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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Please remind me, those of you who don't iron.........

71 replies

gingertoo · 27/07/2009 22:03

.....how do you do it??!

I have just emptied my washing basket and my ironing basket for the first time since DS3 was born (he was two last week ) and I'm determined not to get it in that state again!

So, please talk me through it - How do you do your laundry so that most of it doesn't need to be ironed???

OP posts:

AnnieLobeseder · 29/07/2009 14:46

WMMC - you iron pants? Good lord woman, come over to the dark side, it's so much less effort! Life's too short for ironing. Think how much more time you could spend on MN!

Sputnik · 29/07/2009 14:51

I only iron stuff I want to sell on ebay!

If you put everything in a big pile in a basket of course it will end up super creased.

Me and DCs mostly wear jersey tops, no need to iron. DH has non iron shirts for work, dried on hangers.

Non jersey tops, dresses etc also dried on hangers (makes putting away easier too.

Simple!

Sputnik · 29/07/2009 14:56

Plus, tumble drying and fabric conditioner are unnecessary for a non-iron lifestyle IMO. And a spin speed of 800 is enough for anything.

LoveBuckets · 29/07/2009 15:01

MY DH irons his own shirts - I simply refused as he just sits straight in a car and gets crumpled before he gets to work.

So, what percentage of playground mums do you think are ironers/non-ironers then? Which team is the one wasting precious MN time worrying about what other (non-iron) mums might think of their standards?

AnnieLobeseder · 29/07/2009 15:03

I find it helps to have absolutely no standard whatsoever!

PortAndLemon · 29/07/2009 15:22

I lower my standards . Although I agree with trollbeadaddict, too.

DH does iron his work shirts and some of his trousers, and occasionally a pair of smart trousers or skirt for me.

whomovedmychocolate · 29/07/2009 15:59

The reason for ironing pants is that it makes them sit flatter against the skin (no really). Ditto sheets, they feel nicer if they are ironed and unless you have those polycotton wotsits, you just can't avoid ironing them surely?

My house btw is filthy - except when the cleaner has been - but I'm wonderfully turned out most of the time so no-one knows

GColdtimer · 29/07/2009 16:04

you don't want to know potplant

Sputnik · 29/07/2009 16:40

Like this whomoved?

whomovedmychocolate · 29/07/2009 17:08

Not quite that bad. That's dirt even visible to man!

LoveBuckets · 29/07/2009 21:45

All right then as long as ironing is your only vice/obsession. People always ask me how I have time to bake so much - not only would they find out by visiting my home, they would not want to eat my cupcakes. Visitors are only allowed on a Thursday after the cleaner has been round.

fairybubbles · 30/07/2009 16:12

I've been looking at my ironing pile since yesterday, and to be honest I can't be bothered with it. An hour ironing is an hour I could be playing in garden with lo or reading to him or cooking healthy food.
As of today, I am now going to try very carfully to fold things neatly and put them away.

I hate doing duvet covers and sheets- is there an easy way around this??

Spidermama · 30/07/2009 16:18

I never iron.
I never put the machine on the fastest spin.
When the clothes come out of the machine I fold them in a pile and leave them for an hour or so or overnight, then hang to dry.

I don't use fabric conditioner as it's just another chemical going into our water supply.

UniS · 30/07/2009 16:26

If DH wants to wear shirts that need ironing, he irons them himself. Otherwise we wear stuff that doesn;t need it.

LyraSilvertongue · 30/07/2009 18:25

Fairybubbles, I did my sheets yesterday, spun on low spin, them hung straight on the line. They were perfectly uncreased when I took them down a couple of hours later. The wind might have helped though
Even if they're a bit wrinkled when you put them on the bed, one night of body heat will sort that out.

Sputnik · 30/07/2009 20:38

Even a creased fitted sheet will smooth out a couple of hours after being stretched onto the matress, I tested that this afternoon

Spidermama · 30/07/2009 22:52

Remember that clothes decrease in drawers if you fold them well.

Spidermama · 30/07/2009 22:53

probably de-crease rather than decrease.

Original poster

gingertoo · 31/07/2009 07:56

Update: Ginger has done no ironing since Monday

I've still got an empty 'ironing basket' - very satisfying! I can't believe how much time I've been wasting....

... and honestly, if anyone else is planning to give it a try, if you dry and hang/fold straight away, you really can't see a difference.

Wonder if DH will notice when he gets home tonight?

He'll definitely notice the space where the washing/ironing baskets are. They are both empty!

Will he think I'm a domestic goddess for sorting out all the backlog or a slattern for not ironing.....

...might not tell him

OP posts:

CarGirl · 31/07/2009 18:51

I actually got the iron out today, they've been busy with the hama beads!

sooey76 · 01/08/2009 17:29

I am so glad it's not just me who doesn't iron!

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