Ironing Day Blues!!

Tallymanjohn

Another tip - don't keep 3 baskets - only have one then, when the pile becomes un-selfsupporting you're forced into doing it, but only one basket's worth.

Don't be tempted to sort through & pull out all the stuff which you can get away without ironing, it just means that when you do have to get around to it, everything will need ironing.

Hanging shirts on a hanger when still slightly damp can often mean that you can get away without ironing.

If it's all yours & OH then you're probably stuck with it, but if you have teenage or older kids as well, get them to do their own ironing - or go out looking scruffy, the choice is theirs.

taplady

I'm with MushPeas on this one and do a little most days - 10 mins a day is much easier than several hours worth! plus you must have a lot of clothes!:D we dont have that many so need to iron more often!;)
i usually do mine upstairs so its easy to put it straight away and also fold stuff straight off the line or from TD and you find you dont have to iron loads anyway! good luck!:D

moanymoany

Go through the shirts, if they say 'easy care' or are a mix of polyester and cotton, try putting them in the tumble dryer (if you have one) on hot for 10 ot 15 minutes. Take them out and put them straight onto hangers.

Don't worry about a few crinkles, the heat of the body gets the rest out. Mind you, if it doesn't it's too late cos the wearer is at work.

Tee shirts also respond to this treatment. also, with this problem near enough must be good enough.

This treatment should get the baskets down to at most one and a half.

If you haven't a tumble dryer, well, its wear things crinkled or fire up the iron and get out the wine and watch stuff. Another thing you can do is to listen to BBC7 or Oneworld radio stations for lots of serials, plays and old comedy shows.

rosieben

I dont iron now, but I always shake everything as it comes out of the machine and shake again and fold when it came off the washing line; I hang blouses etc, on hangers straight away.

I never ironed bed linen, towels, tea towels, underwear or anything that didnt really need it.

I kept a spray bottle of clean water handy to spray anything that was too dry - best to iron as soon as possible after the clothes comes out of the machine. I know you can buy special sprays for this now - but they're rip-off products!!

chaz19

Personally I hate the whole rigmarole of getting the ironing board out, getting enough hangers, little jug of water etc. so I prefer to do just once a week. I normally bung the Sunday roast in and set up camp in front of Eastenders omnibus (sad I know - lol!).

My OH is one of these who will put on a clean, ironed shirt, decide it doesn't go with his jeans so remove it and put it straight into the laundry basket. Lately I have been doing all my stuff first, then limiting him to 7 shirts/t-shirts and 4 pairs of trousers/jeans. Anything else he has to do himself (we both work full-time) and this seems to have made him think twice as he hasn't done any!

flea72

get rid of some of your clothes, if you only have enough to last one week, then ironing weekly will stop the big back log. if i had enough clothes to fill 3 baskets, then i would only think about ironing when the 3 baskets were full, and just looking at that huge pile, would be enough to put me off even starting

or, iron as they come out of the wash - one load of dry washing will take 1/2hr max to iron, even if its 20 shirts

fold all non-iron things as soon as they come out of the machine, and put away (or in piles on the dining room table/floor/table/floor, ok even im not totally organised lol), ie things like towels, bedlinen and clothes that people dont see (pjs, vests)

ive also found that ironing whilst watching a film is good if i have a huge pile (ooo err), but on a day to day basis, i find it takes roughly 30mins for a bung in the oven meal to cook - so whilst thats going, i stand in the kitchen doing the ironing - the ironings done and dusted, and it hasnt interferred into my evening too much

hth flea

Spirit_2

Okay - thanks everyone. This is my plan:

• I am going to make a pot of tea
• Put up the ironing table in the kitchen, find the starch and at least 10 hangers
• Sort the three baskets - to identify any non iron stuff
• Put shirts into hot tumble drier
• Listen to Year of the cat by Al Stewart
• Do Ironing and (if you will indulge me) report back in 45 minutes.

I think I am losing it.............

MushyPeas

Good luck Spirit! I just did the following and it took me 45 mins...but I'm rather slow and am using the kitchen side rather than an ironing board:

* 3 pairs of jeans
* 1 shirt, 2 tops with fiddly bits to iron
* underwear and socks

I think I need to get a bit quicker.....

daisyroots_2

Every weekday afternoon, Radio 4 has an Afternoon Play at 2.15, after the Archers. It runs for 45 minutes - till 3pm - and I try to fit any ironing into that slot, because the plays are usually good and often amazing, and I know I can stop at 3. TV is not so good in my opinion, because you have to keep looking at it, whereas a play can truly absorb you mentally and the time rushes by.

Carmen

I also hated ironing :mad: until I purchased a steam generator iron thingy :j It is brilliant, so much easier to iron with, even the really creased /hard to iron bits. My ironing can still pile up but now the task is less daunting. I find that with an 'ordinary' steam iron you still needed to put pressure on the creased items but not with the 'thingy' one so it does not seem like hard work. These irons are far more affordable now.
Your time is up Spirit;)
Carmen x