Ironing

[1GoldenSun]

Betta ironed for us in return for coconut bread Mom made.

As much as I hate ironing I might be willing to do it for coconut bread.

 

[disneyseniors]

Just wondering do you like it, hate it or never do it?
I think the last time I ironed something was when my sons needed decals on t-shirts for an event.
Recently I went to a bridal shower and an iron was not on the registry.
This was inspired by another person. The only yes responses were quilters and one person who said they found it relaxing.
How about you?

I love to iron!!! Always have from a little kid. I also like to do laundry and hang clothes out in the fresh air.
I know, totally old fashioned, but I don't care

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I hate ironing so much. I have one pair of capri pants with a cuff that needs to be ironed or the cuffs don't lay flat. So, I generally put the ironing board up, and go *really* slowly when ironing them that someone else in the house invariably comes up to me and says, "OMG, you're so slow-here, let me do it" and does them for me. This little trick has worked for me since I was a kid.

My aunt remembers ironing her hair in the 60s.

 

[tvguy]

Me? I've never used an iron. As a kid my mom would iron some things.
As a married adult, my wife banned me from the laundry room about 37 years ago without written instructions.
My wife says about the only thing these days that she has to iron are the Thanksgiving and Christmas table clothes. She does some embroidery from time to time, and sometimes she has to iron her materials for that. But other than that, everything is permanent press and comes out of the dryer crisp and ready to wear.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I rarely iron. Only when absolutely necessary. I’m not good at it and find using an ironing board awkward. Like others, I try to buy clothes that don’t wrinkle easily, remove certain items from the dryer early and hang, or use the permanent press setting.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Recently I went to a bridal shower and an iron was not on the registry.

Funny you mention that. At my bridal shower back in 1990, it was the only duplicate gift I received. I actually got four irons! And since I already had one that my parents gave me when I went to college, I returned all of them.

 

[ronandannette]

I hate ironing so much. I have one pair of capri pants with a cuff that needs to be ironed or the cuffs don't lay flat. So, I generally put the ironing board up, and go *really* slowly when ironing them that someone else in the house invariably comes up to me and says, "OMG, you're so slow-here, let me do it" and does them for me. This little trick has worked for me since I was a kid.

My aunt remembers ironing her hair in the 60s.

Wow, who do you live with that pays that close attention? I could mummify standing at the ironing board and neither my DH or DS would even notice, let along take over for me.

 

[Toolulu22]

I hate ironing so much. I have one pair of capri pants with a cuff that needs to be ironed or the cuffs don't lay flat. So, I generally put the ironing board up, and go *really* slowly when ironing them that someone else in the house invariably comes up to me and says, "OMG, you're so slow-here, let me do it" and does them for me. This little trick has worked for me since I was a kid.

My aunt remembers ironing her hair in the 60s.

Thanks for the tip!!

 

[PollyannaMom]

We buy very little that has to be ironed. And the few pieces that do, DH irons right before we wear them. He used to have to iron dress shirts for school, so he's way better at it than I am.

 

[Toolulu22]

I rarely iron. Only when absolutely necessary. I’m not good at it and find using an ironing board awkward. Like others, I try to buy clothes that don’t wrinkle easily, remove certain items from the dryer early and hang, or use the permanent press setting.

Ok, off topic, but now that you mentioned the permanent press setting- what does it do? It's the one setting I never use because I haven't a clue what the heck it means.

 

[Floridaman999]

Ok, off topic, but now that you mentioned the permanent press setting- what does it do? It's the one setting I never use because I haven't a clue what the heck it means.

I thought it meant that if I ironed it at that setting it would be permanently pressed/ironed for life!

 

[AppleDumpling]

I remember my mother not putting certain things in the dryer (or line drying) but rolling them up instead and putting them in the refrigerator for a while or overnight. Then she would spritz them with water before ironing.

By the time I was a teen she had stopped doing this so I'm not sure what that was all about.

My mom did that too, only she sprinkled the clothes before they went in the fridge, LOL. Apparently it was a common practice. I can remember looking for a snack and seeing stacks of Dad’s white shirts in there, all rolled up neatly.

Both my mother and her mother had this device. I suppose it was so easy to use you could do it blindfolded.

Wow, that’s some fancy machine. I guess my family couldn’t afford it.

 

[jrmasm]

If ironing is needed, I go wrinkled.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Ok, off topic, but now that you mentioned the permanent press setting- what does it do? It's the one setting I never use because I haven't a clue what the heck it means.

I think it dries at a lower temperature and has a cool-down period at the end that’s just a fan blowing air with no heat. It does work to minimize wrinkles.

My washer also has a perm press cycle, which uses warm water for the wash, cold for the rinse and spins out at slower speed. I have a very basic top-loader with agitator, so it may depend on your machine. I’m sure the newer style models with electronic controls have more/different options.

ETA: If clothes are labeled as permanent press, it usually means the fabric has been chemically treated to resist wrinkling.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Wow, who do you live with that pays that close attention? I could mummify standing at the ironing board and neither my DH or DS would even notice, let along take over for me.

It's usually my aunt-she would iron her underwear if she thought anyone besides my uncle would see it. She hasn't caught on yet. Sometimes I try the "what setting do I use for denim? Silk?" and that usually gets her to come over and elbow me aside.

 

[focusondisney]

I iron about once a day. I don't hate it, I don't like it. But I don't like my clothes being wrinkled. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here, after reading this thread, but just about everything I own has some sort of wrinkle in it. Either from my high speed spins in the washer or from being folded or in a drawer for awhile. Even a sweatshirt seems wrinkled. Probably the only thing I don't iron is my leggings and workout tops.

I don't make a "thing" out of it though. The night before work the next day, I pull out whatever it is I'm wearing, give it a look and if it needs ironing (generally a blouse) I do it and it takes 5 minutes.

I’m doing something wrong too, coz I iron most of my clothes too. I’m not young & thin, so I think wrinkles make me look frumpy/ sloppy. How do you not iron cotton t shirts & still look good? I don’t like it, but I do it all the time anyway. When my kids moved out years ago, I decided to just leave the ironing board & iron up in one of the extra bedrooms. That helps with the hassle of setting up/ taking down all the time. I pretty much iron my clothes most days of the week. Heck I even iron all our clothes before I pack for vacation.

I wonder if I have too much stuff in our drawers & closets. Even tho I do hang stuff or fold as I take it out of the dryer, everything still gets wrinkled.

 

[starry_solo]

I don't like it. My dad does all the ironing in the family. He really likes his shirts crisp and starchy. lol

 

[Snowysmom]

I own an iron and ironing board. I have not ironed anything in years and hope to never have to iron again. My mother used to iron sheets, underwear, towels, shirts, pants, dresses, and misc items like tablecloths. She ironed every Sunday afternoon.

 

[luvsJack]

I'm not a fan, but I've doing it since I was a kid. Back then it would pile up and I would have to stand there for hours.

As an adult I iron at least twice a week so it doesn't add up. I find most of the clothes these day iron quite easily so it's generally a quick process.

However, my high schooler just came home with a very cheap dress shirt to be worn with his choir tux and man that thing is a beast. It wrinkles if you look at it sideways and the sleeves are sewn so poorly it's practically impossilbe to get them to look good.

I always felt so bad for the guy’s in dd’s choir. They had those awful shirts to iron! The girls had dresses that they could roll up in a ball and just shake it out and out it on with not a wrinkle in sight.

One year, one of the girls always brought her hand held steamer to performances for the guys’ shirts. They would steam them and dress at the performance venue.

 

[Toolulu22]

I’m doing something wrong too, coz I iron most of my clothes too. I’m not young & thin, so I think wrinkles make me look frumpy/ sloppy. How do you not iron cotton t shirts & still look good? I don’t like it, but I do it all the time anyway. When my kids moved out years ago, I decided to just leave the ironing board & iron up in one of the extra bedrooms. That helps with the hassle of setting up/ taking down all the time. I pretty much iron my clothes most days of the week. Heck I even iron all our clothes before I pack for vacation.

I wonder if I have too much stuff in our drawers & closets. Even tho I do hang stuff or fold as I take it out of the dryer, everything still gets wrinkled.

The video in this clip has good tips for wrinkle free clothing. I use a bit of vinegar in my rinse cycle to remove residue and soften cloths, who knew it also is a wrinkle-releaser? Yay vinegar.
https://www.today.com/home/holiday-...hes-wrinkle-free-these-easy-tricks-1D80373801
I think fabric choice has a lot to do with it. Summer linens, if not in a fabric blend- get so wrinkly, that I pause before buying them. Even if ironed, they wrinkle up while you’re wearing them. Same with some rayon fabrics. I think that many newer fabric blends are comfortable, pretty, and easier to care for. Most of the things I wear now are softer and less stiff/crisp, or flowy patterns.

I buy a lot of basic tops and tees at J Jill, Garnet Hill, and Boden, like these. They seem to come out of the dryer and hang well, wrinkle free.
https://www.garnethill.com/womens-fashion/tops-tees/knit-tops/