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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think its ok to send my ironing out?

471 replies

elliemac · 13/10/2007 21:45

Have discovered this fab ironing lady just down the road from me but DH keeps moaning that i'm sending it out all the time. Its just such a relief to bung it in a bag and have it all come back nicely pressed. Am a SAHM so should i be making time to do it myself?

OP posts:
hertsnessex · 13/10/2007 21:46

if u hate doing it, and your dh wont either, and you can afford it, then go for it!!!!

Tortington · 13/10/2007 21:46

what the fuck is he moaning at.

delegation girl
delegation

moan only allowed if your skint

if your not skint then tell dh to PISS right OFF

Berrie · 13/10/2007 21:46

Would love to do that! How much?

olala · 13/10/2007 21:47

No way. If DH has a problem with it, give him the ironing. FFS!

I work full time and have a cleaner, a gardener, and a child minder who also cooks and cleans the kitchen every night.

When I was a SAHM I had none of the above, we ate rubbish, had a filthy house and a messy unloved garden... Being a SAHM is just as much work as being a full time working Mum, and so if you can afford the help...get as much as you can! My life is now changed so much for the better since all the lovely ladies who help me started.

Men. FFS!

Original poster
elliemac · 13/10/2007 21:48

Its a pound a shirt and about 80p for all other stuff. Well worth it i think. Kingsize bed only costs £2 - saves me fannying on trying to turn it on the ironing board. DH is quick to maon but not quick to iron!!!!

OP posts:
wheelybug · 13/10/2007 21:49

oh god no - I'm a SAHM and ironing goes out. Ironing stinks.

Beadgirl · 13/10/2007 21:49

I send mine out ---- £15-£20 a week. But that doesn't include much kid stuff as both are at school and I am a tumble-dry-it-get-it-out-quick-and-smooth-it-out kinda person.

TheStepfordChav · 13/10/2007 21:49

Hmm. Sounds as if you need to justify it to yourself as well as him. My advice is to make him very happy in all other departments then he won't give a flying fig who does the ironing!!

Tipex · 13/10/2007 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wheelybug · 13/10/2007 21:50

I pay £2 a shirt which is a rip off so don't feel bad...

stressteddy · 13/10/2007 21:50

I've not ironed anything sonce I was 21. I think it's wonderful to have it done for me. I have a back problem and hate ironing.
Go for it ellie

I am now nearly 40 btw - nearly 20 years with no ironing.....yippeeee!

paolosgirl · 13/10/2007 21:50

If you can afford it, go for it. Either that, or do it yourself again, but start charging your DH - or tell him to get lost.

Life is too short for housework - if you have the money then bring on the staff!

wheelybug · 13/10/2007 21:51

Tipex - but you like ironing don't you ????

MorticiasMother · 13/10/2007 21:51

I love you!

olala · 13/10/2007 21:52

actually just thinking about this, ironing -I haven't ironed anythiing for years. We don't iron any of our clothes.

Are we bad people?!

Original poster
elliemac · 13/10/2007 21:52

Hey - i don't have a fat arse!!!! Am too busy looking after a 1 year old - too many good baby groups to go to thats my problem. DD more important than housework anyway

OP posts:
Starbear · 13/10/2007 21:54

My lovely lovely person who does my ironing keeps our house sane (ish) She needs the job my friends passed me her name. My mate's house was the pits until she got her (I loved my mate and never told her) I do work outside in a job I hate so DH pays. Its all about sisterhood. Tell him it's how the ecomny works. Look at the poor people of Northern Rock should have spent it and had a good time.

sandyballs · 13/10/2007 21:54

Are your kids school age? If so then i think maybe you are being unreasonable. A friend of mine always gets her ironing done and I thought it was great when she had 3 tiny ones at home, but now they are all at school and she doesn't work i find it a bit weird. Or maybe I'm just jealous

pooka · 13/10/2007 21:54

I send mine out and spend about £9 a week (tend to buy myself things that don't need ironing and we don't iron sheets - though have just bought fab cotton duvet cover which I think will need an iron, though not by me).

Personally, I loathe ironing and generally the bulk of it are dh's work shirts. Don't see why I should do them, or why he should have to fanny about in the morning ironing shirts when can easily and relatively inexpensively delegate.

sandyballs · 13/10/2007 21:56

Just seen you've got a one year old, then go for it you are not being unreasonable

Original poster
elliemac · 13/10/2007 21:57

Who the hell in their right mind would want to stand and iron for a living anyway - i can't think of anything worse. Ideal job for my mother actually - she irons her knickers!! I draw the line at that.

OP posts:
madamez · 13/10/2007 22:20

Why on earth shouldn't you? Unless the household budget is in serious trouble and you need to make economies all round, of course. (and even if you do need to make economies, what gets cut back on should be mutually negotiated, funny how it's often the stuff that makes a woman's life easier that has to go...)

Doing housework yourself is no sign of moral superiority - it just means that either you quite like doing it or that you can't afford to pay someone else to do it. By paying someone to do your ironing you're helping him/her earn a living - what's wrong with that?

ninedragons · 14/10/2007 03:48

Life is far too short to do your own ironing if you have any way out of it.

If DH keeps moaning, suggest ways in which he could economise that would involve the same sort of inconvenience to him as doing the ironing would to you, e.g. cycling to work rather than driving or taking the tube.

My husband had to be interviewed on TV a month or so ago and needed a shirt. It took us 30 minutes to find the iron because we are very much of the "ironing? why would we waste our lives doing that?" school of thought.

There have been a few threads lately about moaning husbands of SAHMs. I think all the husbands are underestimating the amount of work involved, and should be left on their own for a week with the kids. By the time you got back from your lovely spa holiday, he would not only have sent the ironing out but hired a full-time maid, chef and driver.

seeker · 14/10/2007 07:10

Hmmm - tricky one. I am a sahm and the way we arranhe our finances is to have a joint account with money for the "household" and I have my own account with some money for my personal use. Dp puts money into both accounts monthly. If I sent the ironing out I think I would pay for it with "my" money. I really don't think I would feel right using the household money for something like that.
It is hard work sometimes being a sahm, but, unless you have lots of little ones, then it isn't anything like as hard as going out to work!

tribpot · 14/10/2007 07:22

seeker, completely disagree. Going out to work is, generally, a lot easier than being a SAHM. Kids are a huge amount of work! Houses are a huge amount of work. DH is a SAHD and there's no way I'd expect him to pay for ironing out of his own money (we don't actually divide things up like that, nor would DH be capable of doing ironing as he is chronically ill - but in theory at least!).

Anyway, elliemac, you are not being unreasonable, ironing sucks. If there was a way of paying someone to not only iron but put everything away as well, I'd be getting my chequebook out pronto!