Non ironers, if you don't tumble dry, fabric condition or don't dry your clothes in the airing cupboard, bathroom or on the radiator .... do you iron officewear or smart clothes?

[hidetheelephant]

I was getting a bit confused on my other thread! Currently I iron very few things, but that's because very few of my clothes need ironing. I may be getting a new job and along with it a new wardrobe for workwear. Thought I'd conduct a bit of research first, before I decide what to buy.

Answering with yes, no or don't have, do you iron:

Pencil skirts
Pleated items
Smart shirts
Smart trousers
Smart skirts
Smart dresses

Do you tumble dry, dry on radiator, in airing cupboard, in the bathroom, on clothes horse, on line?

Do you use fabric conditioner?

Pencil skirts NO
Pleated items DON'T HAVE
Smart shirts YES
Smart trousers DEPENDS ON MATERIAL
Smart skirts AS ABOVE
Smart dresses AS ABOVE

I use fabric conditioner in everything apart from stretchy and denim.

I iron nothing apart from shirts/blouses, unless they are a linen or an easily creased fabric. Sometime I judge this on the state of it when it is dried. If there are significant creases that won't come out when wearing then I'll iron it but otherwise I won't. All my washing is dried either in the tumbler or over the cold radiator (rarely on).

I have a few cotton dresses that I just hang on a hanger in a doorway or the picture rail and they are dry real quick with next to zero creases.

My mum irons everything down to socks and is shocked I don't iron and says it looks like I do as nothing is creased.

1: Do not buy pleated things

2: Everything else that needs to look smart, take straight out of the tumble dryer and put onto a suitable clothes hanger. When it has dried, look at it. Then put it on and look at it again. Does it look scruffy, or does it look fine? If it looks fine, do that from then on. If it looks scruffy, you'll have to iron it.

Lazy woman's advice (trust me, I'm expertly lazy!):

• Think twice about smart shirts & pleats - only get them if they contain plenty of Lycra/elastane and state machine wash on the care label.
• Nearly everything can be machine washed on delicates.
• Lycra is the lazy woman's best friend!
• Use fabric conditioner.
• Use pointy balls AND foam balls in your tumble dryer, or conditioning sheets.
• Tumble your lycra items on low-medium heat.
• Dry tailored/shaped items on a hanger, gently pull them into shape while they're damp.
• Dry knits flattish, over the top of an airer for example.

Hmmm I think I'm going to have a problem as I line dry or use the clothes horse and don't use fabric conditioner.

Yes, I suspect it's fabric conditioner OR iron, I'm afraid! Line drying's fine, you can even get more clothes on the line using hangers.

Have you ever tried one of those eco-conditioning ball things, that soften the clothes without chemicals?