how much ironing do you do?

zippychick

I never iron, Never in a month of Sundays.

valk_scot

propinquitas wrote: »

No stop! I don't need encouragement in my slovenly ways ( Rebekah24, Tigsteroonie!) - I NEED reform!!:rotfl: My husband wears double cuff shirts which are a pain - he would happily help me out but he works long hours so I don't like him to have to do it. I like the idea of the little and often elsien.

Trouble with me is I like neatly pressed clothes and pillowcases- tho I won't iron duvet covers cos if they're dried right they don't really need it.

Justamum your comment made me laugh (re: shirts weraring out) there's no logic to men sometimes is there?:rotfl:

Right, if you actually WANT ironed clothes then you're going to have to iron, okay? But there are ways to help here...

Stick to the things you really feel need ironed. Don't iron all the other stuff just because you've got the iron out.

Buy easy-iron things ie yes pure cotton shirts if he likes them, but you can get ones that are treated so that they don't crease as much and are easy to iron. If you have a choice between a pure cotton garment and one with a bit of polyester or lycra in it, buy the blend.

Hang everything up neatly to dry, on hangers or pinned correctly on the line. If they dry into shape then less ironing. Don't just scrunch them up and boot them into the ironing basket. That's just making work.

Buy a good ironing board with a heat reflective cover and height adjustment plus a sleeve board.

Buy a good iron, not too heavy, with a button notch and non-stick sole plate plus a decent sized water tank.

Find a good place to iron. If you have to rearrange furniture to get the ironing board up and find a socket it will make it more of a chore. Remember you can iron sitting down if you lower the board, or buy a fold-up bar stool!

TV or radio essential.

Have somewhere to plut the ironed garments as you finish ie hangers on the back of a hook on the door, table for folded items. Let things cool down before you fold them though, or crush hanging garments together.

Don't let stuff build up in the bottom of the basket. If you find there's clothing sitting in it for months ask yourself how much you really need or want this item? Then send it to the charity shop.

If it's still too much, prioritize. Tell yourself two ironing sessions of perhaps one hour each, per week, is all you're going to do. Then make sure you do the essentials like the shirts first, work your way down the pile by order of importance and stop after one hour. Hang or fold the rest away unironed. You'll either get used to this or get faster. But at least ironing won't be taking over your life.

Now I used to iron and the above worked for me. But then I had kids and something had to give timewise and it wasn't going to be time with my kids, my hubby or my friends. If you start not being able to do things you want to because you're ironing then it's time for a rethink of what's important! So I stopped ironing (and quite a lot of other housework things) apart from the odd shirt for Hubby and I'm a happier woman for it, trust me.

sunflower76

Get a decent iron. We have a steam generator one and it's a joy to use. I usually iron once a week and that's it. For two of use, with shirts and trousers for work, it takes me around an hour per week max.

I usually watch Scrubs or Friends while I do it to pass the time.

propinquitas

Thank you valk-scot - good tips (with a no-nonsense approach) going to try and be a Born Again Ironer - you are so right - if I want things ironed I've got to - IRON! - there's a revelation!! Just got to stop procarastinating (like now?).

I hour a week sunflower76 - you're fast!

Oh well - better get the ironing board out.....:(

Thanks for the tips ladies ....

Justamum

propinquitas wrote: »

I hour a week sunflower76 - you're fast!

How about half an hour every couple of months? That's what I do :rotfl:

Justcoll

I find that watching TV while ironing slows me right down then hit upon the idea of borrowing books on CD from the library.

I used to iron in the living room because there's more space. I'd take a load of hangers downstairs and hang clothes as I ironed them - and them stagger upstairs again to sort them and put them away. I realised how time-consuming this was and now iron in the bedroom and put items away as I go. It's halved the time.

Whilst I don't enjoy ironing, there is a satisfation in seeing everything in drawers and wardrobes ready to wear - in the same way as looking at the fridge freezer and cupboards stocked up after a big supermarket shop.

INT1

LOL-I can't believe some people don't iron at all?!

We have a steam generator Iron, it's brilliant, very powerful.
I iron my work clothes on the Sunday and general clothes as and when I need them. At the moment we probably have about 4 hours worth of ironing to do in total!

Oh and I also use starch for my shirts, there is noticeable quality between clothes and cheapy clothes especially shirts tend to wrinkle quicker

Aril

I also do the ironing badly and with bad grace [my husband has tram lines running down his trousers as I can never get the crease in the same place twice] My absolute pet hate is shirts so I do all of those first to get them out of the way and then I leave the easiest bits until last like pillowcases [no tumble drier here]. I try to do in one evening a week and either watch TV or listen to loud crashy music that I can yawl along to whilst jigging around like a mad thing on the spot. I hasten to add I can't be seen or heard by my neighbours:rotfl::rotfl: Also ensure that any other halves or offspring can iron - as I tell them I wasn't born with an iron in my hand. OH has actually done the ironing for me this week as I've been working late and when small person is of the right age I shall iron his school uniform and if he wants the rest of his clothes ironed then that will be his responsibility. Yes harsh Mother I know [and unrepentant:rotfl:]
Aril

Nile

I've never ironed bedding, towels, tea towels etc...........life is too short.:rolleyes:

I get a real sense of achievement if I can get a load of washing dried outdoors (on the washing line) and ironed the same day.:cool: It helps if you can bring the clothes slightly damp which makes them easier to iron.

I also do the ironing in the bedroom. I put the television on but it's basically just to listen to.......because I'm busy watching the ironing board.;)

I hate ironing but I still do it. I once worked with a guy (a manager in a shirt and tie) who wore the most crumpled/crinkly white shirts to work. He was perfectly happy with his appearance and admitted that he didn't see the point in ironing.:eek:

I once heard a female friend of a friend admit that she irons socks and knickers!:eek::eek: That's just wrong.:p

theladsmum

I have come to the conclusion that some people have too many clothes. How can you have an ironing pile that you never get to the bottom of? You either need to wear the clothes or not, so iron and put away, or give to charity. Then keep on top of it by only iron what needs to be done. I know people who iron socks, undies, towels, teatowels - why?

I do one session a week, varying from 45 mins to 1.5 hours, in front of the tv to stop boredom. That is 2 adults and 2 kids work/school stuff, and any casual clothing items that look really bad!! Never do bedding, can't see the point.