Non ironers - how bad do you look in the summer?

[EliotNess]

I am a selective ironer - I fold straight out of the dryer etc but if anything is line dryed, unless its spun on 600 in the machine it needs ironing, I am thinkinf kids cotton Polo shirts, my t shirts and tops and cropped cotton trousers

Do you just look like a walking Per Una crinkle skirts?

I love being idle too. The ironing only takes a couple of hours a week so isn't exactly strenuous. Mind you I hate gardening and can't imagine anything worse than spending hours outside pruning and weeding, but some people seem to love it.

I love sanding and oiling worktops Gardening no not for me either

'No time to do blah blah...' is often a complete and utter excuse.
If people have time to witter on MN ( and I include myself) then they have time to do chores that are boring, unfulfilling and are never going to change the world.

I detest ironing. But I also cannot get my head around going out in clothes that are creased up to the eyes, and the impression that will give, or bedding that looks and feels dreadful. It's the lesser of two evils for me.

"Life is too short" means "I can think of a million other things I'd rather be doing". It doesn't mean "I don't have enough time".

It's priorities then.

And standards as my mother would say.

Some of us just have higher standards.

Both my mum and her mum spent as much time out in the garden and as little time in the house as possible, and both would much rather talk to someone interesting than someone wearing an immaculate outfit. Houses and personal turnout are passable not perfect in my world - any more effort would imply that standards in other more important areas of life are probably slipping.

Are being interesting and wearing an immaculate outfit mutually exclusive?

Ironing is one of these tasks that makes me feel very downtrodden if I do it. So I don't. And at ironing bedding! I'm not ashamed to say my priorities lie elsewhere. I like having clean bedding but couldn't give a monkeys if it is flat or not!

I have perfected the art of only buying things that don't require ironing. I spent ages seeking out the perfect polyester floaty white collarless blouse, I really wanted a silk one but the idea of ironing it made me feel ill. Got a lovely poly one from Tesco.

at Dexter

So Aetae did your mum and gran find interesting people to talk to in the garden?

I find it laughable that those of us who find the time to iron what we wear or be 'passable'- ( anything less is not passable imo) are somehow less interesting or have less interesting lives - just because we put aside an hour a week to iron.

FFS!

I am far too lazy to iron. DH is probably the friend mentioned here who doesn't iron his work shirts and always looks crumpled. I'm not doing it for him, but I concede that he would look better if he did. I iron the odd skirt or pair of trousers for work.

My iron just started smoking and burning right in the middle of my ironing pile ...omg

DH just went out and bought an new one.....

I don't buy cotton or linen - except occasionally for underwear (cotton that is) as both fabrics always look like limp dishcloths after an hour - even when ironed with the tenacity of a person obsessed with ironing.

The silk stuff does need ironing but keeps its shape better for longer. I tend to avoid that as well. So I cope, thank you very much :)

I've just realised I have never used our iron... it's black, DH chose the most macho looking one he could find as he's the only one who uses it.

Didn't MN do a product trial for an iron aimed at men? (Not literally )

Loads of interesting people missbopeep! Thanks for asking ;)

I'm just saying I think ironing is boring and unnecessary. Ironers may think ironing is necessary and get satisfaction from having done it, which is also fine.

I'm happy to live and let live - it's the suggestion throughout the thread that non-ironers look like they've slept in their clothes and have no standards that I object to - if the ironers of the world genuinely think level of sheet/clothing crumpledness is how one should judge others' 'standards' then I think it's utterly justified to suggest they should get a life.

I iron almost everything. Everything.

I clearly have no life.

Ironing is as important as brushing my hair. It's not essential, but I'd feel scruffy and conspicuous if I didn't bother doing either. I like my clothes to look fresh, and being crease-free definitely helps.

I brush my hair probably once every six months. So ironing is less important to me than brushing my hair, since the last time I did that was possibly for a badge at Brownies.

I assume that anyone in my family under 8 probably doesn't care whether their clothes are ironed or not, & anyone over 8 is welcome to make use of the iron.

So far, the iron which dh bought for d1's Hama beads has yet to make contact with an item of clothing.

I do sort of get that some clothes look better ironed, so I'm careful not to buy those sort of clothes. As for ironing lovely crumpled billowy bedding & scorching all the fresh air smell out of it - well, each to their own.

Ironing was useful for Hama beads, vaire true.

No one has mentioned the damage to the planet by using all that extra electricity just so your sheets are smooth!

I'd use one very occasionally for shirts/blouses (if they need it) but certainly don't feel pressured to do a big pile of ironing every week. And I've reached an age where I don't care too!

Hoorah

I admit to not liking the "ironed" look....it always seemed to accompany someone who looks a bit too pristine and over polished - like their mum has dressed them. Otherwise I don't notice the iron/non iron thing. I don't iron my clothes, never have done, I've washed things again rather than iron them.
A bit disturbed though - I have a crinkle skirt from Mint Velvet, I bought it this year and I love it but am I now sliding into per una territory - I don't shop there so have no idea.

I iron once in a blue moon. DP does his own work shirts & the rest of us look fine without.

I find the best thing for cotton items is to fold & make a pile straight from line-drying. Then the weight of the piled clothes smooths out wrinkles.

And body heat sorts out wrinkles too when you're wearing the item.

I may add that my house is immaculate & I have a cleaner. So I'm not a domestic slattern by any standards! Just that ironing is as dull as fuck!!!

I cannot be bothered to iron.

If you shake things out and hang them properly on the line they dry without creases.

I iron - how else can I justfiy watching Real housewives

But also, I spend quite a bit of £££ on clothes and therefore want them to look nice.

I also iron all of DH's stuff too but then I am a SAHM

I don't have a dryer and I don't use fabric conditioner so cotton clothes are a bit stiff and cardboardy so ironing them to make them soft. But I don't iron my DP's clothes and only iron DS's t shirt (he only wears one ). And I tend to use the iron and go approach rather than having a mountain of ironing to get through.

I iron about 2% of the time but only to justify watching Millionaire Matchmaker

DH irons 98% of the time to justify watching Top Gear

The only things that don't get ironed are underwear, towels and tea towels