Is there any hack/ advice for tackling washing/ironing piles

[pippplop]

Seriously though, I just don't have the hours in the day. I'm working 6 days a week, 2 days are 12 hr shifts. DH is also very busy. We have two small kids and the ironing is insane. I don't know how to keep it tidy and out of the way. Ideally I should iron every day to tackle the load but I'm just so tired and busy that its growing daily. I don't know if I could justify and ironing lady

If you have any tips or advice as to how to keep the ironing under some kind of control or to avoid binning the lot please keep me posted lol

If the kids wear polo shirts, sweatshirts and regular school trousers/skirts they do not need ironing.

I only iron the occasional thing for myself eg a top I am wearing that day.

if you build up clothes in a big pile for ironing, they will get all crumpled and need ironing! Hang them up after they have dried and they will be fine.

Btw I used to be an ironer and actually quite like ironing but I find a lot of materials don’t need ironing these days.

Pile on a table. Get everyone to take the non ironing and put away. Then choose 20 items and time yourself. You'll be amazed how quickly you can do it (it helps if your iron is a steam generator).

What are you ironing?

Stop ironing anything non-essential, and each adult does their own. Once kids are in secondary, they learn to iron their own shirts.

Also, are you washing after each wear or when things need washing? It is difficult with young kids because they do make things dirty very quickly. But one way to deal with this is to put a scruffy tshirt on when eating/playing at home, which keeps better clothes cleaner for longer, because it is usually spills that cause the issue.

Try a clothes steamer. Clothes are steamed hanging up and it gets creases out.

Alternatively, hire someone to do ironing for you for a couple of hours a week.

Great tips, it's also the putting away that I hate 😂

I don't iron. At all. Unless 100% necessary which is every 10 months. One item

Two adults and two teens at home. Only iron shirts for work/ school.
Everyone has a laundry basket in their room. Laundry gets washed and dried the same day then folded whilst watching TV and during term time , I usually put it away for the kids

Don’t iron. Give everything a really good shake out when damp and put tops and dresses on hangers. And really asses what needs washing, don’t just wash when worn once.

Only iron what you really have to.
Buy a steam generator iron.
Buy a nice bottle of wine.
Find something nice to watch.

I used to iron to make spare cash, I know what I’m talking about 😆

The only things that got ironed in this house were DH.'s work shirts, he treated himself to. Hand held Steamer which is much quicker a d easier. He does them all in one go
We peg washing out as it's worn so nothing is folded over the airer to washing line, so it dries creasefree anyway

Spend some time setting up your cupboards or drawers so they work
Reduce overstuffed areas which are a pain to put extra items into
Have enough hangers
Pack away stuff that is seasonal for you and DH
Go through the kids and get rid of stuff that they have grown out of

I turfed a whole lot of towels that I never used that were cluttering up my linen cupboard and socks with holes or crappy elastic

I put all the clothes away immediately unironed to avoid piles building up. then I iron anything that needs it the night before (work days) or on the morning otherwise. TBH there't not much other than work tops and school shirts that need doing. Obviously H does his own and whatever the DC need when he's ironing his.

Reducing the amount of washing you do is the best way of cutting down on the amount of washing to put away! Everyone can wear their clothes another time before washing (except underwear obviously). Also saves money and better for the environment.

Re the "dry flat" advice, I think this means an item will take on the shape of where it dries, eg if you hang it over a rail it will dry with a crease where it was folded. With a fold-out airer, most things will hang on the bars, but anything needing to dry flat can be laid on top. Usually things like woollen jumpers which you probably won't be ironing. You can get net drying racks which can be put in the bath for sweaters etc.

If line drying, never use pegs on shirt shoulders where it will leave a mark. Peg the hem where it will be tucked in.

Most things don't need drying flat, thankfully. Agree with others, careful drying is worth it to avoid ironing. I'm not sure where my iron is!

Never iron.
Use the shirt cycle to minimise creases.
Dry on the washing line to blow creases out.
Small loads every day. Don't leave it all until the weekend.

What uniform does your dc wear? Surely it doesn’t need ironing. Even if they wear a shirt don’t they wear a jumper or sweatshirt over the top?

My dc wear a polo shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt and black trousers or leggings. When they were small they wore a summer dress. No ironing required for any of it!

Even if there are a few creases, when it’s on it doesn’t notice!

Reduce the washing.
e.g. Double the length of time between towel and sheet washes, children wear shirts, trousers, leggings, nightwear longer between washes.

Nothing happens if you wash bedding once a fortnight instead of weekly as above poster says. Especially in winter when we’re not sweating so much. We shower before bed. Everything lasts longer if it’s washed less often. PS I’m a clean, well presented person .

I'm baffled at how people have massive ironing piles tbh. I have I reckon 3? things a week that need ironing, if that.

I am yet to be convinced anything a small child wears needs ironing unless they're going to a wedding.

And your husband can iron his own stuff.

Problem solved.

I do shake things out really thoroughly and make sure I hang up carefully to prevent myself looking like a massively creased mess though.

I fold them and leave in a pile before putting them out to dry, seems to reduce creases.

Lower your standards, it really is that simple. Most stuff doesn't need ironing. The other thing is how often are you washing things, you read stuff on here that people use towels once and they're changed, likewise bedding and probably 3 clothing changes a day. None of that is usually necessary and if you can change beds and towels weekly and re wear some clothing items if they're not actually dirty or stained you will be creating significantly less dirty washing in the first place.

I never ironed school sweatshirts and pinafores. They didn’t need it. Polo shirts maybe a quick run over but they wore 2 a week so not much.

The best tip my DM gave me is to change out of work clothes and hang and spot clean anything. I get into joggers and a sweatshirt (same one m- f if I’m just dog walking after work).