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Original poster

How to give up ironing (without crunchy towels etc)

78 replies

SquidgersMummy · 31/08/2013 09:24

I have decided to give up ironing...suppose the odd work shirt or dress is going to have to be done. Just about to return to work after mat leave and am also depressed by the constant ironing pile. There is no time for it. It seems a waste of my life. DD has eczema so I haven't been using fabric conditioner of late - the perfume is the worst - but Surcare do a perfume free, skin friendly one. I just wanted to know what I can do to prevent crunchy towels and general crappy looking stuff. Thanks for your tips xx

OP posts:
Happypiglet · 31/08/2013 09:27

I don't iron.... Anything... I pay someone to iron DHs shirts and kids school shirts...
All I do is line dry everything when the weather is OK and dry rest of stuff on hangers in my under stairs cupboard when not good weather.
Yes towels are a little crunchy to start with but I actually quite like that....well I lot more than ironing anyway.
Never use fabric conditioner
To my knowledge no one knows I don't iron...or if they do they don't tell me to my face!

MrsMangoBiscuit · 31/08/2013 09:33

I don't iron! Life's too short. A few minutes in the tumble drier means we don't have crunchy towels. I also tend to only buy clothes that don't need ironing, and just hand them well to dry, on hangers and outside as much as possible. For trousers/jeans I pull them flat before hanging them carefully over the drier or line. If DH needs a shirt, he's on his own!

Doingthedo · 31/08/2013 09:37

I sold my iron and ironing board 5 years ago. As soon as washer finishes, fold everything, leave for at least half an hour to remove all creases. Then hang on radiators/outside on line/ on airer. Tumble sock/pants/towels if you can. I never use fabric conditioner either = no ironing = happy me!

ThermoLobster · 31/08/2013 09:42

I do exactly the same as MrsMangoBiscuit, except the hanging things carefully thing. I am more slapdash. I have never ironed DHs shirts. I work too so no reason why I should. He either does his own or gets the ironing lady to do them.

ThermoLobster · 31/08/2013 09:43

Doingthedo that folding everything thing sounds interesting. Never heard of that method before. Might need to give it a try although am probably too lazy

MirandaWest · 31/08/2013 09:45

I don't iron. I don't use fabric conditioner. I don't tend to use the tumble drier except for cases of emergency. Somehow my towels aren't crunchy (have no idea how this happens)

SubliminalMassaging · 31/08/2013 09:50

Doing all I can say is you must wear an awful lot of polyester and have a DH and DCs who don't need proper work or school shirts.

Using a tumble dryer is the only way to manage without an ironing board for most things, and even that takes a very strict routine of small loads, and removing things immediately and hanging or folding immediately.

Washing anything cotton without fabric conditioner and then putting it on the line in anything other than a very warm day with a brisk breeze would result in clothes like wrinkled cardboard.

I have never ironed towels in my life, and I don't care if they are crispy, but doing away with owning an iron all together just makes me Shock.

AnythingNotEverything · 31/08/2013 09:51

I don't iron (much) or use the tumble dryer (except for towels). I line dry what I can, everything else goes on an airer.

Everything has to come out of the machine immediately and have a good shake before hanging to dry.

Oh, and I avoid buying clothes which need ironing - I know I'll never wear them enough due to the work involved!

Try it - you can still iron the stuff that really needs it, but you're no longer chained to the board.

Doingthedo · 31/08/2013 09:51

My mum taught me the folding thing, she was anti-ironing too! You have to get it straight out of the washer, leaving it all crunched up is when creases occur! Folding is ironing by proxy.

ninjasquirrel · 31/08/2013 09:53

People iron towels? Shock

Bluestocking · 31/08/2013 09:55

Like ninja said
You iron towels? That's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard on MN.

WinkyWinkola · 31/08/2013 09:55

I love crunchy towels. They're more absorbent and give your skin a good exfoliant too.

Doingthedo · 31/08/2013 09:56

We honestly all wear lots of cotton and other fabrics, but yes my DH wears scrubs so they don't need ironing. Kids still wear polo shirts to school so no ironing shirts. I am a teacher though so I have to be semi-smart! Everyone is Shock when they find out I have no iron Grin

BoffinMum · 31/08/2013 09:56

Tumble drier with an alarm.

Fraxinus · 31/08/2013 09:58

Ninja squirrel... I agree... Ironing TOWELS?

That's bonkers.

I only iron in summer when it's the linen pants and summer dresses.

In winter it's smart jeans, and polo shirts, so I don't bother.

Cotton summer dresses I believe HAVE to be ironed.

xfilefan · 31/08/2013 10:01

Ive never ironed, what a massive waste of time it would be(says me chatting about ironing on a forum!). My dh irons his shirt every day before going to work (takes 2 mins), and nothing else has ever needed ironing. I cant understand why anyone would iron.

Original poster
SquidgersMummy · 31/08/2013 10:02

Ooh - so I fold the wet clothes - leave for a while - then hang on airer.

Interestingly my DH is appalled by this idea. Comes fm a long line of women who value doing the laundry as a life cause. Of course he's never actually done it himself.....He's just rather persuaded me into it hasn't he!! Smile

OP posts:
bonzo77 · 31/08/2013 10:02

I don't iron or use softener and we have mostly 100% cotton. I shake everything and straighten out sleeves then hang out. T shirts and kids clothes are fine. Bed linen I fold then hang and is adequate. Towels I hang because I like them crunchy, but the kids' and DH's get a final tumble to soften them. Shirts go to the laundrette for wash and press @99p each. Admittedly we do look a little more crumpled than some families, but certainly not dishevelled.

Original poster
SquidgersMummy · 31/08/2013 10:04

Ps - I used to work in a hosp with kids with immune probs...that where I got the ironing towels from! Plus wasn't there that statistic re faeces on London gym towels. Urgg.

OP posts:
NoComet · 31/08/2013 10:14

You are careful to buy easy iron shirts and you hang them over the ends of the clothes horse by the back of the collar, just like putting a coat on a peg.

Don't know why, but they dry much less creased like this, than pinned on the line. By the time DH has spent an hour in the car, or the DDs an hour on the bus, they look fine.

Crunchy towels??? With the exception of one very old cheap one if DDs our towels don't go crunchy and we have very hard water.

Weelady77 · 31/08/2013 10:54

Just butting in on here about ironing I hate ironing but I do itHmm

But my mum ironed everything
Towels
Tea towels
Nylon tights
Socks/pants
Even bloody dish cloths!!!

SubliminalMassaging · 31/08/2013 10:58

The easy iron shirts are fine for schoolchildren but you can't take a grown man in a suit with an easy iron shirt seriously. Grin I bought my DH one once, was 100% cotton from M&S but he hated it and said it was scratchy and cheap feeling. the ones with polycotton are an abomination for a grown man - should only be seen on a schoolchild or someone in a downmarket corporate uniform.

There are some things you just have to get a grip over and damn well iron. Grin (or send them out)

ThermoLobster · 31/08/2013 11:03

Subliminal - I don't think that is entirely true. DH has a few very good quality easy iron shirts which look no different to his normal ones. And he is taken very seriously in his job for reasons which are beyond me Grin
And what washing machine do you have that leaves your clothes like crumpled cardboard!?
Chuck your iron out today OP - you will feel liberated!
[Rebel emoticon]

NiceTabard · 31/08/2013 11:23

Non ironing here (excepting special occasions or where I bungle and get something that needs it - girls dresses seems to be the one where I sometimes err).

I have never ironed and so think I have an automatic "eye" for what materials won't need ironing.

For clothes I wash on the "easy care" cycle - or whatever for the machine at the time - this doesn't spin so hard so doesn't force creases in. Then take out as soon as done, shake out and hang carefully on the airer, try and smooth as much as poss. Is fine.

For towels etc they go on hot wash full spin - i do use fabric conditioner and they are fine. I didn't used to use it though and yes they were a bit crispy but actually as poster upthread says that seems to make them more absorbent and is good exfoliation!

Disclaimer - any men around have ironed their own shirts.

I think you can get away with doing very little. OK you won't look "immaculate" but you will look more than passable - I have worked in offices with fairly traditional dress code for years and no-one has raised an eyebrow or anything.

SubliminalMassaging · 31/08/2013 12:26

It's nothing to do with my washing machine, it's just that if you spin on a high speed to remove the max amount of water and get thing dry quicker they will be inevitably be more creased. But spinning slower and drip drying is not really an option in the UK climate, although it works well in a hotter climate.

It's the non-addition of fabric softener combined with the above that will result in crispy cardboard-like clothes, especially jeans and t-shirts.