Ironing- if I have to do it, when would I do it?

[ohhellohnoitsagruffalo]

According to ongoing debate on mumsnet and another recent thread about looking groomed, ironing should be done after all. I stopped a while ago but feel as I am getting older and am in a more professional role that I should make more of an effort. Also for my DCs to look less scruffy. But I'm wondering, when does a working parent find the time to do it? How much time do people spend on it? It seems like a bloody lot of work.

I do it for half an hour max when kids are in the bath or doing homework, no biggie

On alternate returns of Halley's Comet. I'll be doing mine in 2061, since I didn't do in 1985.

When I used to iron, I used to do it on Sunday evening in front of the TV. I now have someone I pay to do it. If you work in a professional role, there's no way to get out of ironing.

"But mummy why do the clothes need to be any flatter"

DC, 4, after I tried to explain what the iron was. He'd never seen one before.

Well said, DC, well said....

Life is far too short for ironing, I think I've used mine once in seven years. I hang everything up to dry and it all looks fine.

It is a source of wonderment to MIL and SIL that I never iron (note they don't expect DH to though) but life is really far too short to waste on such pointless activities as far as im concerned. Just hang it to dry carefully and it's fine.

I always ironed whilst watching telly programs that I liked, so it was on whatever days they were on.

That was the days before 'catchup' etc.

I'm was Widowed, working with three Children. They ironed from around ten years old.

My eldest (18), likes to iron as she goes. I normally have a couple of days of midweek clothes ironed, I always have a co-ordinated work wardrobe and on days out, I'll sometimes iron as I go.

Never. Try never.

DH does his own shirts. I don't iron anything else - just don't buy things that need ironed. There are a million other things I'd prefer to spend my time on.

An hour a week, usually before work or maybe Sunday evening whilst watching catch up TV.

Little effort and everyone looks nice, Friends that opt out can be spotted instantly despite them believing you can't.

I'm currently watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix and have just ironed and didn't realise I was really doing it

I have had the misfortune of buying a few tips and dresses that require ironing. I have about six now.

I try and do them all at once before bed on a Sunday. Then they're all ready for the week. If they're in the wash. Then I don't tend to wear them until the following week.

I don't actually hate ironing that much but it's one of those jobs that no one would know I didn't do if I didn't do it because I'd just wear something else. Things like washing dishes has to be done!

Just make it part of your routine, it doesn't take long at all and there is still some things that just don't need to be ironed regardless of what a thread on MN tells you to do!

DH does his own ironing daily (and he's good at it) so I do mine and DDs work stuff on a Sunday morning or evening depending on our plans, then for anything else I iron as needed. I certainly don't stand there with a pile of dry laundry ironing stuff we may not wear for the next two months!

I wash almost every day. Things that need ironed go into a basket that fills up over the course of the week and I then iron everything on a Sunday night. Takes an hour at most to do a weeks worth including uniforms etc. Everything else is folded and put away each evening straight from the tumble dryer.

When do I iron?

Never.

Occasionally if the necessary creases have dropped out of DH's work trousers I will put them back in, but they rarely do if hung to dry carefully.

Nothing else as I am a slattern that way.

I don't care if people can 'spot' my non ironing. Im pretty happy with the message it sends out to the world.

I usually do 2hours a week in front of the telly. We went out all day yesterday and I am working extra hours this week (end of term is MANIC) so will try to empty my basket later today. At the very minimum I will be doing five shirts each for DS and DH, one school trousers for DS which won't take long and then I just do tshirts etc from the basket until my saved programmes are finished... DD is away so nothing for her and most of my work dresses look lovely straight from the line....

I absolutely hate ironing with a passion (and hate others doing it in front of me!!!). Best money I spend by a long shot is using a local ironing lady every 2 weeks.

Always after DS has gone to bed. I'm terrified of dropping the iron on him. Usually on a Tuesday. I sort the whole week's laundry into folding to put straight away (towels, nappies, underwear); stuff I need for the week, which must be done that night; and stuff I'd like to get done but don't have to (babygrows, outgrown clothes to put away, items we won't wear/use over the next week). The must do pile is always the smallest, which makes it easy to make a start and once I've started, I get a rhythm going and always do more than needed.

I prefer the radio to TV for ironing. Most of my clothes probably ought to go to the dry cleaner as they are typially very fitted dresses (I'm very hourglass and look dumpy in anything that isn't extremely shaped) so they have complicated pleats and darts. If I wasn't looking at the ironing board constantly, I'd iron in more creases than I take out. I tend to look for a documentary series on IPlayer radio with lots of episodes and just go through them.

Otherwise, if DH is home, he has instructions to watch something on the television that will neither interest nor annoy me, usually a sci-fi type thing, and I just let my mind wander.

All DH's work shirts do get done by the dry cleaner. When I think how much either of us would earn in the time it takes us to do one shirt, it looks like a bargain, especially compared to what they charge for a dress.

If your stuff isn't very fitted and cost isn't an issue, might a flat bed ironing press save you time?

An hour tops Sunday eve in front of TV

I enjoy walking programmes with subtitles and it is easier to iron watching those that sitting on the sofa with the iPad

I iron every sunday morning. Things get put in the ironing basket as they get washed and I fo them all in one go.

Don't iron stuff that doesn't need it, definitely not sheets and undies and iron just the front of t-shirts, etc.

I separate the clothes into piles of people and start with the youngest's first, they're done in no time, then I work through them, pile by pile.

I usually iron on a Sunday, watching Murder She Wrote. It takes about an hour or so. I hate ironing, but I love the satisfaction of seeing the empty washing basket.

Are you using a tumble dryer OP? don't put shirts in the dryer or indeed anything that needs ironing. Put damp shirts and trousers etc. on hangers and hook on door frames to dry overnight. Creases drop out instead of being baked in by the dryer! If the one you want to wear needs ironing, do it in the morning, takes 2 mins. I don't iron anything, but some mornings DH does his shirt.

I do a pile every week or so (usually when the pile gets so big it starts tilting) and have something mindless on the TV, it's a great excuse to watch shite.
If there's a particular top that needs doing mid-week I have one of those mini-boards, think it's from Ikea, that I just stick on the kitchen table. It's much quicker and easier than getting the regular board out.

Family of 4. My husband irons the school and work shirts for the day whilst I make the packed lunches.