Ironing.

tiggypiro

I do shirts (not many of them these days, TG) collar, sleeves, back, fronts. I don't know who taught me that but over the years the only one who has grumbled was my son. Now he is 46 and still says he is the only one who can iron shirts properly, so his very sensible wife lets him get on with it!

What is 'ironing' ?

I was taught by my mother to iron shirts using the same sequence as hildajenniJ. However, I was taught by my grandmother to iron shirt sleeves without a crease down the centre. I've always ironed shirts that way, reasoning that, if they were meant to have a crease down the centre, each sleeve would have been made up of two pieces of material with two seams. I wouldn't dream of ironing a crease down the centre of my blouse sleeves. Mind you, I iron as little as possible these days, life's too short......

I was also taught to start with the back of the collar of a shirt. The reason given was so that if the iron was too hot any scorch marks wouldn't show. I imagine this must have been passed down the family from the days when irons were heated on the range or by the fire! I still do it this way though! Hate ironing, especially trousers and have never ironed any underwear, that has always baffled me as to why anyone sees the need.

hilda I use the same method starting with the back of the collar and yoke I also find using a good wide ironing board makes for an easy life,I'm glad I don't have too many shirts to iron nowadays as OH prefers casual T-shirts now he is retired.

To iron a shirt, I start with the collar and then yoke, sleeves left front, back and right front then straight on to a hanger. This is the way I was taught by my mother who learned from her father who was a tailor.

I have that troublewot but it is usually the windows

I iron collar, yoke, front and work my way round back onto other front, then sleeves. My problem is my glasses steaming up!

I used to know someone who ironed terry nappies.

So did I Lully Her children had ironed creases down their socks !!!!

Pinocchio Teetime.

DH does all the ironing so I don't know how its done.

MiL didn't like ironing so she used nylon sheets and pillowcases. Nasty things! Anything else she used to fold up, put under the cushion on her armchair and sit on them watching TV. Labour saving or just plain idle? I was never sure.

I worked with someone who ironed knickers and socks!!!!!!!!!!

When D was married to a squaddie he didn't think she could iron his kit good enough for inspection. She was more than happy to let the stupid do it himself

I have done my share of ironing in the past, but now I am alone I don't buy clothes which need ironing. The only things I do are my sheets and pillow slips because I like them starched and cold to the touch. Everything else is smoothed and folded or hung, and any little wrinkles fall out when I wear them.
I don't recall seeing my mother ironing at all and my father did his own shirts. Maybe I inherited the loathing of the job from Mum!

My Mil taught me that if you press the front on the shirt with the back under it, the front looks brilliant and the backs get creased on the way to work anyway so none would know.

With 5 children changing shirts/ blouses at least 3 times a week and DH having blue 'white coats' which he changed daily, ironing was always a marathon. I quite enjoy it now.

nannyandgrampy I am truly shocked!! . . Fortunately I also came to our marriage while serving in the military, but because of my job I was not required to wear uniform very often. Shirts, like justice, though, still had to be not only ironed but seen to be ironed even if only for kit inspections!

That brought back memories Greyduster .

Both Grampy and myself were in the army and you're right short sleeve order was a pain!! In later year I cheated on the whole thing ( rank has its privileges eh?) and had the back pleats sewn in and the long sleeves cut and sewn at the correct length .

I dread to think how many shirts I pressed though although in later years I sent my ironing away to be done. I never had a cleaner but ironing was something I loathed ( and still do!)

I use more or less the same sequence as you BBbevan except that I do the collar first. But I didn't learn it at my mother's knee - she wasn't big on ironing - I learned at school! My father didn't wear shirts for work and my older brother ironed his own! I couldn't begin to count the number of shirts I have ironed. DH was in the Army for nineteen years of our married life and ironing his shirts was a pain - especially in the summer, when "shirt sleeve order" came in and sleeves had to be rolled to an exact length and pressed within an inch of their lives. Likewise the pleats in the back. When he left the army he still wore shirts and ties for work, so no reprieve, but not as much hassle! I can still iron a shirt faster than he can though!

I do collar,sleeves,back,front.
No idea why.

I iron shirts the way mum taught me. Fortunately H has never worn shirts for work so apart from the odd occasion it's only been school shirts.
I'm sure there must be other things I do that were learnt from her but they must be second nature because I can't think of any.