To ask for help with ironing

[GastonsWife]

I am aware of how pathetic this is!
I really cannot iron to save my life! Everything looks more creased afterwards then when I start. I don't mind doing the ironing I just can't make it look good. Can someone give me so some tips please?

Don't let things get bone dry before ironing. Try to pull and shake creases out when you take stuff out of the washer. Get a tumble dryer - I barely iron anything because if you whip things out of the dryer when it finishes you can just hang them up or fold them. Make sure you have a good steam iron and a decent ironing board with a cover.

I hate ironing and pay someone to do ours in the main.

We had a string above the bath. A retractable one like they have in some hotels. Putting clothes on a hanger and hanging them meant most creases fell out.

I'm another who ships the ironing out though.

Specifically what do you want help with? Shirts? Tea towels?

Just don't do it.

spray starch

Pay somebody else to do it - we use s lovely ironing man to do ours - £12 a week well spent!

My life was made infinitely nicer when I found out that my husband disliked ironing far less than I did so it became his job to do it all.

is it shirts and stuff you are getting trouble with? If so try ironing them straight out the washing machine, put them on a hanger and leave to dry. im not great at ironing but if I do it this way my shirts look completely acceptable and as good as my mums (who is very good at the art of ironing!).

Also use one of these things in the photo to hang stuff to dry. I iron before bed, leave shirts out overnight and they are ready to be put away in morning.....

A steam generator iron - one with the big water tank, gets creases out in no time at all.

Hang laundry to dry outside whenever you can, it smells fresher and is much less creases meaning easier ironing.

I just stopped bothered a few years ago. Not had any problems and I've saved loads of time.

I'd recommend it.

I am with ghosts. Spray starch the way.

you need someone to show you in rl.
You need an ironing board, and you put the clothes over the end so there is never more than one thickness on the board. Use the corner of the board, so wiggle the shirt should so the corner of the board is in the shoulder and the flat front of the shirt is flat on the board.

A previous bf couldn't iron for toffee until I realised that he was left handed and needed to turn the board and iron round. We also then got an iron with a lead that comes out of the middle and not out of the right hand side.

Use the point of the iron to guide it into the area you are ironing. As right hander I have the point of the board on my left, iron in right hand and iron from right to left, leading with the point, then lift the iron and take it back to the right (if that makes any sense at all)

My suggestions are

1. Don't bother ironing. Hang things on coat hangers to dry or straight out the tumbler.

For trousers fold them up whilst very slighlty damp with some weight on top for an 1/2 hour or more then hang on coat hanger and leave to air.

1. Get someone else to do it.

1. Keep an iron and ironing board for the odd items you need to iron like linen trousers. Iron said item just before wearing. Use lots of steam and make sure the fabric laid flat and smooth.

a) Shake all clothes really thoroughly before you hang them up so you don't have to iron most things.

b) Buy non-iron school shirts if relevant and possible.

c) Make all members of the family do as much of their own ironing as possible.

d) Consider buying a sleeve board (small board to put in sleeves).

e) Use distilled water (eg out the bottom of a condensing tumble drier) so that your iron doesn't scale up if you're in a hard water area.

f) hang things over the board so as much of the time as possible you're only ironing a single layer of fabric. Smooth everything out before you put the iron on. Be careful of expensive or synthetic fabrics - iron inside out as sometimes they can go shiny.

Do you iron your underwear, tea towels, towels and the likes?

Ditch that.

Do you iron sheets etc? I buy non iron sheets, but on occasion have the non iron (oldies) and if necessary will iron them on the bed with an extension cord. Not very often though! I figure once they are crisp and clean they will be creased very quickly anyway!

Shirts/trousers for work are probably necessary, so do that with a high steam outlet on the iron, or buy different fabric.

Anything else it is put on a hanger just about dry and that's it.

I feel your pain, but ironing is not necessary for most things. No one will notice apart from the clothes in a professional/work setting.

What's ironing?

Don't bother, haven't ironed anything for 5 years.

our iron only comes out for weddings and funerals!

Yy to good heavy duty steam iron. Iron when slightly damp, hang up to air.

I love ironing, stick a dvd on, glass of wine.

Get in the habit of doing it regularly.

Practice on pillow cases. But otherwise only iron essentials. Train dc up as soon as possible

Get a proper steam iron, one that sits on a base that you fill. It practically halves ironing time. Mind you, I pay someone to do ours. I hate it.

You need a decent sized ironing board, preferably with one of those silver coloured covers that reflects heat.

Then, a decent steam iron (the irons with the separate tank are best).

Other than that, it depends on what you are ironing - t-shirts, just lay flat, start at the top, then move the whole T-shirt down and do the bottom. With the decent iron and board you may only need to do one side.

Anything longsleeved, do the sleeves first, then the body.

Anything shaped with buttons etc (shirts etc), do the sleeves, then use the end of the board to spread it over, and work around.

I don't actually enjoy it, but I don't hate it either.

Step away.

Ironing is a woman's job I suppose. Yep. never ends.