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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse to iron anything unless it's for work

61 replies

Pretendbookworm · 19/06/2017 16:52

I work part time, I have an almost 1 year old, DH works 40+ hours a week and it's a struggle just to keep on top of the washing and other household tasks! So I don't iron. I iron my uniform, because I work in a professional setting (and yes I will iron DS's uniform when he's older if I cant get away with it) but am I really a bad person for not seeing the point of ironing ordinary day clothes? Like why is it even a thing anyway?

Mother in law tidies my living room when she's babysitting and DS is in bed, I really do appreciate it. But she makes a point of saying she's left me an ironing pile if I have clothes drying. And when she's gone I cackle and throw it all on hangers and straight in the wardrobe then enjoy my evening.

Anyone else? Or am I going to have to learn better ways?

OP posts:

TheWitTank · 19/06/2017 16:54

Life is far too short for ironing. I don't think I have ironed anything for at least five years. Dry flat and put away.

RatherBeRiding · 19/06/2017 16:55

OMG No! In fact you would be very very unreasonable to iron anything that isn't essential (like uniform).

Life's too short to iron bedding, T-shirts...erm.... struggling to think what else I used to iron back in the Dark Ages before I had children and came to my senses!

TheMerryWidow1 · 19/06/2017 16:55

to be honest it depends how it looks, if it is creased and would look awful when worn then yes I have to iron it.

madcatwoman61 · 19/06/2017 16:56

I'm with you - don't iron anything unless it's absolutely necessary. I also handed school ironing over to children when they were about 12 as they did not appreciate it when I did it

rookiemere · 19/06/2017 16:59

What is this school ironing of which you speak ?

DSs school trousers and shirts are both designed to be tumble dried and not require ironing and I dry his jumper over the radiator so it isn't crumpled.

Yanbu I hate ironing

dementedpixie · 19/06/2017 17:04

I iron dh' s shirts and the kids school stuff and nothing else

wrenika · 19/06/2017 17:11

Life's too short for ironing. I don't even iron my work clothes - any wrinkles soon flatten out with body heat. OH irons his work stuff cause he needs to wear a shirt.

SpiritedLondon · 19/06/2017 17:15

Errr I iron most things - even non iron since they don't look good enough to me. ( and why anyone would be using a tumble dryer is beyond me). However it's a never ending task so if you're happy not doing don't. It's not a competition.

SpiritedLondon · 19/06/2017 17:16

I meant a tumble dryer in this weather ! Not generally 🙄

tissuesosoft · 19/06/2017 17:18

I don't iron (DP does his own shirts and trousers for work). If I have a particularly creased top I use my hair straighteners on them before I go to work

robinia · 19/06/2017 17:19

I still don't understand how people get away with not ironing things. It all looks so crumpled to me even when fresh out of the tumble dryer. But if you can get away with it then why not.

Augustbabyyeah · 19/06/2017 17:20

I never iron. Wash carefully, dry carefully, job done.

19lottie82 · 19/06/2017 17:21

I don't iron anything unless it really needs it like a smart shirt or blouse. The creases drop out after half an hour or so anyway.

dementedpixie · 19/06/2017 17:23

I don't tumble dry either. Once it's dried on the clothes horse/whirly it gets hung up or folded and put away. I dont care about a bit of crumple and a lot of creases come out with body heat

MsHopey · 19/06/2017 17:23

My iron doesn't even have a fuse in, it has to be taken out the kettle for weddings and no interviews
Totally with you!!!

Brittbugs80 · 19/06/2017 17:24

I only iron if needed. I used to spend 4/5 hours ironing on a Sunday, now it's hung up as soon as dried and put away. I spend less than 5 minutes ironing a week now. I never used to use fabric softener but have now started using it and noticed that clothes are less creased.

Purplepotatoe · 19/06/2017 17:24

YANBU!

NotJanine · 19/06/2017 17:25

I thought you were going to talk about ironing in this heat.

I can't bear the feel of creased clothes on me so I iron most things.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 19/06/2017 17:25

Advances in fiber technology over the past few decades means most clothes don't need ironing.

I get DH's work shirts out of the dryer immediately when it finishes and put them straight on the hanger. They turn out perfectly fine. Everything else gets folded and put away. The only time I get creases is if they sit in the laundry basket for hours.

We have to use a tumble dryer, our home owners' association won't let us dry clothes outside. We get letters for having too many weeds in the lawn so I'm not going to provoke them with underwear on a washing line.

spankhurst · 19/06/2017 17:28

I iron my work top in the morning, it takes 2 minutes. I don't iron bottoms (so to speak) or anything absurd like tea towels and pillow cases. DH irons his work clothes and DS' uniform in the morning, taking less than 10 minutes probably.

LorLorr2 · 19/06/2017 17:31

I definitely don't iron anything for the sake of it, if it doesn't have obvious creases I just wear the clothes and they sort themselves out and look fine haha. If you have a very smart polished style I can see why you'd need your clothes looking crisp though

PuppyMonkey · 19/06/2017 17:34

I don't iron anything. But TBH I also never understand the obsession with "folding and putting away" on MN. No no no, don't fold it, you'll get bloody creases in it then. Hang it up nicely.

Thanks for that I feel better now.

IrritatedUser1960 · 19/06/2017 17:35

i iron socks, bras, duvet covers but that's my prblem really, if you don't have time don't iron anything. It will only be dirty again in 5 minutes.
The only time I was disgusted about people who don't iron was when work hired a motivational speaker at great expense to talk to us about making the most of our working lives. She turned up looking like crap in unironed tartan trousers, paisley pattern top with birdsnest hair. She literally looked like she's just got out of bed in her pyjamas.
I expected better from a motivational speaker and felt irrationally angry.
Other than that I can't see a problem with it

alsmutko · 19/06/2017 17:35

If I accidentally buy anything which needs ironing it rarely gets worn. I have upstairs a nice pair of chambray cropped trousers which badly need ironing (they are sooooo creased) and they've been there for two weeks. I may get around to it. Or they may end up in the wash again and hung up so they are less creased (that's what happens when DD does the washing - creased clothes with peg marks). Or they'll end up in the charity shop bag.
In my defence, I did have a knee replacement 2 weeks ago. Although it'd be no different if I was completely fit.
Ironing? Not if I can avoid it.

robinia · 19/06/2017 17:40

I haven't got room to hang up all the tops. And cotton doesn't really hang out ime.
Don't get me started on bedding though. I nearly took a photo of my duvet cover before I ironed it this week, it was that creased. It had been hung out on the line to dry. Maybe I just have too much cotton/linen stuff.

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