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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to hate ironing and refuse to do it.

128 replies

Voronacirus · 02/07/2020 07:26

I genuinely hate it with a passion, honestly it's ridiculous.

When I was a child, my mum ironed everything, even teatowels. The ironing board was always up with iron in situ and it was treated like a dangerous animal - she was always screaming at me if I went near it. When I was about 11,she threw a fit over being the only person in the house that did any ironing, so she tried to show me how. I still have no idea what I did wrong, but she went absolutely INSANE with rage at me, and two things happened, she decided I could never again be trusted with the iron, and I swore I'd never do it again!

Since then, I've made do with line drying, making sure things are always folded or hung up immediately, and anything that gets particularly crumpled doesn't last long in our wardrobes.

The problem is, within a year the DC are going to be wearing new uniform/starting new activities which are going to require clothes being ironed, and I'm starting back to a job which has a smart dress code. I know you can get those no iron shirts, but only in limited colours so it's not going to work.

I'm going to have to buy a bloody iron and ironing board and I'm actually dreading it. I've no idea where to start or what to do, I don't even know where to store the bloody thing in our tiny house, and I am absolutely resentful of the hours and hours I'm going to waste ironing.

We did actually have an iron in our student house, I used to pay my housemates to do mine Grinbut despite being very clean and tidy students, it got weird brown marks inside of it which came out onto the clothes and ruined them, wtf?

Is there anything I can do to make this easier? Any particular type of iron or board? Or anything that makes it faster?

OP posts:
Oilyoilyoilgob · 02/07/2020 07:48

Urgh I hate it, I pay my mum to do mine-she lives ironing 😄 although in lockdown that’s stopped and I have a slovenly pile in one of the bedrooms that I just shut the door on!

Get a really good steam generator iron, that made a huge difference. When I’m forced to do it, I put in my favourite album and actually get into it, it’s quite satisfying seeing it all stack up on hangers. It just doesn’t happen that often 😂

ChrissyPlummer · 02/07/2020 07:49

I bet my mum was so thankful that when I was at high school (no uniform at primary) the fashion was for shirts that always looked crumpled. You took them out of the wash, twisted them up and left them to dry. Genius!

Original poster
Voronacirus · 02/07/2020 07:50

Yes, I fear uniform is the nemesis. I exist in jersey dresses and tights/leggings most of the time, and the DC are at the leggings and soft top/cardi stage, so they really don't seem to crumple, but uniforms, work clothes and probably the sort of things they'll want to wear when older will, because yes there are certain things that are noticeable when not ironed, even to me

I've just googled an ironing press - now that would be the dream.

Northern soul, the dot thing is EXACTLY the sort of thing I need to know but never did! Dots! Who knew?

I don't know what a decent iron/board is- I've been having a look, and there's a range of prices, but they all appear to do the same thing- does price make a difference or is it more about brand?

OP posts:
Belledan1 · 02/07/2020 07:51

Get a decent tumble dryer. Don't over load it. Shld get away with most things then. You can freshen up in there too before wear things.

Stifledlife · 02/07/2020 07:56

Get a tumble drier and invest in non iron shirts for the school uniform. I haven't ironed in anger for 20 years.

Also, If something is really crumpled, hang it in the bathroom while you have a shower and then use your hairdryer to blast at the worst of the wrinkles. It works like magic!

Yellredder · 02/07/2020 08:07

I do love ironing. I generally don't have the type of clothes that you can get away with not ironing, because there are certain types of material that I can't bear to touch and it's usually the non-ironable type. I watch TV when ironing - about the only time I do! So it's like a treat.

TranquilityofSolitude · 02/07/2020 08:09

The most important thing to check with an ironing board is that it is the right height for you. They tend to have different height settings but I've found that some are too low for me, even at the maximum (I'm 5'8", so hardly a giant!).

I have a steam generator iron but I iron everything, so it was worth the extra cost. Generally the more steam, the easier and quicker the ironing will be, although, that said, I think I spend more time arranging things flat on the ironing board than actually ironing!

Suzie6789 · 02/07/2020 08:16

Only buy work clothes that don’t need ironing? That’s mainly what I do. I really only my iron kids school uniforms and work clothes if I absolutely hVe to. You don’t have to spend loads of time doing it, just do it to an acceptable standard (ie bare minimum). I don’t spend more than half an hour a week. I too loathe it but agree it looks better.

redwoodmazza · 02/07/2020 08:17

After several disagreements over stuff with my DH [not about ironing!] I decided several years ago he could iron his own bloody work shirts. They were the only thing that had to be ironed. So on a Sunday afternoon, he would watch the football on TV while he ironed his shirts.

Amazingly, when we met up with friends, he would always manage to get into the conversation that it was HIS ironing day on Sunday. FFS!!!!! During the 20+ previous years, I had never felt the need to tell friends about when I did the ironing!

Floralnomad · 02/07/2020 08:21

Anything that needs ironing here goes to our lovely ironing lady on a Monday and comes back on a Tuesday , I haven’t been near an iron for years and I’ve no intention of starting now .

AuntieMarys · 02/07/2020 08:24

I love ironing my own clothes....not anyone else's. My dh's shirts are outsourced every 2 weeks, as is bedding.
I stick Netflix on and can iron 40 items in about 90 mins.
I refused to iron for dcs once they got to 16 so they learnt.
You need a decent iron and ironing board...especially if you are tall.

Gin4thewin · 02/07/2020 08:30

Ive never ironed anything. I give it a flick out when it comes out the machine and as long as dp doesn't hang it up to dry, they come out fine!

notheragain4 · 02/07/2020 08:34

Do you have a partner who can do it? My DH does the ironing, he has to iron his uniform so will do the kids' uniform and the odd bits I have that don't dry well. It doesn't have to be you.

FrangipaniBlue · 02/07/2020 08:34

Can't remember er the last time I used my iron, in fact I'm not even sure where it is Hmm

So no YANBU

DoesJeffKnow · 02/07/2020 08:38

Buy clothes from HotSquash, they have a workwear collection that don't need ironing. Machine wash, hang to dry then pop back in your wardrobe, perfect!

As for the kids uniforms, Sunday night in front of the telly, do the whole lot whilst the kids do their packed lunches, pack their school bags and have showers etc.

You get to watch whatever you like on the telly, kids get their stuff sorted.

Once you're in a routine it's not that bad.

Auridon4life · 02/07/2020 08:42

I would pay my partner to do it. Like with actual cash because I know how awful it is. I will iron my dress if I'm going out or shirts for a special day. In the charity shop I worked in they had a steam cleaner that ironed much easier I reccomend one. And my bathroom gets steamy as hell but I can never get shirt wrinkles out.

Brefugee · 02/07/2020 08:45

agree with PP that people who say you can't tell are people who don't iron. DH and I are ex-military and i come for a military family. so it's not only ironing, it is precision ironing...

Frankly, i don't iron anything except my own clothes that need it (IMO pretty much all of them...) and it really is satisfying to take a pile of roughly folded things and make them into neat piles. Ironed clothes don't take up as much space.

Some things (you can experiment) you can spray with water and hang them up in the bathroom while you shower (good for suit jackets). If you need to do the sleeves roll up a towel, stuff it up the sleeve, spray and go over it with a hairdryer.

A lot of it is down to hanging your washing - hang things on hangers to dry if possible, trousers, hang them by the hems (Use safety pins if you don't have trouser hangers) - the weight of the rest of the trouser might help you out there.

DH needs things ironed? get him to do it. How old are your DC? i ironed my first things (dad's handkerchiefs and tea towels to start with) when I was at primary school.

Am amazed how many people use driers - isn't that hideously expensive?

haudyerwheeshthen · 02/07/2020 08:51

I've vaguely heard of this thing called ironing. I must get round to finding out what it is.

SimonJT · 02/07/2020 08:52

I have used an iron once in my life, I just managed to iron in more creases. So sometimes my cleaner irons my shirts, if not I just used to keep my jacket on at work.

My boyfriend has moved in, he irons socks, he even has a special iron for his disability, I hate to think how much it cost. I thought socks were bad enough, but each time one of the puppys blankets is washed he won’t let the puppy have it until its ironed...

I thought I knew him, I couldn’t be more wrong.

Ginfordinner · 02/07/2020 08:52

Unlike most mumsnetters I don't dislike ironing, I'm not time poor, nor do I understand the non ironing badge of honour that they like to boast about. They clearly have very busy, worthwhile and fulfilling lives.

That said. I don't have many clothes that require ironing, but I hate seeing crumpled clothes on someone when a quick iron would make them look so much nicer. Being of advanced years, wearing ironed clothes looks better on me than wearing creased clothes.

I iron while watching the TV, and the smell when ironing freshly washed and line dried clothes is heavenly, so it isn't a chore. DH does his own ironing, and I only have the few things of DD's to iron when she is home from university.

I’m afraid the only people who don’t see the creases are the ones that don’t like ironing. its usually very visible for everyone else

I'm inclined to agree with this to a certain extent. Obviously, it depends on the article of clothing. I used to work with someone who was always meticulously turned out. It took me a while to work out that it was because his clothes were always immaculately ironed, and had no creases at all.

If you go on to the "how to look well dressed" or "how to look expensive" threads on Style and Beauty one of the first pieces of advice is to iron your clothes.

makingmammaries · 02/07/2020 08:53

Last time I ironed anything was 12 years ago for a funeral. We’ve all managed OK by line drying our clothes since then.

cosmo30 · 02/07/2020 08:53

I only iron if I want to wear something that's badly creased. There are some materials that once you wash them need ironing but I won't do it until I want to wear it.
My mom still to this day has a huge basket of ironing and stands there doing it, I just don't see the point in doing it all at once but we're all different

TimeWastingButFun · 02/07/2020 08:54

People are so varied with ironing. My sister hangs up creases clothes in the wardrobe then irons everything the family needs every morning. I dread to think how much time in the year she spends putting the board up and down!!!! My husband does ours and I'm very grateful as I hate it too 😄 but I used to iron everything. Now I hang everything carefully, even cotton bedding doesn't need it if you hang it on the line on a warm windy day. The school uniform for my two is the main thing - mostly (during normal times anyway) we just have 10 shirts and 10 pairs of trousers, the odd other thing, that's pretty much it for the week. I would definitely say ironing board rather than the table top cloth as it's much easier for shirts. Could you hang it inside a cupboard door?

Destroyedpeople · 02/07/2020 08:57

Just iron as little as possible. ...a few white shirts that kind of thing...

jessstan2 · 02/07/2020 08:57

Put your stuff in an ironing shop. I used to do that and everything came back pristine. It didn't cost the earth, they opened early and closed late so you could have your ironing back in a couple of days if you wanted. There's no point in being chained to the ironing board when you hate doing it.