later on
Zip