Any old iron?

[ScummyMummy]

Or does it actually make a difference which kind you have? I have just purchased a rather nice linen shirt. The only disadvantage of which is that I now need to buy an iron. Hugely surprised, on leafing through the argos catalogue, to find that they range in price from £4.94 to well over £200. Clearly I want one at the lower end of the price range. But are there any must have features? Which one do you have? Will a £4.94 one do the job? V grateful for any views and will send partner out to buy whatever you recommend within reason!

Steam iron needed for a gorge linen shirt. Heavier irons needed for less leaning on creasy fabrics like linen.
We have a Tefal steam one that I think cost 29.99 but we are ironing fetishists so get a lot of use out of it.
Respect at not owning one until now! I am seriously envious.

Dh spent £40 on mine as a welcome home present when I'd been abroad . But I've only used it twice in 2 years Life is too short to iron. But my Mum always says its the skill not the iron, although heavy is better for your technique. So maybe you need to stand in Currys feeling them all?!

Thanks Marina and ixel.:) Is yours something like \link{http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4109873.htm\this one?} marina? Or, if not, would that one be ok do you think, both or anyomne else?

I seem to remember CD also telling me that spraying linen with starch also vg idea.

Ha! The very one! And it takes tap water rather than fannying about with special stuff.

Now then, has anyone mentioned ironing boards to you, dear...

With starch? As in the stuff found in potatoes pasta and rice? I honestly hadn't realised how complicated my life would become on purchasing this shirt!

Oooo! I will send partner out for that one then, marina. I was thinking the cheapo 8.99 ironing board. Or ironing boards also complicated items?

missed out an "are" there

Spray starch. In environmentally damaging cans, of course.

(snigger)

No, less so. Brabantia are very sturdy, but I suspect you will fall into the "occasional use" category. We would be lost without our Brabantia behemoth and its regularly replaced Minky!
What have you got yourself into...

you can have our board if you live close!! Its just cluttering up the spare room! Kitchen table works just as well...

I have it on good authority that MI puts starch on her children's filthy socks to immobilise them before rounding them up for the wash...

But then I'd have to clean the kitchen table or my linen shirt would get greasy, ixel. Thanks for the board offer but I am anxious to iron my linen shirt sooner than at once so am going to send partner out now for marina's iron and a cheapo board.:) thank you all so much for your help.:):):)

I am quite seriously contemplating going out to buy MORE pink socks.

Scums, dd said 'what's that?' pointing at the iron recently, having never seen one in action in her 2.5 yrs on this planet! 2 non ironing tips: 1. you can get away without ironing most things if you hang them straight up/flat, although I agree, a linen shirt needs ironing and 2. creases come out of a LOT of things if you hang them in a steamy shower. I haven't ironed anything for years.

Is there A Presence in your house that eats one of a pair on a scarily regular basis MI? Dd must have about 5 pairs of socks and about 50 mismatches...

Everyone knows that linen creases terribly so you don't have to do a fab ironing job imo!

Thats a good tip! But then we'd have to buy a shower and redesign the bathroom to accomodate it. prob best to keep tumble drying everything

Absolutely, Marina.

Also, I have two wearers of small pink socks. I found myself quite seriously scrawling DD2's initials onto the underside of her socks when I bought the latest haul, in order to prevent crazed attempts to work out whose feet would fit which pair. What has happened to my life??

Doesn't Blu's MIL have some informative and forthright views on ironing clothes, especially linen...

Oh good.:) Even I wouldn't wear it atm as it's so creased after washing. I usually follow your methods www and haven't ever owned an iron. It did look rather nice in its pristene state though so I'm going to take the plunge into iron ownership.

maybe I could lend blu's mil my shirt so that she can use it to teach blu how to iron properly? I'm sure blu would be forever grateful to me for allowing her to be taught such a useful skill...

Yes, she'd repay you amply.

within 2 minutes of wearing a newly ironed linen shirt it will look as though its just been picked off the bottom of the heap of clothes on your bedroom floor .. I wouldn't bother with an iron at all

Really twig? Oh dear! Partner has gone off to argos muttering about "bloody mumsnet and the £4.94 one would have been just as good grr" so I'm anxious for it to be a success. Gulp. Is linen something that pretty much only looks good on the first wearing then?