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Original poster

Is iorning a thing of the past?

336 replies

icenasliceplease · 14/01/2018 19:56

The only time I find myself reaching for the iron these days is if someone is going to a wedding and a shirt, or outfit needs ironing. Or if one of us is going for an interview.
Otherwise, I'm careful how I wash and hang things. No creases. Job done.
I don't have an 'ironing basket' and never have a pile of ironing to get through every week.

Am I slovenly? or what?
My mother is a slave to the iron and spend hours and hours every week wading through a pile of ironing. Whereas I don't see the point. Life's too short. I've worked it out my mother spends, on average, 12 hours a week Ironing!

Do you iron?
Or not?

(Obviously if your job entails having an ironed shirt Monday to Friday, exceptions are made)

OP posts:
Pebbles574 · 14/01/2018 22:27

No, ironing isn't wasted time for me either - it's exercise to some extent. Much better to be standing up, moving about, stretching to pick and hang things up, rather than lounging on the sofa.
If I iron in the hour or so before I do to bed (while watching TV) I always sleep better!

Buxbaum · 14/01/2018 22:28

Bette

Permanent pleats in skirt of pinafore - hang from tumble dryer and rearrange by pinching into place if necessary. The blouses are quite heavily reinforced in the collar (these ones from M&S) so as long as it is folded sharply on the hanger it stays in place.

As I said above, I think it's only possible because it's quite a formal uniform. I wouldn't get away with it if she wore a soft polo shirt and sweatshirt.

PistFump · 14/01/2018 22:28

Yeah it all comes out at the beep and folded ready to iron. I'm wondering whether the fabric conditioner is doing its job.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 14/01/2018 22:29

I don't possess an iron.

Lucyccfc · 14/01/2018 22:35

I hang all my clothes up to dry them, but they still need ironing.

No matter how much you tell yourself you hang clothes well and they don't need ironing - They DO. I can always tell when someone hasn't ironed clothes, it's so obvious.

I still hate ironing, but it's a necessary evil.

LightastheBreeze · 14/01/2018 22:37

Pistfump, I never let my stuff that might crease go through the cold cycle of the tumble dryer, it always comes out hot and damp and crease free, then I put all the other non creasing stuff in and finish the cycle, hot and cool end bit.

itshappening · 14/01/2018 22:37

I suspect ironing is fundamentally a hang over from the times before tumble driers, spin driers and reasonably well heated houses. If it's been drizzling the last three days and your washing has been hanging in a damp house in the hope it will miraculously get dry, you're probably going to want to iron it before you wear it just to get the damp out. And perhaps it used to help with control of bugs too?

Unfortunately without wanting to sound too Dickensian, this is us (minus the bugs part thankfully). We rent in a city and although our latest place has a washer dryer the drying part is not very effective and even if stuff is dry it comes out horribly squashed and crumpled. We do have a decent spin cycle now, which really helps as the old place was an ancient machine that took 3 kg max and had a slow spin.

My DM irons bedding, as I consistently plan to, and I must say her room looks so much nicer for it.

AngelicaSchuylerChurch · 14/01/2018 22:38

What is it about ironing that makes those who do it feel so very smug and virtuous? The real die-hards are inevitably convinced that they can spot a non-ironed top at fifty paces. Have they tested this ability?

Smallpotatolove · 14/01/2018 22:39

I realised the other day we threw our ironing board out when we moved and haven't needed it since. That was six months ago, DH wears casual clothes to work and DS's school clothes are hung up to dry and seem fine without an iron.
DS once asked me very loudly at toddler group what a toy iron was and what you do with it because he'd never seen us use one.

LightastheBreeze · 14/01/2018 22:43

A work colleague was horrified when I said I didn’t iron stuff when she was moaning about her piles of ironing, I would have thought she would have known that I didn’t iron already since an ironer can spot a non ironer st 50 paces

LoniceraJaponica · 14/01/2018 22:44

"What is it about ironing that makes those who do it feel so very smug and virtuous?"

I don't feel smug. I am just wondering where I am going wrong because my clothes always come out creased. I don't mind ironing anyway.

Original poster
icenasliceplease · 14/01/2018 22:44

I can always tell when someone hasn't ironed clothes, it's so obvious.

I'm often told I look smart stealth boast alert and yet I very rarely iron.
How do you explain that?

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouse · 14/01/2018 22:46

I love ironing baby things 😍

...the bigger they get, the less ironing I do!

I work for myself, I live in jeans & t-shirts. 800 spin, no ironing, Line dried, no tumble dryer. Mind you, I’m like a furnace so I probably steam any creases out. I have a few shirts that benefit from being ironed, but rarely get it 🤣

I iron t-towels, pillow case and sometimes the duvet cover. I prefer them ironed, but hate ironing them.

Looooooong gone are my days of an ‘ironing pile’,

...I’m concerned that some of you feel you have be ironing to justify catching up your favourite programs. The TV works independently of the iron you know 😂

user1492970817 · 14/01/2018 22:48

Nothing beats getting into a clean bed with pressed sheets,pillowcases and duvet cover. I don't think a wrinkly bed would be nearly as appealing.

Original poster
icenasliceplease · 14/01/2018 22:48

.I’m concerned that some of you feel you have be ironing to justify catching up your favourite programs. The TV works independently of the iron you know 😂

Don't get that either.
Greys anatomy can be watched without drudging yourself through a pile of ironing.

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouse · 14/01/2018 22:49

No matter how much you tell yourself you hang clothes well and they don't need ironing - They DO. I can always tell when someone hasn't ironed clothes, it's so obvious.

Are we supposed to care that you can tell? Sorry, I must have missed that memo.

I still hate ironing, but it's a necessary evil

Nope, it’s not. Still alive here 😁

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 14/01/2018 22:51

I'm often told I look smart stealth boast alert and yet I very rarely iron.
How do you explain that?

Good friends? Grin

It depends though, doesn't it? There are lots of things that you can wear that look smart without ironing, but some that don't. You must be choosing wisely!

If you have to wear a formal shirt for work, like DH, then there's no way around it! You can't get a crease in the sleeve by 'hanging it well.' sadly

HermionesRightHook · 14/01/2018 22:52

You might be able to tell - I mean, with some things it's obvious e.g. crumpled cotton shirts. But I don't buy stuff that needs ironing, because I don't like ironing. I think I've got like two dresses that benefit from an iron and I do iron those just before I wear them - like, once a year at someone's wedding.

Also, I don't really care if I look slightly unironed, in the unlikely event people really can tell. It's just not worth it to me.

treeofhearts · 14/01/2018 22:53

I don't iron clothes I steam them. Much faster and I just hate it less.

HermionesRightHook · 14/01/2018 22:53

And obviously I don't iron clothes for other people if I won't do it for myself - my DH does his own stuff.

Or more likely he runs an iron around the collar and then puts a jumper on.

LaurieMarlow · 14/01/2018 22:54

i can always tell when someone hasn't ironed clothes, it's so obvious

So what if they can tell, what's their conclusion?

That I have better things to do with my time?

I'm very happy with that judgement. Grin

AnnieAnoniMouse · 14/01/2018 22:55

Nothing beats getting into a clean bed with pressed sheets,pillowcases and duvet cover. I don't think a wrinkly bed would be nearly as appealing

Line dried in the summer...bliss.

I love the duvet cover ironed, but I can’t always make myself do it! What I need is an ironing board the width of the bed, up high & a step stool - so it doesn’t get wrinkly trying to get it ironed.

Our ex cleaner used to take the ironing away and bring it back the next day, it was bliss...and so perfect. She moved to the Isle of Wight and I miss her & her ironing skills badly! Some people are just better at this crap than others.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 14/01/2018 22:59

I think it's probably true that sometimes, you can get away without ironing, and sometimes it's obvious you haven't bothered!

The reality is that 99.9 of people won't care/wouldn't dream of mentioning it.

If I saw someone looking like a bag of crumpled laundry, I wouldn't tell them. What difference does it make? I honestly don't care Grin

For anyone in a professional office environment though, especially men, a properly ironed shirt is still necessary, in my experience.

JaceLancs · 14/01/2018 23:00

DS irons his own shirts and occasionally work trousers
I iron occasionally in summer for linen shirts
Otherwise I actively avoid buying things if they need ironing - usual scrunch test
Bedding I part tumble dry then fold and leave in airing cupboard - if for a guest I would iron pillowcase only
Once a year I iron my vintage drawn thread work and linen tablecloth for Xmas dinner

StillSeekingResponsibleAdult · 14/01/2018 23:03

I don't iron and my DMum doesn't either, so there must be a strong non-iron gene in our family Smile.

Used to go to college and work with someone who was into ironing, we both had to stick our uniforms in bags and cart them round college all day before work. Her ironed dress came out the bag far more creased and messed up than my non-ironed one. Utterly pointless activity.