To send my 7 year old to school in unironed uniform?

[Floosey]

I really struggle with laundry. I struggle so, so much and I don't know why. I end up just not having the time or being organised enough to put away or iron so my son often goes to primary school in a creased t-shirt. We're not talking slept in creases, just dried crinkled and needs a quick going over creases.

Apart from the creases, my son always goes to school in the correct and washed uniform (I once got up at 5 to hair drier his trousers because I'd forgotton to put a wash on until the night before and that was the only way they'd be dry in time) but ironing always gets the better of me.

We have very few things that need ironing but his school t-shirts do. I bought more expensive iron-free ones but they had the school logo on and got nicked. Strangely his supermarket own brand stuff always finds it's way home.

He's clean, looked after and engaged. We always go to parents evening etc.

Do you look down on parents like me?

You need a tumble drier OP it will help with the getting up early to hair dryer thing too! Just make sure you don't over load it and shake everything out as it comes out. If you do get something crumpled you can pop it in for 10mins with a wet face flannel and it steams the wrinkles out.

It’s all these people using their dryers that are depressing me. Has no-one got an outside space for a line? The climate is fucked enough as it is.

I own an iron from a charity shop which I had to get because of the dratted hama beads (top parenting thought of the day: just don't buy hama beads). A tumble drier helps.
If you can't get on top of laundry, wear things multiple times, don't wash anything but knickers daily. Only wash if it is beginning to smell or has stains on it (or it's been worn many times).
There is really no need, and it is a tremendous waste of water and electricity, not to mention your time. Life is short, water and power are limited and you only live once.

Yes, get a tumble dryer OP.

Because they're really cheap, cost pennies to run and everyone's got space for one.

Sheesh.

When I taught primary I had kids in my class who wore same uniform every day for weeks, wore polo shirts greyed with over washing, holes in tights, black pumps instead of shoes, and I never judged the parents. Lots of them were poor, busy and living in one room.
Honestly OP, cut yourself some slack, just get your child to school on time, fed, rested and loved and you've done your job IMO.

What's your name and address I'm going to call 101

Ironing is for formal occasions only in this house: weddings, christening, interviews etc ironing tea towels to me is time wasted you will never get back in your life.i also have a floordrobe, keeping on top of laundry is hard, I work long days leaving the house at 6am and have 2 under 4yo who don't sleep....

I iron most things except bedding, towels and underwear. I have tried hanging things or folding straight from the dryer and they still look creased. My DM irons everything, my dd irons nothing and as it matters to dgs1 that his clothes are clean and ironed, I iron his too (but do sometimes forget to check his collar is straight or that his shirt is tucked in so he ocassionally goes into school looking a right state). Like pp have said he eats breakfast in his underwear to avoid food stains. I don't notice if any other child is in ironed uniform or not.
I also polish dgs' shoes every bloody day because I have my dad's voice in my ear telling me that people notice these things which I know isn't true and the world won't end if his shoes aren't polished but every morning I still get the polish out - daft bugger that I am.

Why the ire over a laundry routine. Use it, wash it or fold it, hang it and put it away.

Get ready for bed - put dirty things in linen basket. Hang clean things on hanger - skirt, trousers, cardigan and hang on wardrobe door to air. Fold and put away scarf. Next morning put hanging things away and take out clean things to wear. It's like breathing - it isn't a big deal.

Apologies for the lack of punctuation in the last paragraph. Why doesn't this site have an edit option?

I used to slave away for hours ironing every evening. Not anymore. I hang things straight out the dryer and they are fine. Don’t iron at all anymore and have so much more time to spend doing the things I love with my family or for myself. I used to know someone who used to iron SOCKS!!! Life is too short.

I'm in London and don't know anyone who has a dryer. Most live in flats and wouldn't have space, but those in houses either use a clothes horse or radiators.

People really don’t notice
I iron very little and have lots more free time than my friends who obsessively iron everything thing!!

It’s like people like finding stuff to do just to impress everyone else!!

Do not worry OP- YANBU!

so long as the uniform is clean, surely it does not matter whether it has been ironed or not.

Life is too short to worry about ironing- if you can get away without doing it, all the better!

I don't iron, If you wash it and stick it on hangers then stick the hangers on the line you don't need to iron and its much less effort to put away. I have 5 sets of non-logo stuff, I aim to do the washing Friday after work, which generally means I have actually got round to it by Sunday lunchtime, I do the same with my work clothes.

DH used to do the half hearted helping thing if I nagged too, so I refused to do anything for him at all, so I'd do mine and the kids washing, I'd tidy up after them but not him etc, he's a lot better now.

I think my oldest child is the only one who ever went to school in an ironed uniform. Yeah, didn't last long.

I never iron. A quick two minutes in the dryer is enough to de-crease. If that don't work it don't matter.

I don’t iron. By the time they’ve got to school creases have generally fallen out anyway. Sure it doesn’t look quite as smart as ironed but looking smart is really not the most important thing in life. I don’t iron my clothes either. I’d rather have the extra time for other things.

I have a massive capacity washing machine (11 kg I think) and it really helps keep on top of the laundry. Sorry I know that’s not helpful unless you are replacing your machine but just thought I’d mention in case anyone is.

The other tip is folding in front of the TV in the evening. Means l don’t hate the job quite as much and it does actually get done.

Your all trying to say you have never ever ironed your DC uniform?

With the exception of a handful of items, I don’t iron. My DS and DD very rarely have anything ironed. I try and get washing out of the machine pretty quickly after it’s finished and put on an indoor airer. I always shake items and lay neatly on the airer which drastically reduces the need to iron. It takes a little bit longer than chucking stuff at the airer but then everything dry’s crumpled and really needs to be ironed so worth the extra bit of care I think. I really wouldn’t worry about school tops being ironed, having a clean top on is much more important.

Is purchasing more uniform an option? I had always bought 3 or 4 tops (depending on if they came in a pack of 3 or in 2’s) but this September went up to 6. It has actually made a huge difference not to need to do school uniform washing midweek, only wish I had realised in the previous 12 school years!

If you took a sample of 100 school children at 3.30pm and asked a random panel to answer a) ironed child or b) non ironed child it would not be correct.

It's what mine look like at 9am that concerns me. They always look scruffy by home time, that doesn't mean I want to send them in that way.

I don't get the 'life's too short to iron' thing. Yes life is precious and short, but ironing isn't exactly dangerous or time consuming.

I'm a short ironed, can you tell

I rarely iron anything else, but school shirts I really don't like them wearing unironed.

• shirt ironer

Shes clean. She has lunch. And I make her eat in her underwear so shes not wearing her breakfast
I love this - Actually something I used to do as an adult! Or maybe put a dressing gown on over my work clothes whilst I finished getting ready, finished my tea, put on makeup.

Also re ironing: I know where my iron is but not used it in years. A quick blast in the dryer, take it out still very slightly damp, run your hands over the clothes to smooth, hang to finish drying. Otherwise just leave it to body heat to sort out the creases (that never works on pure cotton/linen though so I rarely wear those. 😁

@Floosey if you find yourself getting up at 5 to blow dry trousers again iron it first while wet. Massively cuts down the drying time