Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not know how to iron at 32?

113 replies

Boymum1005 · 16/02/2023 15:32

Not due to any pretentiousness. Was bought up on a farm, very outdoorsy childhood with a lazy single mum. Was always the kid at school/events with the unironed uniform, did my own washing from year 6 onwards… didn’t do my washing? - going to school in dirty clothes, old enough to use the washing machine = old enough to do your own washing.

DH bought up totally differently. Mother did everything for him, was still changing his bed and putting his clothes away when I met him living at home at 25. And of course everything was ironed pristinely.

MIL has made a few comments about DH’s shirts clearly not being ironed (he’s a workman so doesn’t wear shirts for office, just for social events). I tend to reply with a sarcastic comment about how if he wants his clothes ironed he can do it himself. He won’t. He says he will, but never does. It used to irritate the s* out of me, but now I’m becoming more conscious about looking scruffy. And I definitely don’t want my DS’s to grow up feeling like the scruffy kids.

So I ask the Mumsnet community - how do YOU iron?
Do you iron ALL clothes or just work/school/formal?
Daily/weekly/as and when needed?
Do you have an “ironing pile” or just instinctively know what will need ironing?

We have a small house with 2 DC’s so we do about 2 loads of washing per day. Where do you find the time?!

Any and all tips appreciated

OP posts:
icclemunchy · 16/02/2023 16:33

I don't iron. If the OH wants a shirt ironed he does it himself. My eldest is a scout and does her own shirt.

On the very odd occasion I want to wear my one dress that gets rather crinkled I pull it out a day or two in advance and hang it in the bathroom whilst I have a shower

DisforDarkChocolate · 16/02/2023 16:38

Very rarely, mostly in hotels when things have come out of the case crumpled.

We have a clothes steamer at home, I happily use that when needed but mostly clothes get hung on a hanger to dry

KillingLoneliness · 16/02/2023 16:39

I don’t ever iron and I don’t think any of us ever look scruffy. Life’s too short to waste it on such a pointless chore!

RedToothBrush · 16/02/2023 16:42

YANBU

I have new learnt to iron. I don't iron. I don't have reason to iron. There is a magic invention for people who think shirts should be ironed called 'non-iron shirts'. If DH wants to buy a shirt and it needs to be ironed then he is perfectly capable of ironing. Or if that is not agreeable, finding someone who irons for financial reward.

There is no need in my life to iron. I will not iron. I do not need to iron.

Ironing is a mugs game.

It's an utterly pointless exercise in life which wastes precious resources and precious time.

Ironing should be outlawed. Think of the impact on the environment if it was stopped!

Comtesse · 16/02/2023 16:46

I steam a couple of dresses that get a bit wrinkly in the wardrobe. I will iron tablecloth and napkins for a fancy dinner plus one child has a favourite shirt that looks crap if it’s not ironed. That is it. If DH wants to wear wrinkled shirt that is up to him!

TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl · 16/02/2023 16:47

DH irons things that need ironing. We use the dryer a lot so barely anything needs ironing.

I don’t do ironing. I hope my kids never refer to me as lazy, and I’m not even a single mum.

Your MIL is a sexist enabler, please don’t turn out like her. Assuming your DH has 2 hands he can iron his own stuff and I’d be saying that to her

Toddlerteaplease · 16/02/2023 16:48

I Upton everything and plan my day aging around when I will have time to iron it. My work uniform has to be ironed. My sister doesn't iron anything and you wouldn't know. I quite enjoy it. But hare putting it away!

Milamight · 16/02/2023 16:51

So I have a basket for my ironing. So if its childrens school uniform or something that needs ironing, it goes in there straight after washing and about once a week I will iron everything in there and put it away. Doesnt take long, kids never look scruffy 😀 I also grew up having to do my own washing, and I don't think we had an iron in the house when I was a child. 🙂 Each to their own! I just pop the board in front of the TV and do the ironing x

DoesItMakeYouFeelBetter · 16/02/2023 16:55

I’m mid-40s and I can’t iron.

DaveyJonesLocker · 16/02/2023 16:57

I don't even currently own an iron. Didn't buy one when I left DH and I've only just realised. But ironing is easy, you straighten the fabric out and apply the iron. He can iron his own shirts.

slithytoveisascientist · 16/02/2023 16:57

I don't and can't iron
Husband can and doesn't

He steams

Caramelsmadfuzzytail · 16/02/2023 16:58

I learned how to iron a shirt from a magazine article and I had both parents.
Although I detest ironing and hang up shirts on a coat hanger immediately after washing and leave them to dry naturally.
I have an iron and board too but the only time I use my iron is if I want to steam my knitting.
I once watched my sister ironing her undies and to this day I still can't get my head round it.

ItsaStupidSillyThing · 16/02/2023 16:58

I can iron really well without issues, but I despise doing it! I only iron the dc's school uniforms. Everything else gets washed and put into wardrobes/drawers. If something else needs ironed it can be done as and when.

AWholeNewWorls · 16/02/2023 17:01

I iron as and when I wear my clothes. I will try and buy non-iron things. And DH irons his own clothes, again, as and when he wears them. We iron everything except underwear, socks and towels.

I don't iron sheets unless we have guests. We haven't had an children yet so it's quite possible all of the above is about to change!

toobusytothink · 16/02/2023 17:05

47 and never ironed a single item. And no I don’t have someone to do it for me …

Topseyt123 · 16/02/2023 17:08

You ask how I iron? The answer is that I simply don't. We are a non-ironing household and I am not even sure where the iron is, it has been so long since I used it.

Ironing is a pointless waste of time invented by those who have nothing better to do with themselves.

Anyway, why does your MIL address her queries about your DH's shirts to you? Does she think that he is incapable of picking up the iron?

Milksheikha · 16/02/2023 17:11

I don't but everything is done by cleaner or taken to laundry. I iron kids labels on with my hair straighteners.

BigMadAdrian · 16/02/2023 17:12

I hardly ever iron - I only have a handful of clothes that need to be ironed and I iron them when I want to wear them - a couple of times a year at the most. Dh irons his own shirts. Dc school shirts are tumble dried and hung up straight away - no creases.

Ironing is a complete waste of time.

BigMadAdrian · 16/02/2023 17:13

Milksheikha · 16/02/2023 17:11

I don't but everything is done by cleaner or taken to laundry. I iron kids labels on with my hair straighteners.

That is an amazing idea!

ivykaty44 · 16/02/2023 17:15

buy the best iron possible - that means steam force www.bestproductsreviews.co.uk/irons-steam?targetid=kwd-1150241436234&matchtype=b&device=c&campaignid=12134395129&creative=493278961623&adgroupid=120466446601&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=1007201&loc_interest_ms=&network=g&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=$%2Btop%20%2Birons%20%2Bsteam&target=&aceid=&adposition=&trackid=uk_all_top_11_1&mId=407-132-4411&trackOld=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxbefBhDfARIsAL4XLRpgbEI88-tI9eNvQctKYxNPzmktTvwoDqL9oML2BCzrZqcKikfPvY0aAryqEALw_wcB buy the best one you can afford and don't skimp, you'll pay for it every week in labour - your labour

then use YouTube for practical ironing lesson

I use kettle water and a drop of lavender essential oil in the iron and always empty the water

I used to make sure that ex shirts were not 100% cotton as they are much harder to iron and crease easily when wearing, polycotton is far easier to iron and stay uncreased longer - but use a cooler iron

have a Netflix series to watch and iron whilst watching tv

Mamai90 · 16/02/2023 17:18

I tend to buy clothes that are easily ironed, I hate getting gifted clothes for my daughter that look lovely while on the hanger before they are washed and they come out looking like a dogs dinner never to be worn again!

In this house we iron as we go, so I'll have mine and my daughters clothes ready for the next day, I tend to wear jeggings and a sweater daily so only the sweater needs a quick iron. There's no way I'm slaving over a pile of ironing!

Chocolate23 · 16/02/2023 17:22

Topseyt123 · 16/02/2023 17:08

You ask how I iron? The answer is that I simply don't. We are a non-ironing household and I am not even sure where the iron is, it has been so long since I used it.

Ironing is a pointless waste of time invented by those who have nothing better to do with themselves.

Anyway, why does your MIL address her queries about your DH's shirts to you? Does she think that he is incapable of picking up the iron?

You may think it is a pointless waste of time, but you don't speak for everyone.

I think not ironing is lazy and scruffy. Also if you can't find your iron you really need to clean your house 😝

Topseyt123 · 16/02/2023 17:28

Chocolate23 · 16/02/2023 17:22

You may think it is a pointless waste of time, but you don't speak for everyone.

I think not ironing is lazy and scruffy. Also if you can't find your iron you really need to clean your house 😝

Show quote history

I don't claim to speak for everyone. I speak for myself and make no apology for that.

Nannyfannybanny · 16/02/2023 17:29

I iron. When I was working people used to comment on my lovely neat uniform (nursing) you could see the folk who didn't iron theirs. Only time I relent is winter DH T shirts under jumpers because you don't see them. I don't see how you can get away with no ironing pure cotton,shorts,tops, dresses in summer. I had 4 DKs, before anyone imagines I wasn't busy, worked FT, used to do the ironing on a Sunday night watching TV. I also dressmake,you have to iron.

DeadbeatYoda · 16/02/2023 17:34

I Just iron the odd item, here and there. I wear a lot of linen in summer so more then. I always hang stuff up straight away ( after dryer) or whilst drying indoors or hang stuff thoughtfully on the washing line in order to maximise crease avoidance.
The days of every woman ironing a pile of clothes are over.