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 sometimes send my ironing for my holiday let ( glamping in my garden, sole income, don't leap on me I'm not the devil...) out when I get overwhelmed by it.

It is a business but its just a local woman who does it. Her dad picks it up and brings it back.

My cleaner used to take the laundry home with her, so I guess she 'took in ironing'.

Yes i do it !

One of my friends did it when she was in a graduate job - shirts from folk in her office mainly. It topped up her at the time entry level salary

I also used to take in ironing in my teens, in the early 90s. Just work shirts, for male friends of my parents, who would drop them off and collect. It was a decent earner to top up my Saturday job, but as with ISeeTrees, I'm a former teenage ironer who now doesn't ever use one (I've not seen it for years, maybe exH has it!).

I ditched the cleaner in favour of an ironing person.
I'm back to doing my own as my last person became very flaky. And my kids are bigger and know not to crawl under the ironing board.

I imagine getting established is hard and ok to supplement income rather than be a full time job.

One person I used I'm sure the guy was collecting the ironing and dropping at different people's houses to do it then collecting and dropping back off. We ditched him as a couple of times it came back stinking of smoke .

I used to do it to supplement my student grant when I was at uni, and for a few years after. I don’t recall exactly how I costed it but I’d include local collection/drop-off too. I love ironing. Would do it again if I thought there’d ever be demand.

I did ironing as a student, nearly 20 years ago. Some clients I went to their houses, some dropped off their stuff at my student hovel.
Until I got loads of repeat word-of-mouth business from ex-public school seriously wealthy students wanting delicate evening wear done. I used to just steam them over the bath (with some cheap poundshop bubble bath), charge £15 to £20 a garment, and was utterly gobsmacked that I had loads of bookings. Enough to top up my grant & student loan nicely, anyway.

My Nana used to do it but I’m talking 25-30 years ago.

We used an ironing lady for 9 years. She recently stopped as she went into a full time role. She was amazing, great value and I got to know her really well.

id like to find another person but I’m not sure anyone will do as good a job.

My niece did it for years.
People were upset when she gave it up.

I've only ever know of Tracey Turnblad's mum from Hairspray taking in ironing for other people 😁

I do part time work as a housekeeper and I spent the morning ironing bedding. Was actually sorta fun- a peaceful hour with no one wanting me, my podcast and a nice cup of coffee.

I don't iron my bedding at home though! 😂

There's been an advert posted on our village Facebook group offering ironing services so it does still happen I guess.

My sister used to do it for extra income but by the time she'd bought the hangers, wrap, canisters of water for the iron and paid for the electricity, she earned peanuts.

I know my cleaner does ironing.

I did over 25 years ago. I cleaned for a woman and she asked about ironing and I did hers and her friends. Was skint. Was cash in hand in the days before tax credits and I was a single mum.

FWIW the woman and I became the best of friends and still are now.

My DM does it, it started with some school mums in the playground wishing out loud that they could pay someone to do their ironing. DM offered, agreed a rate and they'd bring it in the morning in a big ikea type bag. DM then ironed it and returned it folded or hung at afternoon school pick up.

She picked up more customers via word of mouth and it keeps her busy with a few pounds in her pocket. It's handy that she loves to iron.

I used an ironing lady some years back. Not actually for ironing, but she did laundry as well, and my washing machine was broken. She collected my laundry and delivered it back. I could have had it ironed as well but there was no need as my iron and husband were both functioning :)

Some of my family members do it I can't iron fir shite nor could I be bothered but some find it very relaxing and get paid at the same Time win win

I did it when I was a young lone mum on benefits, (90s). I sewed some linen bags and ironed work shirts, my usp was that I sewed missing buttons back on. The shirts were folded and fitted exactly into the linen bags. I never offered hangers and plastic bags and no one asked. I also did gardening £2 an hour, cleaning £2, and child minding £1 an hour. I earned about £20 a week and that kept the wolf from the door and ran a banger car. In my spare time, lol, I did my A levels and open university degree.

I used to do jobs like this in a similar position.

Now I'm an old fart, and disabled, I'm looking for a similar goddess! A bit of a jill of all trades really.

I did this when Ds was a baby/toddler for a lady over the road from me. She worked away during the week so I did a few jobs for her in the house and did her ironing.
I got paid £5 weekly ( or on a busy cleaning week, £10 ) It paid my Littlewoods catalogue monthly bill and meant DS had decent clothes, Xmas and birthday presents.
It was easy and as a SAHM, ideal money at the time.

@DisappearingGirl A while ago there was a poster who said she had cried in the supermarket because she couldn't afford to add a 50p reduced price cake to her trolley as a treat for her kids, and also mentioned that she didn't know if she even had enough petrol to get her to work the next day, and someone said 'Buy an electric bike'.

I have an ironing lady. She is a god send when the the ironing basket is overwhelming. I don’t use her regularly but it’s £25 we’ll spent.

Well

I can't even get to grips with ironing my own stuff, let alone other people's.