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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Topseyt · 15/01/2018 08:51

To those ironers who can apparently spot non ironers at 50 paces, how would you know who has ironed their pants/knickers or not?

Intrigued.

Audreyhelp · 15/01/2018 08:54

I just iron knickers to see a neat pile in the drawer. I don’t ever judge someone because they don’t iron clothes. It’s up to them

Notreallyarsed · 15/01/2018 08:56

It wouldn’t occur to me to notice if someone else ironed or not. Unless they looked like they’d slept in their clothes, in which case I’d notice. But I still wouldn’t care. Each to their own and all that!

Trills · 15/01/2018 09:02

How many people live in your mother's house?

I'm trying to work out how many people's clothes would need to be ironed to make up 12 hours of ironing each week.

Fabellini · 15/01/2018 09:02

I hate ironing. But I also hate the look of clothes that haven’t been ironed. So I pay someone else to do it for me.
One of my good friends doesn’t iron anything, does the scrumpling in her hand thing before she buys stuff, hangs things on hangers as soon as they’re done in the drier. Folds everything else.
You can tell. You can totally tell. But if she doesn’t care, why would anyone else?

HamishBamish · 15/01/2018 09:07

The children's school uniform is ironed and DH's shirts for work. DH has a few pairs of trousers which have to be line dried and need to be ironed, but apart from the I don't iron anything else.

I tend to tumble dry sheets, and generally if they are folded whilst still warm they are ok without ironing. Jean and casual clothes the same.

DenPerry · 15/01/2018 09:10

No I haven't ironed since I used to do my dads shirts for pocket money. I think if people enjoy doing it then fair enough but it's not needed for most things these days. DP gets the iron out if he's going to a wedding or funeral!

SueSueDonahue · 15/01/2018 09:15

I iron, including leggings, vests, bedding....

It doesn't take that much time and energy and is a chance to watch something on the iPad.

And it's much nicer to have freshly ironed clothes to wear.

ShakeShakeTheMuffin · 15/01/2018 09:18

I don't iron ever. I was at my parents' with the kids. My mum was ironing and my DD looked at the ironing board and said 'what's that?'. My mum nearly wet herself laughing!

I always take stuff out of the dryer and hang everything up. My DH empties the dryer and just piles everything into a basket in a crumpled heap. I've been known to dampen things and dry them again to remove the creases.

fussychica · 15/01/2018 09:22

Yes, pretty much everything which isn't that much. We both like doing it which helps. I stopped ironing my DSs clothes years ago unless it was for something special as I got fed up with stuff going straight on the floordrobe! He has his own place now and rarely irons and I'm afraid it showsGrin

HRTpatch · 15/01/2018 09:22

I love ironing my own clothes.

rosie1959 · 15/01/2018 09:22

Seems really odd to me My DH wears cotton chinos and cotton polo shirts they are good quality but most of them no matter how you dry them they need ironing I iron most of my stuff as well crinkled clothes don't look good

VileyRose · 15/01/2018 09:24

Don't even own an iron

Nakedavenger74 · 15/01/2018 09:26

I explained to my mother I haven't ironed anything in 20 years. She exclaimed 'but what do you do about your BLOUSES?'
Grin
Blouses. Ha ha!

Original poster
icenasliceplease · 15/01/2018 09:38

it doesn't take that much time and energy and is a chance to watch something on the iPad.

ipads work independently from irons yknow. Grin

OP posts:
Huntinginthedark · 15/01/2018 09:47

I bought a steamer. Like people in shops have. It's amazing
Nice dress, 2 mins with the steamer over it. Done

Huntinginthedark · 15/01/2018 09:48

Also hang all shirts dresses jumpers etc on hangers first

Pebbles574 · 15/01/2018 09:54

It depends on the fabrics you're wearing really doesn't it?

Pretty much anything you buy at M&S these days will have a significant man-made fibre content and will probably be fine for the wash & hang or tumble and hang approach.
It was all fine when DS1 was in school uniform - polycotton shirts and polyester/viscose trousers - no ironing there. Then shock, horror, when he went into Sixth Form he had two good quality dry clean only suits and six 100% cotton Tyrwhitt shirts. You can just about get away without ironing the shirts if they're tumbled on their own (lots of space around them) for 5 minutes before hanging, but if DH takes them out and leaves them in the basket underneath other laundry they're a mess Angry.

Since I reached 'mid-life' I find I can't wear so many man-made fibres - they just make me hot and sticky. Perhaps those of us that are ironing are the pure cotton/linen wearers??

willthisyeareverbeover · 15/01/2018 09:59

Started a New Years resolution not to iron anymore. Work full time with 4’DD’s and was getting fed up of the constant pile (actually a room) waiting to be ironed. Recently got a new dryer, one of those heat pump ones, whilst it takes longer (uses less electric) it doesn’t crease the clothes as long as they’re folded immediately. Changed my life! My nan irons the children’s uniforms, so lucky there.

Jellycatspyjamas · 15/01/2018 10:00

I iron school uniforms, DH shirts for work and I do iron jeans and some of my tops. I also iron my bedding because I love getting into a clean, crisp freshly made bed. It takes me an hour, maybe 90 mins a week - I tend to listen to the radio and think through the week, it's good headspace for me.

LakieLady · 15/01/2018 10:01

The iron gets very little exercise in this house.

I wear t-shirt type tops and jeans mostly. The tops are hung on a hanger to dry, then hung up. I give the jeans a damn good shake when I get them out of the machine and put them on a hanger to dry. When they're still slightly damp, I smooth them flat and then put them in the airing cupboard for a couple of days, under the towels, and they come out really smooth.

Even DP's work shirts respond well to a good shake and being dried on a hanger. He might iron one if he's got an interview or an important meeting.

If we get a heatwave, I iron a bit more as I tend to wear different stuff (light, woven cotton shirts, wide-legged linen trousers, loose linen dresses). They're cool to wear, but they need ironing. I do it when they're damp from the machine and then hang them on hangers, so it's really quick and easy.

Snowyjoey · 15/01/2018 10:03

Oh I never iron, unless I'm wearing a creasy shirt. Which isn't often thankfully!

I hang DH's clean work shirts over the end of the ironing board and he irons them as he wears them.

My mum's face does this Shock when I say I don't iron my husband's shirts. Ha! We both work full time so why the heck would I be expected to sort HIS work clothes...we are both quite capable of sorting our own. just cause you were a housewife mother Hmm

freshstart24 · 15/01/2018 10:12

I'd be really grateful if posters would share their tips for minimising creases when drying clothes with and without a tumble dryer.

I avoid ironing as much as I can but I find jeans, t-shirts and polo shirts get really creased in the drying process.

drinkswineoutofamug · 15/01/2018 10:16

I don't iron, my daughter asked to borrow my iron that had sat gathering dust, so I gave her the board as well.
Once out of the dryer, shake and fold , hang. Alls good

Twinkie1 · 15/01/2018 10:26

Love it. Probably spend a couple of hours a week ironing whilst watching drivel on HAYU.

Can tell if you're an ironer or not from your clothes and can also tell if you're a tumble dryer user as this IMO makes clothes look a certain way.

I iron tea towels, bed linen, well everything except sports wear which can't be ironed, towels and underwear (DH stopped me ironing his pants as he said they didn't feel as soft as non ironed ones).