Stopping Doing Pointless Traditional Things

Alanp

Washing?, ironing? Pairing socks?, I have a wife to do those things🤭

seven-day-weekend

KxMx said:

Ironing... Unless it is a uniform, smart work clothes etc, nothing actually needs ironing. 

It's a throwback from women having to beat & mangle washing, it should have died with the invention of washing machines but women kept on ironing and raising (mainly) daughters who carry it on and on...

We have an iron at home that's been used maybe twice in over a decade... When I move out I'm certainly not buying one.

I wash all colours together and have zero issues. Admittedly I have few whites but plenty of lights. 

Exactly the same here.  I have never separated whites and coloureds.

We actually have two irons, one traditional one and one vertical steamer.  I didn't know where either of them was until the other day when I found both of them whilst looking for something else.  What a waste of time ironing is.

(I am almost 72).

Skiddaw1

Oh I SO agree. Ironing is the Devil's work in my book.

turnitround

I used to hate ironing but ironed everything apart from towels and socks. I blame it on the mother in law who took me in hand at the ripe old age of 20 and showed me how it should be done (in her eyes). So determined to let her see her son had chosen well (pity I hadn't) I followed every instruction and spent 30+ years with an overflowing basket which I had to hide on several occasions when she was due to visit. I soon tired of the 'wash it one day-iron it the next day' rule. I resorted to throwing it all in a bag/basket/tub -wherever I could squash it in so it looked less than it actually was. When I did iron I would be on a mission to blitz it all and would spend a huge chunk of the day discovering clothing I had forgotten I owned as it had been at the bottom of the basket for so long.

When I met my now husband who lived alone and was what I considered capable he told me 'There are 2 things I don't do, I don't dust and I don't iron, both pointless'. I cant agree with the dusting being pointless .

Since I retired and have had so much more time on my hands I have come to realise that if things are hung properly after washing, all the better if you can dry outside on the line, and then folded nicely there is very little that actually really needs ironing. 
I moved house 13 months ago and my iron has never been out of the cupboard in this house. 
All those years chucking things in a laundry basket for years and getting paranoid about the pile getting progressively bigger I am finally free.

Silvertabby

Ironing is Mr S's job.  (If you want a husband who irons, marry a serviceman).  We prefer natural fabrics whenever possible, so they do need ironing. 

Mind you, we are not as fussy as my late aunt.  She would put a fitted bottom sheet on the bed, and then iron it in situ!

richardw

Cutlery - it's all the same as in no fish knives, no steak knives, no tea knives, just knives, same with forks all the same. Saves time when emptying the dishwasher, no additional sorting needed.

MovingForwards

Silvertabby said:

Ironing is Mr S's job.  (If you want a husband who irons, marry a serviceman).  We prefer natural fabrics whenever possible, so they do need ironing. 

Mind you, we are not as fussy as my late aunt.  She would put a fitted bottom sheet on the bed, and then iron it in situ!

Think that's why mine won't iron, although having him come house trained was a bonus.

I definitely never have to worry about my shoes and boots being polished as he enjoys doing that. I have to resist going full on wax, melt, polish, buff, repeat several times and we've not yet had a competition to see who does them better.

MalMonroe

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

jings, are you folks clarty or just lazy.

I iron my bedding and towels, fold neatly then put in airing cupboard.

Must be the younger generation, who live on ready meals rather than make a good pot of soup, or mince an tatties.

Not the younger generation at all. I'm 71 and gave up doing pointless stuff years ago. Life is for living, not for drudgery.

As for lazy, I think that's one of the most overused words in the English Language. It's SO judgemental. Some people have illnesses which mean they can't 'iron bedding and towels fold neatly and put in airing cupboard' for a start.

And who is anyone else to judge anyone for what they may or may not do in a domestic situation. I'd rather watch paint dry than be a domestic goddess. My home is clean, neat and tidy and I don't mess about with useless 'chores'.

MalMonroe

MovingForwards said:

My OH doesn't separate colours before doing the washing, as we don't own enough 'whites' to justify it. Clothes are hung up to dry and creases drop out.

We own an iron, no ironing board and I've not used one for about 30 years, can't say I've ever seen OH use it in all the time we've been together. 

We do pair socks up as we have numerous different ones. I guess we could start wearing odd socks 🤔

OH cooks from scratch, no ready meals or microwave in our home. I also grow fruit and veg.

Provided we are happy, why should anyone care what we do.

And what about you, don't you separate colours? Why is it left to OH.

Have you ever used the ironing board? Why say OH hasn't used it? Have you? I don't even own one.

Don't you cook anything from scratch? Why poor OH? 

If you and your OH are happy, that's the main thing. But I still don't know why all the chores seem to be something to do with OH.

MalMonroe

olgadapolga said:

The most pointless traditional thing to do, in my opinion, is sending Christmas cards. Why send them to people you never see? Why only get in touch with people once a year? To let them know that you're still alive? To ensure that you get s card back? Total waste of time and money, bad for the environment and the cards only end up binned (recycling or otherwise) anyway. Far better to ring or email more frequently.

I love sending and receiving Christmas cards. Phoning and sending emails one can do at any time of year. It's not special.

But that's not one of the useless domestic chores the OP was talking about. I love cards!