So DP says to me this morning....Can you iron some of the clothes you have hidden in black bin liners in the spare room because....

[kidcreoleandthecoconuts]

I have shirts I got for xmas, have worn once and not seen since!

I pointed out to him that there was nothing stopping him from doing some of his own ironing now and again....It is pretty embarrassing though. I just cant seem to keep up with it all and only ever seem to skim the surface iykwim. Its not like I iron EVERYTHING like some people do.

I iron...

Trousers, jeans,skirts, dresses.
T-shirts, shirts, jumpers.

I dont iron....

Bedding, underwear, nightwear etc.

What about everyone else? What do you iron and how do you keep on top of it??

I don't iron.
DH does his own.

no ironing here, apart from the occassional work skirt. most of my tops have lycra in them so creases stretch out, dds stuff dries hung up reasonably uncrumpled.

If dh needs a shirt/trousers ironing he does it himself.

If we had loads that neede to doing I'd farm it out/get someone in and cut corners somewhere else like we've done to have a cleaner.

saved our marriage

Jeans? Why would you iron jeans?? Or Jumpers?

I iron nothing whatsoever unless it's for a special occassion! DH irons his shirts at work (works in a menswear store!).

Very very rarely iron - 12 items per year at most?

Wait by washing machine, shake everything, straight onto hangers where they dry indoors or out depending on weather.

I iron for half an hr a week at the most whilst dh baths the kids - i iron dd school uniform in this half hr and if i get through them i iron a pair of work trousers for myself and dh - then if there are 15 unironed items or more (dh wears shirts for work) i ring up the ironing service - i refuse to spend any more than that time ironing. Most things get finished of in the tumble dryer so with some swift flattening out they dont need ironing either. I would say i send it out fortnightly as i ensure dh has enough shirts to last through to the next ironing run

I do not iron anything on a regular basis. Have a couple of fancy shirts that get worn/washed/ironed a couple of times a year.

DH's shirt are, and always have been, his business. He used to iron them himself (and v good and fast he was too), now he brings them away to be ironed ...

i do not iron.

unless we are going toa wedding/job interview/once in a blue moon type of thing.

dh's shirts are put on hangers straight out of the machine. he irons them himself.

it is a good system if i say so myself

I very very very rarely iron. Shirts get hung on hangers to dry. Everything else gets smoothed down before hanging on the airer. I don't have a tumble drier so no worries about things coming out dry but creased.

Life is way to short to iron!

I don't iron. DH does it all - his work shirts, the kids uniform and the odd pair of my trousers.

I hate ironing with a passion but can't bear wrinkled clothes etc.

Found the solution, it saved my sanity.

A lovely lady called Julie collects the clean washing and a bag of hangers and the following day brings back beautifully ironed stuff.

I think I love her

I never iron. The cleaner does the washing and she does a bit of ironing but there isn't much to do really. I certainly have never ironed for a man.

But isn't this what happens when you have these kinds of sexist relationships where women are at home and in charge of domestic service and dealing with a man's clothes etc like a glorified servant? The answer is get out there - go forth and earn 5x what he does and then ask him each night if he's ironed your shirt for the next day yet?

Or just let him do his own ironing. Which seems simpler, on balance.

I iron DD's clothes in a bulk go, but for mine and DH's, we hang in the wardrobe as soon as dry, and iron as we need in the morning.

I don't iron, unless a particular item really needs in. DP doesn't have work shirts either so that isn't a problem. I've probably ironed twice this year.

We just shake things out and hang them up to dry - no problem.

I iron, but only in front of the crap tv that I need an excuse to watch is on (CSI anyone?). Which means that I'll have a big sesh once a week, mostly of DS's stuff, but also sheets (because ironed sheets are an affordable luxury), tea-towels (because otherwise they don't all fit in the drawer) and muslin facecloths - because then they look so fucking spa sitting there in the bathroom.

Ironing is something you do to enhance your life. If your DH wants something ironed and can't find it, then as a grown-up that's his problem

Xenia - just noticed your posting again. Any chance you could revisit your advice given the current economic climate?

DH irons his own shirts (on the day he wants to wear it).

I iron pillowcases.

Every now and then I'll spend an hour ironing, usually tops for me and dc (about once a month this is).

I'll iron something for me to wear first thing in the morning if I think it warrants it.

Sometimes I send it out (£10 for 12 items).

We are completely routine free and rule free when it comes to ironing!

I have ironed twice in the last 18 months.

First time, I was because I was doing my hospital bags and all hormonal. I thought the lack of ironed vest and baby gros may mean they thought I was a bad mum!

The other time i was ironing my sons shirts for a wedding.

Only other time the ironing board comes out is for wunderweb!

Life is too short!!!

I don't mind ironing, as long as I have a bottle of wine and decent TV. I'm gutted that my steam press broke though, that was dead easy

Hey Bubblerock! I cant believe you siad that; like music to my ears and I feel silly for not thinking of it myself. A STEAM PRESS! I have had a quick look on ebay. Do you recommend any one in particular? A fab mother's day present, me thinks. Gonna call DH and tell him what my present ought to be. He left a few minutes ago, 'popping out', he said. Sounds like a cover up for petrol station flowers and card. I wanna intercept that QUICKLY!

By theDreadPiratePerArdua on Sat 21-Mar-09 19:48:50
Xenia - just noticed your posting again. Any chance you could revisit your advice given the current economic climate? "

In what way? The recession is making more women work full time as relying on one career is too risky. This is a good thing for women although they might not think so at the time, in the same way that their having to work in factories etc in WWII as men were away ultimately did them lots of good.

You want a steam press for your Mother's Day present? Are you mad woman?! That's as bad as your dh buying you a hoover or something.

Puzzled by all these people who watch TV while they iron. I couldn't, or I'd burn my fingers or iron a crease into something by mistake. Radio is as entertaining as it gets round here

Not that I do much ironing, only stuff that REALLY needs doing about once a month. Dh does his own shirts. He's a grown up, he can do his own ironing - and it means he seriously appreciates the favour if I ever do one of his shirts.

@ Xenia - except that since there aren't actually the jobs around atm, it doesn't add up. Women got to work during WW2 (and WW1) because the menfolk were mostly not there. Right now we have a situation where the job opportunities are mostly not there. Since I met DH, I've been the one who earned between 25 and 50% more than he, but right now I can't get the work. I don't expect him to respect me any less (and would have his bollocks if he did). Do you really think that respect should be so..... monetary?

Not at all but many people make it so both in their relationship and how society values things. There'ss many a mumsnet thread where some housewife is complaining about a man saying I earn the money so in effect you should do as I say or I can do as I like.