My DH and DS will burn down the house - leaving iron on. Please help

[User112]

I am so stressed. DH goes into office 3 days a week and I go 3 days. DS is in Y10. Today was our overlap day, but I’m working from home today unexpectedly.
I came home from school dropoffs and the house smelt like something burning. I realised after 2 mins it could be the iron. Leaving iron on is a big problem in my house. However, they leave it standing, so nothing happened so far. But today, it could have burnt the house down. They left it down, but luckily on a low setting. It burnt the cover.
Im so terrified of this shit and have nightmares about the house burning down. I lost it at DH, things get better for a few days, but he slowly starts being careless about stuff again, it could also be DS. I don’t know today:

Are there any timer plugs I can use to turn off the FUCKKNG iron after 5 fucking minutes?

Seriously fuckimg mad at people but they bloody don’t get it.

I'd go for an iron that has an automatic shut off rather than a smart plug. Or iron first, then smart plug.

Smart plugs don't need an alexa - just a smart phone or tablet that you can download the manufacturers app to.

My very ordinary iron from Argos (Philips brand) has an auto cut out when you don’t move it for a bit. A pain when I am using it for a sewing project, but very good from a safety point of view.

Don’t get pulled into a situation where their incompetence means you take over the job. They both are old enough to sort this out. If they can get themselves ready to leave the house each day, remember to take keys with them, remember to brush their teeth, they can train themselves to turn the fecking iron off too.

It sounds like you really need a completely idiot proof iron with an immediate shut off if left face down. Smart plugs etc are a back up but could still be too slow.

This is the iron you want! Not only will it not burn clothes, it won't burn the board cover if left down.

www.philips.co.uk/c-p/GC9635_26/perfectcare-elite-steam-generator-iron?origin=7_700000002273306_71700000085414782_58700007409433199_39700066463733823&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuMuRBhCJARIsAHXdnqMye0hxIqJFWYra5HoAxPOf0j6cz0jcEJ8IHbiXIXYDUbxFDUKyncoaAqeQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We have a countdown timer thing plugged between the iron and the socket. So if I leave the iron on it cuts out after the iron has been on for 1hour total. (The iron has its own cutoff too if left stationary for over x minutes)

Honestly I think you need to let your DH find a solution. He's an adult and surely understands he's risking burning the house down. I'm very forgetful so every time I use the iron I unplug IMMEDIATELY. Your DH needs to take responsibility if necessary by buying whatever timer device he thinks he needs.

@HotPenguin

Honestly I think you need to let your DH find a solution. He's an adult and surely understands he's risking burning the house down. I'm very forgetful so every time I use the iron I unplug IMMEDIATELY. Your DH needs to take responsibility if necessary by buying whatever timer device he thinks he needs.

He is the type that takes action after suffering consequences. Last year he got his first speeding ticket after driving at 40 in a 30 road. I told him for months it’s a 30 road, I was laughed at, made fun of, called “nagging” etc. They later installed a speed camera there and he got a ticket straight away. Now he is really careful.

Unfortunately, the house has to burn down for him to start being careful and I’m not taking those chances. Im going in my lunch break to buy a auto switch off iron.

You can get a timer plug that turns off automatically, I used to have one for hair straighteners

@Champagneforeveryone

Get a smart plug and an Alexa (or whatever suits you best)

It's not ideal it has to be you, but you can check if the plug is on using the Alexa app and switch it off if necessary.

Why the fuck should the OP be iron monitor for an adult and a near adult who CBA being responsible?

OP, on ao.com, there is an 'auto shut off' filter for the irons they sell. Use this to buy DH one for his birthday or Father's Day, whichever is soonest.

@CornedBeef451

Throw the iron away. If they can't be trusted to turn it off they don't get to iron.

I told them they need to iron once a week and put the iron in the garage. I can’t tell you how mad I am at this point.

"Leaving iron on is a big problem in my house."

Get. Rid. Of. The. Iron. Then!

@BarbaraofSeville I LOVE THE IDEA of buying an iron for his birthday. HE DESERVES IT. So does DS.
DHs birthday is in May, but I can’t wait until then. I might gift wrap the old iron and give it

www.argos.co.uk/product/7922136?clickPR=plp:7:14 I would recommend this one, we have, it has the 30 second flat/ 8 min upright feature. It's not listed on the website but it's in the instruction leaflet.

Ladies, I’m opening the bottle now. 🥂Cheers to my luck today, the house didn’t burn down.
🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾

Get rid of the iron. Put item or 3 items max that need ironing into tumble drier on hot along with a damp face flannel. 5-10 mins max, the steam generated 'iron's the clothing. Open door hang on a hanger to air for 10 mins and it looks like you just ironed it so long as not linen, that's more tricky.

@User112

I've got a cordless iron.

Sits on a base and if it's on there not picked up for more than five minutes it turns itself off and if they don't put it bak on the base at all it goes cold and then off automatically.

Gift wrap the iron for dh and the base for ds.

[quote wtfisgoingonhere21]@User112

I've got a cordless iron.

Sits on a base and if it's on there not picked up for more than five minutes it turns itself off and if they don't put it bak on the base at all it goes cold and then off automatically.

Gift wrap the iron for dh and the base for ds.

[/quote]
Love it

There's loads of things they could do - never iron if they are likely to be out of the house for hours afterwards, set alarms to check they've switched it off, stop ironing all together, buy the kit suggested, etc. The important thing is that they do it, not you. They have to take responsibility for it or they will just set fire to the house some other way.

In my stupid, irresponsible youth I narrowly avoided burning down my home in various ways (ironing, cooking, straighteners, candles, open fires, scarves over hot light bulbs ) on more than one occasion and the only learned to stop because I had to take the consequences on myself.

My DS is the same
When I went on holiday I took the fuse out of the cooker 😂😂

STOP ironing. Save electricity. Take the iron away and only use it if absolutely necessary. Hide it from them

He sounds like an arsehole.

Carrying on putting his wife and child's jokes at risk by not taking steps to make sure he doesn't burn his families home down.

But also knowingly continuing to speed on a road, laughing and calling you a nag for asking him to stop and the only reason he did stop wasn't because he was worried risking his family or people in his knowingly speeding car but because he lost money. I honestly think that would be a deal breaker because I'd never have trusted him to drive safely with our child in the care, it's one thing to not realise and go a little bit over, or to reduce speed when it's pointed out what you're doing but he didn't, he took the piss and continued.

Your anxiety must be through the roof with his behaviour.

Home not jokes.

@Ariela

Get rid of the iron. Put item or 3 items max that need ironing into tumble drier on hot along with a damp face flannel. 5-10 mins max, the steam generated 'iron's the clothing. Open door hang on a hanger to air for 10 mins and it looks like you just ironed it so long as not linen, that's more tricky.

That's EXACTLY what I do right down to the damp flannel!

@User112

Thanks everyone. I desperately need that auto shutoff iron. Please can anyone tell me more about smart plugs? Anything with a timer on them? I don’t use Alexa. Should I start using it?

@User112 - no idea about smart plugs or Alexa but a trip switch is a really good idea.

This was years ago when DB lived or moved back with DM but he'd use an iron and sometimes the steam with filling the water meant it could be dangerous. I recall one time DM told me the trip switch helped because the water had gone over the iron's wires!

Your DH needs to grow the hell up re his driving but yes to getting him a new auto cut off iron for his birthday and recycling the old one.