I'm ready to give up ironing.

[CommanderBurnham]

It's happened. I can't cope. Please you lovely bunch tell me how to wash and dry my clothes so they don't need ironing. I will still iron shirts and linen but with 2 sporty young boys I've decided my life is too short to constantly iron.

New washing machine and dryer arrives today. Also just had a foxy dryer installed.

Teach me!

@Franklin12 probably not if you work in software. It's professional but people turn up to work in t-shirts and jeans. When we were in the office, there were people who stay in their cycling clothes all day.

I gave up about ten years ago, well done OP and welcome to the club.

My tips -

Tumble dryer is good. However you need to put away your clothes straight away, don’t leave them for hours in a basket waiting to be dealt with later.

I actually found the above a bit of a pain, so I have become an expert in straightening out the fabric of clothes from the washing machine and hanging up to dry and then you just leave them until you have time to put away.

I allocate time in the mornings for hanging clothes after they’ve come out the washing machine. I have a big clothes airer in the summer or a clever rack system over my radiator in utility room in the winter. And then I forget about laundry until the next morning when I take the dried clothes off and hang them away, then put the newly laundered clothes on the airer.

Some clothes may look creased and you will have an urge to iron. Resist. When you wear the garment those creases often drop out.

Perfect the attitude “I don’t care if my clothes aren’t ironed.” People on here will smugly tell you they can tell when clothes haven’t been ironed. The correct response to this is: “Ha ha, whatever - get a life.”

Good luck.

Lower spin on washing machine. (I used to put pants and socks back in for super spin) Shake each item before it goes in dryer.

If line drying fold items and leave to rest for a while before hanging on line. If not tumble drying I used to hang clothes on hangers to dry - no more folding it up and dealing with pegs.

I work with a couple of people who are very proud that they don't iron. But you can tell. They look crumpled.

I had got the iron out of the cupboard to find something and forgotten to put it away, my son came in and asked what it was. Since then moved house and have got rid of iron and ironing board. Line dry in summer, tumble dry for half an hour on low in winter to take the edge off then transfer to an airer. Fold, and put away. Granted there are no shirts in the house, and I'm never going to iron a pillowcase despite being raised by a steadfast tea towel/sock/pants ironer who is horrified at my approach!

I have a washer dryer and when I do use it for drying, it creases things quite badly, have found that if I take everything out between washing and drying and give it a quick shake out it drys more evenly. Also just purchased some eco egg dryer balls and they are brilliant! No more uneven drying and quicker! I mostly line dry or use an airer and I'm careful with my hanging. I only iron when it's that inbetweeny weather where nothing seems to dry properly life is too short for ironing everything!

Perfect the attitude “I don’t care if my clothes aren’t ironed.” People on here will smugly tell you they can tell when clothes haven’t been ironed. The correct response to this is: “Ha ha, whatever - get a life.”

This!

It is honestly about your attitude. Just care less.

I haven't ironed anything in years other than linen and shirts.

There have been times when I've gone months, maybe more than a year without ironing, but now I really don't mind doing it. I definitely iron less in the winter when I use the tumble dryer. And that does mean not overloading. Now I'm working from home, not much in the way of clothes needs ironing, but again you can reduce creasing by hanging to dry carefully. I never really bothered ironing clothes for young children.

I like my bedlinen ironed. When I had polycotton ironing, folding was enough, but I'd rather iron and have smooth cotton linen. I iron tea towels and the like because they fit in the drawer neatly, it's something to do while the iron is heating up and it sterilises them.

So, avoid creasing by not overloading machines, hanging clothes in a way that creases drop out and buying non iron fabrics and designs can make ironing unnecessary. Alternatively, a steam generator iron transformed ironing from a dreaded chore for me.

I don’t iron. I try to buy non iron fabrics. Life is too short.
Don’t load machine too full.
Choose a lower speed spin cycle. Dry things on hangers if using a heated rack or warm room.
Shake garments out and pull sleeves/ cuffs before you hang them on the line.

Fold while warm from the dryer or from the line on a flat surface so you can smooth the garment

he told me I will need to help him out when the twins arrive next week and I tell him we absolutely do not need to iron.

^

I should think so!

I have seen the errors of my ways. Guilty of leaving stuff in the dryer after it's finished. -although I'm not sold by having to revolve my day around when the dryer is finished. Also guilty of too high a spin - new machine is 1400.

My first load has gone into the new washer (after having to do a 3 hour calibration wash ffs), 3/4 full.

I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile I've got to read the instructions for the dryer.

It's a lot more convenient to unload the dryer when it's done than to run out to gather clothes that are being rained on and then put them out again.

I think the thing is to hang them on a clothes line outside (if you have one)). But you need to do it immediately after the wash is finished. Don't ever leave items sit and the clothes need to be folded pretty soon after the dryer finishes too.

I think it's just a personal preference. I'd get my clothes outside just to get some air through them even for an hour.

The last thing I remember ironing was some craft project to press it flat. I never iron clothese. Complete waste of time. The ehat of your body will soon make the creases drop out.

Yes love line dried clothes. But those days are numbered for this year.

I put the first wash on the drying rack last night as I wanted to go to bed but have just put a few uniform bits in the dryer and they've come out 95% crease free. Which is totally fine.

I've put a few more bits in the dryer to see how that goes.

I think the desensitisation process has well and truly begun!