Page 23 | 15 shirts a week

theonlygirl · 2022-05-28T08:02:29+00:00

DS2 starts big school in September, meaning there will be 15 shirts in the laundry each week. DH 5, DS1 5, DS2 5. no issue washing and drying them but it will be a cold day in hell before I stand ironing their shirts. I don't use a tumbledryer so they all definitely need ironing. Option 1 - make them iron their own. Option 2 - drycleaners Curious to know what others do

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:39

cobden28 · 29/05/2022 19:08

Make a shirt last for two days instead of a clean one daily, which would reduce the number of shirts in the wash by half. And get your husband to help out with the shirt ironing!

DH works 18 hours a day and the OP doesn't work???

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:40

Mrssheppard18 · 29/05/2022 18:22

Get some lenor crease release! Best thing I’ve brought and never ironed since

That's the one I was thinking of earlier in the thread. It's the fabric softener that reduces the need for ironing.

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:41

RedStef1983 · 29/05/2022 18:16

on the assumption your DH is an actual adult, I’d say he can do his own. Get the non iron ones for the kids and hang them up damp so any potential creases drop out.

The DH is an actual adult who works 18 hour days...........

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:43

catwomando · 29/05/2022 19:22

My kids went through the whole of a ho without ironing a shirt.

They always looked fine.

Shake straight from the machine abs hang up.

The whole of a ho? Is 'whole' a typo and you meant 'hole'? 😱

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:46

MarmaladeLime · 29/05/2022 20:58

Or man

Show quote history

Yes, there are loads of the ironing men hanging about.

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:50

My apologies. The OP works part-time. So of everyone in the family, she has most free time. There are things that have to be done in a family. Simple as that.

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:54

A few years ago, I decided to get a cleaner for 2 hours per week. 1 hour dedicated to ironing. I came home to the first cleaner's efforts. She had 'ironed' everything. That is to say that she had, as I told her, hung everything up on the curtain after ironing. Everything was hung up, nothing ironed. I complained to the agency. Then the next day, when I had to iron everything myself, I realised, that the poor woman had in fact ironed everything, with the iron turned to the lowest setting (i.e. off!). She contacted me to apologise and said that she had never ironed before. This was a woman in her twenties!!!!!!

Pottedpalm · 30/05/2022 08:54

DH often used two shirts a day, commuting and frequently lunch and/or dinner with clients.
add on the DTs shirts and there could be 20 in a week, plus a couple for me.
I Ironed them all on a Sunday afternoon with the radio on and chocolate.
i would not expect DH to iron his shirts, tho he often offered, as he worked extremely long hours, often away travelling and I worked part time and my school was just round the corner from home.

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:56

*on the curtain rail

Furthermore, I asked her to change the bed sheets and make the bed. She had taken the bedsheets off and neatly placed the clean duvet cover, laid out ON TOP OF THE DUVET!!! Haha. I'm not sure what planet she was from.

Nothappyatwork · 30/05/2022 09:00

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:56

*on the curtain rail

Furthermore, I asked her to change the bed sheets and make the bed. She had taken the bedsheets off and neatly placed the clean duvet cover, laid out ON TOP OF THE DUVET!!! Haha. I'm not sure what planet she was from.

This is why I would never have a cleaner again, we had one lady who came round for three hours a week, after an hour and a half of cleaning she had a 15 minute break where she sat down had a cup of tea and a sandwich and then told me at the end that she had not time to do the ensuite 🙄

vickylou78 · 30/05/2022 09:08

I personally wouldn't be ironing shirts for school. Just get them out of washing machine the minute it stops hang on a hanger to dry (or tumble drying is also great at getting out creases). Job done.

Husband irons his own shirts on weekend . Done!
I literally wouldn't iron anything else. Everything does get taken out of machine quickly here though!

Buttonjugs · 30/05/2022 12:17

There are lots of ironing services that would be much cheaper than the dry cleaners, plus they usually do free collection and delivery.

user1496146479 · 30/05/2022 15:01

vickylou78 · 30/05/2022 09:08

I personally wouldn't be ironing shirts for school. Just get them out of washing machine the minute it stops hang on a hanger to dry (or tumble drying is also great at getting out creases). Job done.

Husband irons his own shirts on weekend . Done!
I literally wouldn't iron anything else. Everything does get taken out of machine quickly here though!

How does everyone manage to be waiting for your washing machine to be finished & take stuff out straight away?? I agree it does help, but I'm rarely at my washing machine waiting for it, I'm usually working at home or chasing kids around!

LuckySantangelo35 · 30/05/2022 15:04

JetTail · 30/05/2022 08:54

A few years ago, I decided to get a cleaner for 2 hours per week. 1 hour dedicated to ironing. I came home to the first cleaner's efforts. She had 'ironed' everything. That is to say that she had, as I told her, hung everything up on the curtain after ironing. Everything was hung up, nothing ironed. I complained to the agency. Then the next day, when I had to iron everything myself, I realised, that the poor woman had in fact ironed everything, with the iron turned to the lowest setting (i.e. off!). She contacted me to apologise and said that she had never ironed before. This was a woman in her twenties!!!!!!

@JetTail

i don’t know why you’re so incredulous about that. I’ve only ironed a handful of times. Women today have better things to do.

Kite22 · 30/05/2022 15:19

It comes down to laziness. All this lifes to short to iron etc is just an excuse for being a lazy slob.

Or quite possibly people having better things to do with their time ?
How many hours a week do you work Marble11 and how many hours do you have committed to other things (commute, exercise, hobby, volunteering, caring responsibilities, etc) ?
As, personally, I don't iron because there is no need to iron, and I have better things to spend my time on, not because I am lazy. I just choose to spend my time more wisely.

speakout · 30/05/2022 15:28

Kite22 · 30/05/2022 15:19

It comes down to laziness. All this lifes to short to iron etc is just an excuse for being a lazy slob.

Or quite possibly people having better things to do with their time ?
How many hours a week do you work Marble11 and how many hours do you have committed to other things (commute, exercise, hobby, volunteering, caring responsibilities, etc) ?
As, personally, I don't iron because there is no need to iron, and I have better things to spend my time on, not because I am lazy. I just choose to spend my time more wisely.

Totally agree Kite22.
It isn't to do with laziness- just have better things to do with my time.
I run a small business. work 7 days a week, I am a carer, I exercise daily, I tend to my garden, and I relax sometimes with a glass of wine and watch a movie or read a book. All better uses of my time than ironing.
I don't see ironing as necessary- and the people who would judge me for wearing a wrinkled shirt are not the ones I would want to be close to anyway.

LuckySantangelo35 · 30/05/2022 15:44

Augustmummy · 30/05/2022 01:11

its only 5 extra shirts a week - not sure its worth writing a mumsnet post about tbh.

@Augustmummy

”it’s only…”

Yeah…on top of ten others…

do you never get sick of so much boring housework?

PeachyPeachTrees · 30/05/2022 16:01

Just iron DH shirts as he works 18 hour days. My DH wears same shirt 2 days in a row, so less ironing. My DS1 needs new shirt a day as they smell of BO. DS2 younger and wears same shirt 2 days. I have non iron shirts, take out of wash straight away, do brief smoothing by hand and hang to dry in a way that they keep flat.

Kite22 · 30/05/2022 16:28

Nothing to do with ironing, but.....

Am I the only one wondering how someone works 18 hours a day, continually, in a job that is clearly outside the home (if he needs a formal, ironed shirt).
Add in even a short commute, a little bit of time to go to the toilet, to shower, dry oneself and get dressed, and eat before work and then after work, (even if placed on the table and no contribution to preparing those meals) and just wind down a little / digest your food and it can't leave you with more than 4 hours sleep per day.
Yes, one thing to pull off as a 'one off', but you can't live like that, surely ?

Vikinga · 30/05/2022 16:31

I've never ironed any of my kids school shirts. And my ex ironed his own shirts most of the time.

PattyMelt · 30/05/2022 16:43

No iron shirts on the hangers to dry. Works great.

MerryMarigold · 30/05/2022 16:47

YABU for 2 reasons:

You don't need a shirt everyday if you're wearing deodorant. I have 2 teen boys who go through 2-3 per week and they definitely don't smell (I have a sensitive nose). New socks and pants daily but shirts are not necessary.

You don't need to be ironing shirts even without a tumble drier. I don't tumble either. Put them on a hanger and be done with it.

If anyone isn't happy, they can iron their own although judging by my Y11 and Y8 boys, they don't really care.

Lulu49 · 30/05/2022 18:15

Buy a tumble drier

pollymere · 30/05/2022 20:02

The kid doesn't need 5 shirts a week. Maybe 3? Secondly buy polycotton ones and wash on a woollen cycle. Good shake/smooth when they come out and no need to iron them. I've never ironed a school shirt! Buy husband polycotton shirts and don't iron his either.I don't know if tumbledrying would crease them. I dry mine on hangers or on the line.

RandomMess · 30/05/2022 20:29

@theonlygirl just a thought I bought a hand held steamer for £15 at Lidl the other week. Perhaps if you aren't ready for DS1 to iron he could steam his shirts?