Ironing

Agree with you Elegran I had to do my own washing and ironing as soon as I was secondary school age, if I had no clean socks to wear then I only had myself to blame.

I don`t iron bras, or socks, but all other clothing gets ironed, apart from pleated skirts of course. I definitely iron teatowels, I like to get clean ones out looking nice and smooth, not creased up, but I don`t iron towels. My sister-in-law ironed everything, even nappies!

Lully It is amazing how much they can learn to do when they have to. My girls were about 13 and 15 when I rebelled. I had been washing their clothes and returning them to their rooms neatly folded (I drew the line at putting them away)

Then one day I recognised a lot of the clothes in the laundry baskety as ones I had taken upstairs clean for them the day before. How the heck had they got them dirty that soon?

Answer - they tried on a dozen things before they were happy with what they wore, and threw the rejects on the floor. Then they were yelled at to tidy up, so they scooped them all up again and threw them into the laundry basket.

I gave them a short lesson in how to separate the things for a hot wash from the things for a warm short one, showed them how to put in detergent, choose a program and turn on the washing machine, and told them they were now responsible for having clean clothes to put on. From then on, they coped fine, and when their brother was a few years older, they insisted that he washed his own too.

The only minus point to this was that the washing machine was in the cellar, where there was no natural light, so they would switch on the light and leave it on until they remembered to get their clothes out of the machine - which could be days later. Between that and the machine being used for a few items when they ran short of clothes ( x 3), the bills soared.

Neither do I Goose , I don't buy anything which will take longer washing, ironing, and generally faffing over than the time that I will be wearing it.

If you dry clothes in the breeze outside, or laid flat over a clothes horse, and fold them as soon as you take them in they do not need ironing. It is when they are bunched up to dry that the creases appear. I have a clothes horse with only one tier of parallel wires, and "wings" that open out with more parallel wires, so everything can be hanging free and separately. there is a second one in reserve for big washes.

On the patio or in front of a sunny window, things dry fast because air can circulate between them. If the weather is really awful and I don't want damp clothes indoors, then the tumble dryer comes into use, but only then.

Hate ironing but do it because I hate things screwed up looking. When my sons got to about 16/17 I wondered why i was still ironing for 4 adults [ish}. So I taught them how to iron a shirt. They were shocked {more fool me}. But I persisted despite groans and it was a case of scruffy shirt or do it themselves. it was liberation for me.

Do DH shirts because he does a lot including shopping.

I'm the slovenly hussy of GN! I don't iron anything. I stand by my favourite quote - Shirley Conran's 'Life's to short to stuff a mushroom' (then there's a little added afterthought from me - 'or iron a pair of socks')

I have to confess to ironing tea towels!! But I don't do most undies or some of my trousers which are fine after being on a radiator. I find it surprising how many clothes now cannot go onto the tumble dryer - most thermal things for a start - I find that really annoying.

I don't have a tumble- drier and I quite like ironing so I, too, iron everything in sight sometimes even wrapping paper to re-use. Call me stingy if you like !!

My mother ironed everything in sight, including bra straps! Now that I have retired, I iron very rarely. When I buy clothes, I actively look for items that require minimum or no ironing.

My mum ironed everything pants, tea towels the lot. I thought that was excessive so developed my own system of ironing about 80% of items. Then DD got married and I realized she only ironed about 5% so I thought what the heck her family look fine. So now I do the same.

I do think the common use of a tumble dryer has eliminated the need for a lot of ironing.

I only iron what really must be ironed. My DIL is obsessive on this subject, and even irons pyjamas. She spends at least 4 hours ironing every Sunday. My DD doesn't even own an iron, but spends a fortune on dry cleaning of her work wardrobe. Neither of them can sew on a button or repair a dragging hem. My DIL regularly posts DG's Cubs sweater down to me so that I can sew on badges for him.

My DS1 irons (very expertly) when it's necessary as does his wife. My other DS's partner is a thorough ironer, although she does stop at underwear. But boys' t-shirts? Why? To do him justice, he also does his bit to prevent her getting too tired - they both have demanding jobs and work very hard. They have an ironing system, with a tank that sits on the floor sending steam up to the iron. I have tried it but don't think it's worth what it apparently cost. I like my ceramic-soled steam iron, if I have to use one!

I used to iron all my family's clothes when the children were at school and my husband was at work. Now I only iron my own, my husband irons his, my youngest son who lives with us probably isn't even aware that we have an iron, or for that matter what it's purpose is. My older son who doesn't live with us tells me he irons the front of his shirt the bit that will be visible under his suit jacket but in the summer reluctantly irons the whole shirt as it might be necessary to take his jacket off! I think a lot of childrens' clothes these days don't really need ironing so I don't blame anyone for not ironing piles of clothes, but some fabrics like linen and pure cotton really do need an iron.

DD has a friend who does not own an iron and will not buy anything that she thinks might need ironing.

I iron rarely, just things which get very creased.

When we had five children at home I hated ironing and rarely, if ever, got to the bottom of the basket. I quite enjoy it now there are only two of us and even take in DD3's if it's looking overwhelming!

I have to be in the mood for ironing but when I feel like it I will iron everything in sight,mr.glamma is a dab hand with the iron and will iron if he see's it piling up, he stops though at little fiddly collars on my stuff and back it goes to the bottom of the pile

Eloethan Not the whole six weeks.

That's because things weren't so easily washed, Roseyposey, and also the fact that children didn't have so many clothes then!

Both my daughter and daughter in law change the children's clothes 2 or 3 times a day, even if they are just slightly soiled, perhaps that's why they don't iron. When my children were little, if they spilt something I just sponged it off! What a bad mother ;0)

I fold quite well !

gorki I enjoy ironing too, for the same reasons as you.
We extended our house to provide a double garage and utility room and it's my favourite room - it looks out over the garden so I can see the flowers and birds. I put my music on, shut the door and I'm happy.
Hate cleaning the car though!

Ironing is the only household job I really enjoy. I find it quite relaxing: it's not too energetic and it's possible to think or listen to music/radio or have a chat with someone at the same time. It is quite satisfying to see the pile of completed ironing grow and these days most materials are quite easy to iron. Now cleaning windows or the oven.......that is something else.

Sorry..what is this ironing?

absent You must have spent the whole time ironing!