Does anyone pay to get their ironing done?

[Dalrymps]

I'm thinking of providing an ironing service in my local area to earn a bit of extra cash. Just wondered if anyone uses a service like this and if so, what the charges are etc

I have done a little research and was thinking of something like this:

Medium bag/basket £12
Large bag/basket £20
Single duvet cover and pillows £2
Double duvet cover and pillows £3
Kingsize duvet cover and pillows £4

If just a few items:

70p per adult item
35p per childrens item (under 10 yrs)

I would pick up the items and drop them off ironed 48hrs later. I am thinking of hanging shirts on hangers provided by customer or using cheap wire ones. I might put the items that are on hangers in those plastic bags you can get.

I was also thinking if cost is under £10 to charge a £1 collection/drop off fee but free for over £10.

What does everyone think? Please feel free to pick holes and tell me if you think anything is too expensive etc

Owls, would you have felt better about the plastic covers if she had reused them or bundled shirts together, say, 5 under one cover? Just wondering, only time I can see them being useful is if it was raining...

Oh and I forgot to ask, did she provide hangers or did you send your own?

Better to wrap at least 5 together if you are going to do it. Personally, I still wouldn't want the plastic. Take your point about the rain but tbh in the years I've been using the service it's never been a problem. If it's raining, I've got the front door open and am ready to give her a hand to bring it inside.

They provide wire hangers which can be returned to them with the next load or when you're ready. Alternatibvely, if you want to provide your own hangers you just send them along.

Their list is really comprehensive as well. i.e. t-shirt, t-shirt with collar, long-sleeved t-shirt, double duvet cover, kingsize duvet cover, etc., rather than just t-shirt or duvet cover iyswim. That really helps to stop any confusion over price.

I pay 2 euros each for men's shirts to be ironed - they are ironed by machine and are done very beautifully.

I sometimes send mine out. It is charged on weight. Taken one morning comes back the next. DH's shirts come back on wire hangers individually wrapped. I give the hangers back next time. I would prefer 5 shirts to be wrapped together rather than individually - can be alot of plastic!

MIL bundles 5-10 hangers together and wraps them. TBH it would be difficult to confidently segregate customer 1's ironing from customer 2's if you are dealing with more than 1 customer at a time. Bundling them under one (or more bags) and putting a sticky label on the plastic works well.

MIL buys a case of wire hangers - although she does encourage people to send their own (and most do in preferance to wire ones).

Another one to think about is what time of teh day are you going to do collection and delivery if people aer working. MIL does it between 6-8pm.

Thanks for all the help and advice DoNotAnnoy. I was actually planning to do the collection/deliveries between about 5.30 and 8 as that fits in with ds and dh best so it seems that will be a good time!

Sticky labels on the bags sounds like a good idea too.

Well it's really helpful so thanks

O.k ladies, we have another name contender, also thought up by DH.

Hey Pressto!

It could also be written...

Hey Pressto!

What do you think? I'm wavering, I think this one is more obvious as to what the service is iyswim?

Not sure....with careful use of graphics in your leafleting it would work...or else the Press could disappear. I think bold is OK - but it could stand out even more with a bit of graphic invetion.

You could do "The Press Gang"...not sure it works when you are working alone...but then will your customers know you are working alone?

Yeah I see what you mean. Creased lightning is more simple in terms of graphics etc. Hmmm

I do like 'the press gang' but I think i'd like to be seen as working alone to give things a more personal feel...

Why don't you start a new thread with the title "Need idea's for a name for my new business - I plan to iron peoples clothes"

You will get a ton of ideas from the highly reactive people that haven't read this thread.

Good idea, will do that now

BonsoirANNA - where do you send your ironing to in Paris - is it a pick up service?

BonsoirANNA - where do you send your ironing to in Paris - is it a pick up service?

The Iron Lady

yeah, The Iron Lady would be good if it didn't remind me of Maggie Thatcher...

Lol I thought about that the minute I'd posted it! Better not then..

Good luck with the business though. I have used ironing ladies now and then. They are a total godsend to me who constantly fights back the laundry like bushfire.

I think I wore the last one I had out She was an older lady; an excellent ironer and super fast. But she retired with a 'bad shoulder'. I still think I must have contributed to that

She must have been all ironed out

We pay £1 per item at our local laundromat. I (usually) only send DH's work shirts but if there's something of mine that's ended up super crinkled by the washing machine it goes as well. I very rarely wear clothes that need ironing.

We only have a really crappy ironing board and iron (furnished flat) and we can't be bothered with the fuss of getting it out and dealing with the 10 mins per shirt to do them (because iron is so horrible) when it only costs £5/week to keep DH looking nice.

I actually like "all ironed out" as business name.
I have someone who does my ironing, I pay £10 per basket (every week). That's usually five work shirts, two work trousers, five or six assorted ladies tops, and a large number of toddler clothes. (Occasionally the teenagers Jeans and t shirts too). I love it.

My mum just does it. But I sort of pay because she keeps criticising my clothes.