to wonder if anyone has ever ACTUALLY "taking in some ironing"?

[InPraiseOfBacchus]

I was sitting eating my Massive Salad when I started to wonder. The "take in some ironing" line has become a bit of a MN meme now, but at one point people must have been suggesting it for real.

I've never had the inclination to have my laundry or ironing done in someone else's home by a random member of the local community (rather than, say, a laundry business), and I've also never seen this service advertised in any of the various places I've lived.

Is this a thing that actually happens, or is it something that only existed in the imaginations of Mumsnetters of yesteryear? Have you ever Taken In Some Ironing and, if so, did it immediately solve all of your money worries AND pay for pony lessons?

I meant "taken" in my title, obviously, whoops.

Someone on my local FB page has started doing lately. I don't know how many takers she's had, she only got one like when she launched.

Yes it happens a lot, I have myself used several ironers over the years.

The best one used to charge me £15 for a blue Ikea bag of whatever I wanted ironed. I'd drop it off at 7:30am and collect it on my way home from work, all beautifully ironed and hung on hangers. Unfortunately she has now retired and I haven't found a replacement that's as good, although I'm still looking.

Where I live theres a shop that charges £21 for 40 items £40 for 80 items it comes back with shirts hung and covered and all the other stuff on hangers, they pick it up and they drop it back normally next day at a time convenient for me
I doubt some random MN'etter can beat that

One of my friends Took In Some Ironing for a while...she decided the cost of a good quality steam generator iron, low wages, marketing, hangers etc plus the rudeness from some of her customers wasn't worth it, and so the pony went back and the children had to slum it at the local state school.

Looks like I'm out of touch and there really is an underground network of at-home ironing services? That's actually really interesting.

Still, I imagine it takes a while to get oneself established in that kind of cottage industry. Not always a quick-fix for everyone's money problems.

I’ve used two women for ironing in the past. Unfortunately the first woman’s ironing was excellent but she did it in her own home and it came back a bit smelly (cooking smells) and I didn’t use her again. The second was good and no issues with smells but expensive so I only did it when I was having a particularly onerous week. A friend at work does it because she enjoys it and only does friends and family for cheapy rates.

Now I barely iron at all and I suspect demand has reduced too because of more people wfh and not needing as much smart office wear.

I think it's an older person thing

My Nan did this but never heard of anyone under the age of 60 with lived experiences with it

A lady from our church used to do this. No hangers or anything, you gave her a basket/bag and she returned the same to you. She charged £10 a bag cash in hand. I assume it was to supplement her benefits, or maybe to buy a 60 inch tv, there was no sudden increase in her lifestyle, or if there was she was very discreet about the pony and private school.

I'd worry that with the cost of living increasing, using services like ironing, cleaners, car valets etc will reduce. We don't use these services but if we did, they'd be the first things we'd cut out to save money.

However, as a potential earning stream I can't see why being a "big business" or just a person ironing from their home would make any difference as I can imagine reputation is more important than business size. In our smallish village, lots of people get work through word of mouth and the village Facebook group just due to recommendations.

Haha I wondered this too OP. The threads worrying about the cost of living and crazy energy prices are a bit of a bingo generator for:

"Can you take in ironing"
"Can you get a lodger"
Or my favourite: "Can you get a better paid job" - oh yes great idea, never would have thought of that!!

I hope you are spinning out your weekly Mumsnet Chicken alongside your Massive Salad.

We've always had an ironer (and a cleaner), well, for decades anyway. I guess in terms of business viability, it depends very much on the area you live in and how you target the right people. We both work full time, have otherwise very busy lives and can afford it, and this is probably reflective of most of our ironing lady's customers. If you live in an area with high rates of poverty and unemployment then it's probably safe to assume it's a non-starter as a business.

Whenever our cleaner or ironer have any free slots come up, they are snapped up within hours.

Aren't most local "laundry businesses" a sole woman taking in people's ironing? Or at least that's how they started

We use an ironing lady but she’s been doing it for years and it’s a proper business for her . I wouldn’t just use some random off FB a as I need to know the house is clean / non smoking / no flea ridden pets etc . We’ve been with the same lady for about 18 yrs .

My sister did it when she was "let go" from her job 23 months in and just before the 2 year anniversary. She was furious and decided to take some time for herself before getting another job (late 1990s). She had her own flat and a mortgage to pay so thought about what she could do and came up with ironing. As a family, we all enjoy ironing, so it was a no-brainer for her. She ironed in front of the TV, so could indulge her other love of daytime TV. She put a card in the local newsagent's window and within a month had as much as she wanted.

I’ve used several ironing ladies over the years. Yes it’s a thing

My mum used to do it for a bit of extra income.

I know someone who was so successful at it he opened a shop with his wife and they even pick up and drop off in their company van!
Ironing all day every day sounds like my own personal hell loop to me and I'm crap at it.

And ‘get an au pair for your children to cut down on childcare costs’

I’m never quite sure if these posters are bots designed to keep MN discussions lively and raise revenue, or genuinely thick.

I used to have a lady when exh & I were first married & both worked F/T she charged £15 cash only for one of those massive striped plastic bags, picked it up one evening & returned it the next all ironed & folded. I used to struggle to fill it some weeks, she picked up from several homes round us, she must have made £150 a round

I haven't but a neighbour did and I paid her for ironing for a while. £1 per item which seemed very decent.

I thought ironing anything other than a work shirt had become a thing of the past to be honest.

Yes I knew 2 sisters who started up years ago and built it into a thriving business. They ended up renting a small unit an they have a van with their company name!! AFAIAA They are still in business

We have a local ironing lady - she charges a fair whack and is very busy.

DMIL used to in the 90s, but she’d get my then-teenage DH to do it for his pocket money.

He’s still an excellent ironer.