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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:
opinionateddad · 19/10/2007 20:52

if you got it flaunt it.. however if you are spending shit loads of money, not working at all and spending time sitting around watching TV then you ain't got a leg to stand on!!

Tipex · 19/10/2007 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
elliemac · 19/10/2007 21:01

opinionateddad Quite agree with you there - not the case for me i might add. Certainly don't sit around on my arse all day (far from it) and definately don't spend loads of money - but hey even if i did, its my money!!!

OP posts:
tazmosis · 19/10/2007 21:13

Go for it - lifes too short to iron! I send mine out, she does it fantastically and I only pay 70p an item (regardless what it is).

yogabird · 19/10/2007 21:32

cheap at 70p an item you are kidding??!

i do mine a little bit each night while i listen to dd reading and help her with her homework. It's a fab multi tasking time and i'm finally getting on top of it

Original poster
elliemac · 19/10/2007 21:48

Yogabird - You make me sick Why can't i be like that? Just can't motivate myself to iron!

OP posts:
yogabird · 19/10/2007 21:58

i have only just started to do it this way and the mountain is going down , feeling smug now but it's half term so it might all fall apart without a school book to keep us on track!

Original poster
elliemac · 19/10/2007 22:04

Keep on top of it girl otherwise the nightmare will start again!

OP posts:
Starbear · 19/10/2007 22:58

Tipex, get a grip and stop being so sensitive. We all have a great mixture of friends. But some of our friends are going to be very similar to us. Rich or middle income, our friends might have the same ideas and spend their money the same way (Not all but some) SO if you want a builder you ask some one who just had some building done. It's realistic to think that someone who could afford and even dare to think of having a cleaner will have friends who are similar. AND you know what I'm going to say next. I worked bloody hard at school with both parents working bloody hard in low income jobs. Then I worked bloody hard to get where I am today. So strangely I've met a lot of people who work bloody hard too. Some of my friends work bloody hard and still don't a decent income. WELL I'm not going to rub there nose in it and go on about a cleaner. In any case my cleaner has a degree in Textile manufacturing. She is a lot brighter than me (she speaks three languages) may put her hard earned cash towards a business and have a household full of staff. I hope she gets that future she dreams of which at the moment has nothing to do with cash. She is truly lovely not because she cleans my house but she is kind and thoughtful as I hope I am towards her. I would not have met her without knowing my friend.

HappyMummyOfOne · 20/10/2007 10:47

I can see your hubbies point of view that he's paying for someone to do a job that you could do whilst at home.

I agree ironing's a chore but if I was a SAHM I would do my own ironing, but thats my personal choice.

I work 3 days so have 2 days where DS is at school so time for the ironing isnt an issue.

Caroline1852 · 20/10/2007 11:23

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. The thing I feel is missing most from my life is not clothes or holidays or a bigger house or a swankier car - it is time (even though I waste the time I do have somwtimes). So anything that gives us more time is a good thing.

In short, if you can iron 4 shirts in an hour (for example) would you pay £4 in an exchange for an hour to do something else (waste it on Mumsnet)? If yes, then go for it. If your husband really objects to spending the money, would he bath the children while you do the ironing each evening or cook supper and do the clearing up?

I feel guilty sometimes at having help in the house and being a SAHM. But hey I'm dealing with it.

auntymandy · 20/10/2007 20:45

i charge £7 an hour 4 shirts in an hour hah I do 1 in about 3 mins!

Original poster
elliemac · 20/10/2007 21:15

Go Starbear! Go Starbear!

OP posts:
ssd · 20/10/2007 21:32

this threads getting me down

too many well off mummy's with too much time on their hands

Tipex · 20/10/2007 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

minesalargeone · 20/10/2007 21:59

I don't have a cleaner....I'm the cleaner in our house. We all work 'BLOODY HARD' too but not everyone is well off enough to employ a cleaner, ironer, gardener etc etc....but we're not all sat on our arses watching daytime tv, drinking coffee and dunking our hobnobs either - we're out there trying to make ends meet but unfortunately for me and my little family our ends rarely meet.

Starbear · 20/10/2007 22:47

Tipex, Oh you do! Hey oh! I could be really nasty but it's not worth it. AuntyMandy well done supply and demand and all that. Minesalargeone, yes, you are right. Some women, to make ends meet are cleaners and earn a wage (good depending on who they work for) If you read some of my other posts you would know I really hate going outside my home to work. The only other job I would really like would be a tourist guide. Hey oh! If I won the lottery I would do all sorts of stuff that people wouldn't approve of but then I wouldn't be on Mumsnet would I. Go on lottery winners have a go?
Elliemac, Good luck. This will be my last post on this subject. If you want to know more see me York hall, Bethnal Green Saturday Night, Light weight boxing match

minesalargeone · 20/10/2007 22:51

Oh and I forgot to mention - I work as a Carer and cleaner too - helping the elderly with their housework - pay is crap but I enjoy doing it and it helps keep my kids well fed and keeps the wolf from my front door.

DaphneHarvey · 20/10/2007 23:25

Am oddly fascinated by this thread.

I've been on both sides of the pond. A while ago my DH was earning a very good salary, out of the house a lot as you would expect, and I was SAHM. I don't enjoy ironing, so sent it out to professional ironing company, collected and delivered, 12 items for £9.00. And this in London. Very often we would simply send 12 work shirts for DH.

DH now redundant but freelance and earns very much less. I am still predominantly SAHM, although now also work 2 days a week.

I still don't like ironing. But if we want ironed clothes, then we (DH and I) will iron what we want to wear that day in the early morning while waiting for kettle to boil for first cup of tea.

I never iron bedding (and never have), never iron children's clothes, unless they are still a teeny bit damp and the dcs insist on wearing that particular item that day!

I don't really miss the ironing service at all. My DH possibly does, but only when he's ironing a shirt for 5 mins in the early morning.

Ramble ramble, I suppose what I want to say that it is perfectly possible to live a civilised life without having to stand at the ironing board for hours at a time.

tazmosis · 22/10/2007 18:41

SSD - why do you assume that I have too much time on my hands...? I have 4 children and work full time and I have somebody who does my ironing - unfortunately I don't have any time on my hands never mind too much.

Original poster
elliemac · 23/10/2007 13:40

Think she might be talking about the likes of me who is a SAHM. I have plenty of time on my hands but i choose to use it by spending the day doing activities such as swimming, craft club and toddler groups with DD. As far as i'm concerned i won't get this time again with DD so i'm going to bloody well enjoy it!! Fortunately for me i have the money to be able to have the ironing done. Don't get me wrong - if i liked ironing then i'd do it myself but i can't stand it.

OP posts:
Original poster
elliemac · 23/10/2007 13:40

Think she might be talking about the likes of me who is a SAHM. I have plenty of time on my hands but i choose to use it by spending the day doing activities such as swimming, craft club and toddler groups with DD. As far as i'm concerned i won't get this time again with DD so i'm going to bloody well enjoy it!! Fortunately for me i have the money to be able to have the ironing done. Don't get me wrong - if i liked ironing then i'd do it myself but i can't stand it.

OP posts:
Original poster
elliemac · 23/10/2007 13:41

Sorry - must have clicked twice!

OP posts:
beeper · 23/10/2007 14:20

My DH insists on having his shirts cleaned and pressed as I don't do the collars right, what a pity.... since getting PG with this one I have also been sending out the washing but not ironing, but then they come back so well folded that they don't need ironing.

When I had my DS we were skint and nothing like this was even possible, but now we have the money and thats what its for, anyway we surely dont have time because mumsnet is our work lol.

ssd · 23/10/2007 16:38

taz, I wasn't meaning mums like you who work full time and need a cleaner

I meant the mums who are at home and still have a cleaner/ironer

just seems a bit too spoilt for me