Talk to me about ironing...

[AllWashedOut]

OK, I admit, I hate ironing and I have basically lived a life where I never need to iron.

I now have a holiday let and need to iron the bedsheets as the launderette won't accept any new clients. I would LOVE any tips to make this go better. I particularly find the corners of fitted sheets a pain. Single duvets are okay - I work up one side and down the other (it there a shorter cut?). We have a superking which befuddles me much.

Any tips gratefully received.

I'm thinking about starching the sheets - whatever that may entail. It seems like it might make a desirable 'professional' finish?

Put the sheets on the bed and. Iron them on there!

O blimey. I never though of that one! I'd need an extendible cord...Hmm. Thank you!

Hi! I'm a housekeeper. I have to iron all the bedding. If you have a tumble drier with an 'iron dry' setting, it leaves the sheets just damp enough to smoothly and quickly iron. Also, I iron the duvet covers folded in half lengthways, with the top side of the cover on the outside. Hope that makes sense!? Also I don't starch the sheets. Just a scoop of vanish every 4 weeks or so.

I, for one, am allergic to starch as are the rest of my family so please please do not starch them. I would be scratching all night.

I have no magic answers to your question though and would love to hear how to iron a king size fitted sheet as it just ends up as a crumpled mess with me 😀

Oh it's not just me then . I'm getting quite good at pillowcases now.

Definitely WONT starch now

Question: do I iron and fold to store, then put on bed and not re-iron, or do I leave the fold marks?

I use a swan handheld steamer when the beds made - game changer

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Oops hit send too soon.

*This is meant to be good but only available in B&M I believe

www.bmstores.co.uk/products/lenor-crease-releaser-500ml-spring-awakening-361019

Hi OP, ex laundry manager/Airbnb manager here to save your frazzled nerves 👍🏼 Firstly get yourself the best iron that you can - I have a semi professional steam generator - having the extra steam pressure makes a huge difference. Fitted sheets are really simple to iron once you know the secret 😉 Put the top and bottom fitted corners over your hands (so top left, bottom left on left hand), gently shake and the sheet will drop neatly in half. Lay the sheet on your ironing board with the fold to the right and the fitted corner over the curved end of the board (bulk of sheet hanging over the far side of the board). Iron the section that's on your board, stretching the fitted corner when you get there. Swivel the sheet so that you have the unironed section of this corner on the end of the board and the sheet hanging towards you, iron the corner and work back towards the completely unironed corner (take a breath!). Lift the sheet and reposition it with the final corner at the curved end of the board and the fold back by your iron, iron the section on the board. All you have left now is the easy middle section, you can either do it as you would a flat sheet or put all the corners together and shake gently (sheet is now in quarters) and then iron one side and then the other 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 It sounds way more complicated than it is, honestly! Grab a sheet and have a go and it will make much more sense I promise

Throw away your iron. You don't need to iron and it is immensely liberating.

@8catsisnotunreasonable Thanks for the instructions. I'll try and follow them! Can I ask you do you leave fold marks or do you finish the iron on the day? Sorry to be so..er..needy. I just have little clue as to what the market demands!

@Nibor1991 I like your thinking!

@Cismyfatarse I live without an iron for myself. Unfortunately holiday makers are more demanding!

These are pricey, but look lovely, and no ironing required!

loaf.com/products/lazy-linen-bed-linen

Hiya, I promise it will make sense when you try doing it 🤣 I iron and fold softly then make the beds up without any further ironing. My other top tips are to use white duvet sets (mine are Wilko and iron like a dream), use coloured sheets with matching pillow cases to add a splash of which ever colour matches your decor and have 3 sets of bedding for each bed! White duvet sets because you can Napisan/ stain treat with the harshest things without panicking. Buy duvet sets that are all the same, that way if you have a major problem (cigarette burns 🤬) you can still use the rest of the set 👍🏼 3 sets for each bed so that you have one on the bed, one being laundered and a spare one in case of poorly guests/spills etc. Plus it gives you breathing space if you're just not feeling like ironing on changeover day 😉 Feel free to ask anything else that occurs to you 👍🏼

Ooo, that is so helpful @8catsisnotunreasonable

I need stain remover! Great tips about colours and whites, and spares. Thank you. I have a changeover today. I'll see if I can think up some other questions for you!

@AllWashedOut Stain remover is your new BF!!! The Pink Stuff laundry spray is fabulous!!! Less than £2 from Home Bargains 😉Feel free to come back to me if you think of other questions 👍🏼

Well, changeover went well. Some questions: best long lasting smell for the sheets and towels (does it even matter)? I use a natural lavender scent in the steam iron. I'd like it to last though. Local Home Bargain is 45 minutes away - any other brand?

I'm avidly devouring ironing vids on Youtube. I'm going to be this housekeeper queen bee, yeah

Well done! It's so nice to get through a changeover isn't it? It never ceased to amaze me how differently the guests left the houses! I think the Pink Stuff is sold in lots of different places, it's not a HB own brand product. I'm pretty sure I've seen it in Sainsbury's...?

For long lasting smell I used Unstoppables, but I made little bags of them to keep tucked in the linen cupboard 😉 I grabbed some little organza bags from the £1 shop to do it 🤣 I don't think the guests ever commented on the smell/ lack of smell but I liked it that way myself. Maybe you could get a Febreeze type fabric spray (can't abide actual Febreeze scents 🤢) and have a quick spritz when you have made the beds?

Enjoy the peace and quiet until next changeover 🥂

Let me know how the ironing goes Housekeeping Queen Bee 🐝!!!

I sense you changing your username soon 👍🏼