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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think people that routinely iron have far too much time on their hands?

227 replies

Wrinkyclothes · 19/02/2023 19:02

Do people really still routinely iron their clothing?

The keyword being routinely. I am known to iron for events, or if I have a fussy top requiring attention or the kids need to look smart. But do people actually iron everything? Why??

OP posts:
IglesiasPiggl · 19/02/2023 19:11

I quite like ironing, and I think it does make a difference to how things look, despite ironing-haters convincing themselves it doesn't! I love putting on a crisply ironed white shirt, and putting my head on a lovely smooth pillow case. I am pretty good at managing my time, plus my DC are teenagers so I don't have to supervise them and ferry them about quite so much, so I don't find it difficult to carve out half an hour with the radio on to do the ironing.

pawz · 19/02/2023 19:11

I steam everything but don't iron?

Don't come at me, sliding into a freshly changed and steamed bed on a Sunday evening is top tier 😂

I find it really fun to steam things! And I steam as I put away so it's never more than 10 minutes at a time so feels really easy. And my clothes hang so much better when steamed, makes everything look more polished imo.

Thehop · 19/02/2023 19:11

I iron everything. I enjoy it. Often set the board up in front of the tv

MarshaMelrose · 19/02/2023 19:11

If I could find someone who routinely ironed, I'd marry them. I can be flexible in my sexual preferences for an ironer.

ghostyslovesheets · 19/02/2023 19:11

Calistan · 19/02/2023 19:09

I think they are probably those kind of people who think sitting down or relaxing is a sin. Skinny, nervy types who can't complete a thought.

Or people who don't own polyester and things that can all be tumble dried? It took me 30 mins to iron my stuff this week - not a huge commitment really. I like to look uncrumpled

catinboots123 · 19/02/2023 19:12

Life is too short to spend it flattening your clothes

grumpycow1 · 19/02/2023 19:13

YANBU. I hang dry things so that they don’t get too creased and then fold them well. Also use a heated airer where stuff hangs inside it and that helps. Shaking them as they come out of the washing machine wet really helps too! On the odd occasion something looks a little creased still, I’ll maybe run an iron over it, but most of my clothes are fine without it. I honestly don’t know how I’d fit in ironing time. My mum used to iron socks and pants haha 😂

Calistan · 19/02/2023 19:13

Is polyester a sin too?

IntentionalError · 19/02/2023 19:14

My mother irons socks. And towels. And bedsheets. The woman really does need to find better things to do with her life.

Groutyonehereagain · 19/02/2023 19:14

I never iron anything.

MarshaMelrose · 19/02/2023 19:14

@pawz, I need more information. What is this steaming? Is it a hand steamer? My sister had one and it was useless. Which make do you have? Do I just hang my trousers up, aim the steamer at them and that's it? What about wool?

Calistan · 19/02/2023 19:16

MarshaMelrose · 19/02/2023 19:14

@pawz, I need more information. What is this steaming? Is it a hand steamer? My sister had one and it was useless. Which make do you have? Do I just hang my trousers up, aim the steamer at them and that's it? What about wool?

I worked in a charity shop once, the steamer was quite fun tbh, a lot more than ironing.

BertieBotts · 19/02/2023 19:17

I used to quite like ironing, it's meditative, and it smells nice and comforting and the warm fabric is lovely. It doesn't take up that much time really.

That said, I don't iron any more and have got rid of my ironing board because it does seem a bit of a waste of time and energy in general.

Grumpybutfunny · 19/02/2023 19:17

We leave the ironing board up in the utility with a cordless iron, I also have a steamer in the dressing room. Only thing iron before hanging is DS school uniform everything else is ironed as and when we put it on. We used to iron whilst watching TV but I found stuff came out of the wardrobe crumpled so stopped

bigbadbarry · 19/02/2023 19:18

I send my ironing out. I like ironed things (and my children have appalling pleated school skirts) but am
too lazy to do it. I do have some friends who basically iron so they can watch daytime tv without feeling guilty for being sat down.

jenny38 · 19/02/2023 19:19

I iron most of our clothes, always school uniforms and duvet covers etc. I don't iron pjamas or pants, although I did as s youngster, doing ironing for my parents. I think it's personal preference and wouldn't judge either way

Smoky1107 · 19/02/2023 19:19

I iron every other Sunday. Love doing it in total silence takes me just over an hour normally

VenusClapTrap · 19/02/2023 19:19

My father used to insist on everything being ironed (by my mother). Even his handkerchiefs, which he got through tonnes of. I used to think this was quite bonkers, and I couldn’t understand why my mother did it. I know it wasn’t because she enjoyed it, because she complained about it often. She wasn’t downtrodden - she was always pretty robust about saying what she thought and didn’t take shit generally. So why she did it is beyond me.

After she died, DF said to me “I’ve discovered that handkerchiefs don’t actually need ironing.” This was the moment I realised that ghosts don’t exist, because he surely deserved a haunting for that.

Favouritefruits · 19/02/2023 19:20

I love having a big pile of ironing, I’m a SAHM, I put on the TV and iron away, it makes me feel less guilty about watching daytime TV.

BertieBotts · 19/02/2023 19:20

I actually get the same pleasure I used to get from ironing by folding things as they come out of the tumble dryer 😆 it's the warm smooth fabric and comforting smell thing! I tumble dry everything, even stuff that says do not tumble dry <rebel> it actually comes out much nicer than I used to iron things.

pawz · 19/02/2023 19:21

MarshaMelrose · 19/02/2023 19:14

@pawz, I need more information. What is this steaming? Is it a hand steamer? My sister had one and it was useless. Which make do you have? Do I just hang my trousers up, aim the steamer at them and that's it? What about wool?

It's fab!! It's a hand held one with attachments, it is the Phillips one from John Lewis (black and copper)

I hang the item up, then just run the steamer over it and it gets the creases out in one pass normally! It can steam hung up or flat so you can steam pretty much anything!

It's fine to use on any fabric you can iron, I use it on pure wool cardigans and I just lightly steam them, it's worked so far 😊

Calistan · 19/02/2023 19:21

bigbadbarry · 19/02/2023 19:18

I send my ironing out. I like ironed things (and my children have appalling pleated school skirts) but am
too lazy to do it. I do have some friends who basically iron so they can watch daytime tv without feeling guilty for being sat down.

See, I knew sitting down was a sin lol

Ragwort · 19/02/2023 19:21

I agree it's about how people want to prioritise their time ... I don't hate ironing, I would much rather do 20 minutes ironing rather than hoovering (which some mumsnetters seem to do every day Shock), cooking from scratch, booking a holiday, shopping on line, watching Strictly, exercising or a million and one other things I don't think are 'essential' or even pleasant. Ironing seems pretty harmless so long as you are not being forced into doing other peoples ironing. I do my ironing... DH does his. DS does none.

toomuchlaundry · 19/02/2023 19:21

Don’t people like freshly ironed shirts and creased lines in work/uniform trousers. Some of our bedding I can get away without ironing but some duvet covers need an iron

Starlightstarbright1 · 19/02/2023 19:22

I do Iron most of my clothes. I wish I had too much time but I just hate creased clothes and my D’s has sod so would find them uncomfortable if I didn’t iron.