It's strange, isn't it, how we drift through stages in our lives; how we enjoy doing something, then we go off it, and occasionally back to it again. I am drifting slowly back to ironing. Yes, it's a surprise to me too. It used to be one of the household tasks that I really didn't like and rarely did. I reorganised how we washed, hung and dried our clothes to avoid ironing. I told myself I wasn't ironing because it saved electricity, but the truth of it was that I didn't like standing over a hot iron pressing clothes.
I'm not a methodical ironer. I make sure the creases are out and that's about it. When I see advice to ironers about rolling up a towel to insert inside sleeves to iron them correctly, I wonder if anyone would fall for that. Or use paper clips when ironing pleats! Life's too short. I do tend to take the washing from the line when it's still damp, or spray the clothes and roll them before I iron. That's what my mother and grandma did, so that's what I do.
Monday is Washing Day
Tuesday is Ironing Day
Wednesday is Mending Day
Thursday is Market Day
Friday is Cleaning Day
Saturday is Baking Day
Sunday is a Day of Rest
I doubt I'll ever have a regular ironing day but as most of our clothes are natural fibres like cotton, denim and linen, I guess I have quite a few ironing hours ahead of me. So I'm pleased to be drifting back to the pleasure of it. The last few times I've ironed, it's not been such a chore. I have to admit, it's a great way of checking on clothes that might need a repair and to find it early, generally saves time and effort later.
Right now there is a big stack of ironing in our spare room waiting for me to tend to it. If my sister Tricia is reading this she will be nodding her head about now. But I intend to get through it by doing a little every week and hopefully by Christmas, the room will be clear again.
Are there others out there who dislike ironing, or is there another household task you detest and put off? Surely I'm not the lone ranger. What's your house work nemesis? Do you just ignore it like I have, or have you discovered a way around it so it gets done every week? Tell me your secret, I told you mine.
Posts
Rhonda,can I firstly say that we bought our Womens Weekly yesterday and loved the article you did, congratulations! then I must most humbly and embarrassingly say that My old Mum 91 almost and she took over the ironing 3 years ago when she came to live with us! so i sneak out and take everything out that can do without an iron so it is not so much,she irons everything from undies to face washers!! so I have to be very sneaky.I have to say a pile of finished ironing is lovely,the pile waiting to be done is not!.
ReplyDeleteIroning! The job that just never ends. I find that ironing listening to BBC Radio 4 (Just a Minute) helps to pass the time pretty well. With 2 children sometimes I actually enjoy shutting the door and getting down to the ironing with the radio on!
ReplyDeleteMy nemesis however is mopping the kitchen floor..can sweep it every day but can't bring myself to mop very often...
I love ironing, like I do washing the dishes. It gives me time to think things or issues over, in the meanwhile checking and handling cracks and dirt of another kind.
ReplyDeleteAt the age of five I started doing the easy ironing stuff, hankies, pillow cases, cloth diapers and pyjama trousers, for my mother. And I still enjoy it.
Actually I haven't got a housework nemesis.
Oh I absolutely detest cleaning the windows. Which is a particuarly significant problem as we designed our house with many - and many large - windows. I've tried all the vinegar/newspaper combos in an effort to elimiate streaks but can never seem to get the windows actually clean. This, of course, perpetuates the problem as I can only force myself do wash the things about 2x/year, when they get so scrungy that we can barely see through them. I've (half-jokingly) promised myself that if we somehow win the Lotto (which we never play) then my luxury item would be to purchase the services of a life-time professional window washer...ah sure, we can dream right? :-)
ReplyDeleteJulie, Ireland
Rhonda, I`m with you on the ironing side of things. I have a job where I iron all day, as well. So, I don`t buy too many items that need that attention. I`ve given up ironing the bedding, as nowbody will see it apart from us.
ReplyDeleteIf I occasionally iron a shirt for Rick that`s as
much ironing as I do at home. At work I press suits, trousers, shirts and other garments, all day. The last thing I would want to do is more of the same at home.
Yes Rhonda ironing is my least favorite job as it brings back memories of my 3rd difficult
ReplyDeletePregnancy and nights having toatand and iron when I would rather have been sleeping away the nausea!
But I do also believe that we build character in ourselves when we embrace the hard things and things we do not like, but do them anyway!
Wendy
Oh, Rhonda, you've nailed it, it's definitely ironing! I don't mind if it's just the handkerchiefs (we use fabric handkerchiefs), but I would never iron bed clothing - the wind dries it smooth enough for my liking. I don't devote any time during my week for ironing, none at all. The kids clothes don't require any ironing and I take care to buy as little clothes that need to be ironed as possible.
ReplyDeleteBut there's another chore that I used to hate from day one - unloading the dishwasher. I got the first dishwasher of my life just a year ago and immediately took a strong dislike to unloading it. But somehow I have noticed that whether or not I hate it and put it off till the very last moment, I still have to do it. For some weird reason it's easier to unload it right after it's finished washing, so I have kind of warmed up to the whole process.
I'm in love with the picture of your table napkins and doilies, they are so cute, I did not know anyone still had those apart from the countries of the former USSR that had no choice for so many years but to make beautiful things themselves.
My (not-so-secret) secret? I don't iron anything. At all.
ReplyDeleteI do own an iron. It's the least complicated electric iron that exists - literally just metal with a handle. And, in fact, I wanted to press a seam on something I was sewing not so long ago, and I couldn't find the iron anywhere. I still can't. I managed without.
Thing is, I actually don't even *mind* ironing too much with an ironing board and a steam iron - but I don't own either of those things, and since I've not ironed clothes for years, and I'm hardly the world's most efficient housekeeper as it is, I'm loathe to give myself another job. I buy second hand clothes, always things that don't need ironing, and I'm happy with that for now.
(plenty of other housework tasks I'm not too keen on, but I'm learning!)
Jenni xx
I guess I'm a little weird, but I actually enjoy ironing. It's cleaning bathrooms that I really don't like to do... It still gets done though...
ReplyDeleteI am not very fond of ironing ..it is a chore I put off. But ...at the same time when I am doing it , I am probably at my calmest. I am starting to look at it as a way of meditating instead of a 'boring old job'. It is a place to collect my thoughts and be in the present .
ReplyDeleteOh my ... the ironing pile. How my sister and I joke about it! I have a very tall hubby with LONG arms who wears dress shirts everyday to work. If it were not for You Tube episodes of Sherlock Holmes (the Jeremy Brett vintage) I don't know how I'd cope. =)
ReplyDeleteErin @ Dutch Girl Diary
I used to hate ironing. With 4 kids and a husband who works in an office and needs a clean shirt everyday, I had to find a way to like it. Get some audio books, Rhonda! It actually makes ironing pleasurable, and I look forward to it now. Depending on how big my ironing pile is, it's a half hour or an hour doing something practical but living in another world at the same time. :o)
ReplyDeleteThe one household job I really don't like doing is cleaning the shower glass walls.
Hope you have a good day.
Rachel
I recently posted about how relaxing I find ironing to be! :) My housework nemesis is washing the windows. Still haven't found a way to enjoy that one! xx
ReplyDeleteI don't love ironing either, and shamefully my 11 year old has taken over ironing her school uniforms as I've been so slack about it!!
ReplyDeleteIn the Summer I've no choice but to iron as I wear mostly linen for work. I used to wear cotton only, but discovered it wears out so much quicker that linen. So linen is the frugal choice.
I used to iron as I needed things, but found out that's not a good use of electricity. Now I aim to do a big batch - putting some nice music on seems to help :)
Have a beautiful day everyone, Madeleine
Hi Rhonda. I too, dislike ironing. There was very little of it during Winter when we tend to wear trackies and fleecy tops at home, but I had a huge basket of things I had washed at the end of summer, and still had not ironed. I ended up rewashing everything a couple of weeks ago when we had a really good windy drying day, and a few days later I ironed everything, one and a half hours before lunch, then a rest for a while (back not happy) then another hour or so to finish the lot. At the moment I only have 1 new item to be ironed and I am going to try not to let it build up again. :)
ReplyDeleteI wrote a blog post a while ago about how to enjoy ironing because it was something I really had to learn - that is, how to enjoy it because it really used to be my least favourite household task but as I prefer natural fibres over synthetics the reality is that I have garments that really do need to be ironed. I must say it has become much easier after buying a decent steam iron that doesn't leak water or scorch. I also bought a $20 umbrella style stand from Aldi to hang up the freshly pressed clothes. Previously I would have this huge pile of clothes and tablecloths slung over the back of the sofa dropping onto the floor and recreasing. I also choose to make the task more pleasant by listening to some uplifting music or watching a good movie during an ironing marathon. I don't want to be stuck in a laundry room on my own up so I sometimes set up my ironing board close to a window so I can look out onto the garden as I tackle that pile!
ReplyDeleteWell, what a surprise - a room full of ironing!!
ReplyDeleteI can't make it before Christmas, so I guess you had best plug in the iron.
Patricia Margaret
Ironing is certainly not my favourite task either. But it is a thinking time for me - I always iron with a pen and paper (beside me :) ), it's when I get most of my ideas on what to write about and other ideas and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteSunday night is ironing night, so Hubby has crisp shirts for the week. If I have a problem, it often gets resolved during ironing time.
When we first moved here, I couldn't find a job so I advertised an ironing service in the local paper. If there's one thing worse than ironing your own clothes, its ironing other peoples because you have to be a lot more particular.
My least favourite job is dusting. Makes me sneeze all day.
PS. Also read your article in WW. Great article. Thanks for sharing my website the other week. Glad to know that you like it.
My nemesis was always washing up, but I followed some good advice to create beauty in places to make work more pleasurable and that worked - I posted about on my blog just recently too. I wonder what you could do to make ironing beautiful? I iron a lot of uniforms - my husband works in emergency services - but I don't actually mind doing it.
ReplyDeleteI don't dislike ironing so much, but I don't get around to it that often, so then it becomes a big chore. My gorgoeus Aunt used to do my ironing for me, it was her way of helping a busy mum out, until she died 2 years ago, so now I have to do my own. I got my ironing out yesterday and in it was a winter shirt that I didn't get to wear all winter 'cause it was in the ironing basket and a heap of summer clothes, so I am ironing them this week so I can wear them now that it is spring!
ReplyDeleteIroning. One of my least favorite household chores. I tend to do the washing, fold it when I bring it in off the line and put into seperate piles. The ironing goes on the chair in my office - which is also my sewing room. I get around to doing it eventually, but quite often it gets quite a large pile before I do
ReplyDeleteAnd windows!!!! I hate doing them. Has to be the worst job ever!
Morning Rhonda, I do my ironing at least once a week and more if I can fit it in. My husband wears a business shirt every day and I wear a good shirt to work each day as well (normally) so there is always quite a few shirts. I find that if I let it get away even for just one week, there is far too much and I hate it lying around. Same with washing, I hate to have dirty clothes waiting to be washed, so I do that every day or so as well.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to tell you too that I loved the Weekly's apread on you, the photos were beautiful, you have such a gorgeous face :)
Cheers Kathy (Tas)
Hello "Down to Earth Rhonda"!
ReplyDeleteI've always hated ironing! So I fold things as they come off the clothes line so they don't need ironing. But still a few rogues get through and must be pressed. I put them aside for a rainy day, then set myself up in front of a favourite old B&W film on DVD (usually "Rebbeca" or a Humphrey Bogart film) and away I go. I turn a "hate" into an "enjoy".
It might rain today and I feel like watching "Rebecca". :-)
Also CONGRATULATIONS on the lovely article in WW. You and Hanno are now part of an iconic slice of Australian History. Well done you!!
Love ~ Julie xx
Ironing....I hate it!! Everyone in our household does there own. If they choose not to, then I figure it's their choice to go wrinkly & try not to take ownership of it. My Hubby is great if I want something ironed, I just leave it on the ironing board & he'll do it for me when he irons his workshirt for the day!! :)
ReplyDeleteOh boy, yep ironing is up there but at the top, the very top would have to be cleaning the shower and toilets and very closely behind that would be mopping the floors.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to describe my relationship with ironing it would be a very short book, I detest it. My lovely Mum does the ironing, she does a little each day which she says is good for her -- I think she is being kind to me. For many years Tony did the ironing, it was my job to put away as he did it while watching telly and having a beer. If the ironing pile was very high the sleeve creases were a bit wobbly at the end. :)
ReplyDeleteWIndows!!! Eeek. I bank on nobody looking at them--just THROUGH. When one cannot even look through, then one must heave a sigh and do it.
ReplyDeleteI am with the ladies who hate window washing. I love them when they are done but , iiiiiiiiick! I learned to iron as a young girl and my job was Dad's dress shirts. Well in the 1950's all the men wore dress shirts to work unless their job required a uniform of some sort. I think the worst thing that ever happened was leaving nasty, irremovable, scorches on a couple.
ReplyDeleteIroning seems like such a non-essential task that I have wondered whether it really was something done regularly as that poem states. I have surmised when reading pioneer literature that perhaps ironing was an essential part of the laundry cycle because of regional climate. For example, seasonal wetness or darkness preventing the clothes from getting totally dry, therefore ironing as the final step to remove dampness from the cloth. It seems like such a waste of time otherwise; un-ironed clothes are definitely not wrinkled and are quite presentable.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda, I don't like ironing but someone has to do it and that someone is me. I try to iron every day, so that I might spend at most a half hour at this boring task. It's done and dusted. As for other things I don't like doing well it's the bathroom, but again I'm a neatness and cleaning freak so I do it but grudgingly.
ReplyDeleteOh that's funny! I normally like to start off the week with the ironing done. I am so lucky to have a hubby who does the washing during the week while I am at work (I know - I am very spoilt!) I am definitely not a stuff the sleeves to iron out the wrinkles type of gal, but there is something quite calming about the smell of hot clean cotton that helps me wind up the weekend ready to start a new week.
ReplyDeleteMy husband irons more than me, and I'm the stay at home mum. But that's because when he started as an apprentice chef, he wanted to take responsibility for washing and ironing his uniform. That ethic has stayed with him for nearly two decades.
ReplyDeleteI don't offer to iron them unless he has a particularly hectic schedule. It's not that I don't like ironing, I just think it's a job he's proud to do himself and I support what he can help around the house with.
What has helped when we do iron however, is having a permanently erected ironing board, with a little bench close to hand containing a lint brush, the iron, distilled water and a pouring cup to fill the iron. We also have a hanging rack, just above the ironing board, so uniforms get hung there.
It's so much easier to just walk into a room, switch on the iron and get going.
If there's a job I treat as a nemisis however, it's probably washing the bathrooms. Because when I do, I clean it top to bottom. Takes me a few hours to do just one bathroom (including toilet). I seem to be okay ironing out creases in fabric, but can't stand the tedium of scrubing bathroom scum off tiles and grout!
My nemesis is scrubbing floors. I don't mind mopping but I hate the times I have to get down on my hands and knees to scrub because I always end up hurting afterwards. I like to iron but I have a hard time finding a block of time to do it. I usually iron as needed. Some day when life is not so hectic I hope to have a dedicated time for ironing again. There is simply nothing as wonderful as the smell of freshly ironed laundry.
ReplyDeleteI do not like any housework. It is repetitive and around here a thankless task. However it needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteLike you I wear natural fibres and should iron more. I am seriously considering outsourcing the linen stuff to a local shop as she charges so little and the $10 or so a week would be a gift to me. Btu then that adds up to $500 a year and it becomes a different thing all together.
I absolutely hate ironing! I never do it, and usually, if an item of clothing doesn't pass my "scrunch test" on the store rack, I don't even bother trying it on! lol!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing my iron gets used for is craft! I make my own handmade paper, and sometimes I need to iron the paper if it's not been properly press-dried. My mother is an ironing fiend - she even irons her tea-towels. She says they fit into the drawer better, but my solution would be to just put fewer tea-towels in the drawer! Lately, I've been trying to be a lot more environmentally aware, and am now starting to buy more natural clothing made from cotton and linen, so I guess at some stage, I am going to have to put iron to cloth. But I'm not looking forward to it!
LOL at Rhonda getting 'told off' by her big sister!
ReplyDeleteI learned to iron in first year high school Home Economics. Bring in a shirt of your father's and I'll teach you how to wash and iron it! It stood me in good stead though as the technique was a good one;collar first, then cuffs, sleeves, one front, back and the second front. When ironing embroidery always do it from the back to avoid crushing or damaging the threads.
It was only last year that I got my first ironing board, I made do with the kitchen bench and a towel for 40yrs!
And I do love to iron newly finished sewing projects or embroideries.
Hope you have a lovely day, Rhonda, ironing or not ;)
coffeee/Sue
There is nothing nicer than a stack of beautifully ironed linen table runners, doilies and napkins, like yours. I don't hate ironing but the way I do it is fold and put it all away then iron each day as we need it. I only had 2 children (girls) and they were quite capable of ironing a T-shirt and shorts when they were 10 years old. I allot 5 minutes to iron my hubbys shirt and trousers each morning as part of my routine (he hops in the shower, I iron his shirt). School uniforms were always ironed on a Sunday and this go me through to Wednesday when I would have to iron a fresh shirt or summer uniform for them each morning, taking 5-10 minutes tops. I always have my ironing board set up in the study. When I do a load of smalls, any hankies etc can be ironed straight away. I used to get earwigs and spiders in the bottom of my ironing basket - that's why I started folding and putting away instead.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Joolz
Oh YES! I've never been one to be caught up on ironing - my mother didn't like to iron and had an "ironing basket" where everything went that needed ironing. She'd iron maybe once per season :) I am ashamed to admit that I am very much the same!
ReplyDeleteUsing a homemade linen spray has helped me as it's such a nice treat to smell them when spraying clothes. That, and simply line drying clothes, because I LOVE the feel and smell of clothes off the line - SO fresh and crisp. I don't wait as long to iron now - as the reward of freshly pressed, good smelling clothes is certainly motivating.
My good friend of many years LOVES to iron so much that she will pull her board and iron out to iron anything that needs a pressing :)
I don't like ironing, so I simply make sure that we don't have clothing in the house that requires it. That's easy for us because my husband works construction and I stay home. Jeans and t-shirts are the "uniform" of choice for both of us most days.
ReplyDeleteThe chore I really dislike, though, is mending. I would much rather cut out and sew an entirely new garment than get out needle and thread to replace a button or mend a tear.
I love to iron ! Odd I know :) I iron everything I wear to work, all table linens and, yes, my sheets and pillowcases - these I do every week I love the feel of fresh starched pillowcases. My children used to laugh at me, now to them it's just something that I do. However, I dislike taking out the trash and grocery shopping. My son who is just out of college and home takes pity on me and helps with those.
ReplyDeleteIroning is also my nemesis. I used to think vacuuming was close but I realise it is a long way of from being close. When my marriage was falling apart it was like ironing was the straw that broke the camels back (not the marriage but my ability to cope after it was over). I think my major problem with it has been that over the years I have used it as a time for reflection and unfortunately the daydreams turned to nightmares and ironing only seemed to reinforce that. Now I seldom iron and you mostly need to twist my arm to do it. Fortunately a lot of our clothes don't need it as most hang out in the wardrobe and the kids are old enough to do it if Mum really puts her foot down. Cherrie
ReplyDeletemy mother hated ironing so much that she used hire to teenage girls to do it all,till i was old enough and then she paid me
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ironing. Only thing I hated was ironing things then finding the kids put them in the washing knowing they had outgrown them...but I didn't know this till AFTER I ironed them! :) Those days are long gone but it still gives me a smile when I think of it while ironing! :) I usually listen to music or watch a movie or open the door and listen to the many birds outside when I iron. Sarah
ReplyDeleteIroning is not a chore in the least to me. In fact it's the one thing I do that I feel the most satisfaction from. It's almost like a meditation time to me. A chance for some quiet time, just me and my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, Rhonda. I read it everyday.
Warmly,
Jeri from Utah, USA
Hello Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteCleaning the oven has to be at the top of my list for ... oh no it's not time to do that again ... type of comments from me! It's just so messy and gets that way again despite my resolve to use cooking bags sometimes.
Another one is cleaning windows but that's it. On the whole I love to be tending to our home.
Regards,
Lucy
Oh yes! Ironing was always something I dreaded. But how about mangling??
ReplyDeleteA few years ago we needed to replace our washing machine. I researched the market thoroughly and invested in a state-of-the-art-model with all the best green/energy values. It also had a much higher spin speed than our old washer. Straight away I found out that if I gave every item a good shake before hanging to dry, there was absolutely no need for ironing! Wow - and we don´t use synthetics!. Just for the record, I have never ironed bed linen. My husband only wears shirts to weddings and funerals which simplifies matters.
Here´s a good one: Traditionally mangling has always been more common in Sweden than my homeland UK or Australia where I lived for many years. Many households would still have an electric mangle for bed linens and tablecloths. I was fascinated by and given an old manual one by my mother-in-law. I love using it for our festive tablecloths and napkins and handsewn table runners etc. But ironing? No thanks.
Greetings from Uppsala/Sweden
Ramona K
I confess I never iron because I don't see the point. I wouldn't say that I have any particularly negative feelings about ironing, I just see no reason to do it since I get zero benefit out of it. The chore that I detest and have to force myself to do is cleaning the shower.
ReplyDeleteI try not to iron except when sewing. I just pop the wash in the dryer for maybe 10 minutes to get the wrinkles out, then hang it on a rack or right on the hanger to finish drying. I don't think running the dryer for a few minutes uses any more electricity than ironing and it saves time. :)
ReplyDeletebrenda from arkansas
I always found ironing a dreadful chore until I was given a new iron as a wedding present. It was quite an expensive one, with a ceramic plate and a very strong shot of steam. It powers through the ironing like a knife through butter and has cut the time it takes to do by at least a third. I can't imagine how I was doing it before. Now i can take satisfaction from a well-pressed shirt.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is any chore I don't like doing as long as I'm in the right frame of mind so I can step back and feel good after it's done. Catch me in the wrong frame of mind (usually hormonal) and I hate doing it and step back from it grumbling it'll be 'creased/dirty/need doing again in no time at all'. When I take no satisfaction or pleasure from a chore sometimes I just leave it until I can think better thoughts.
Holy Moly! I never realized there were so many people out there who still actually iron. Make peace with the wrinkles people!!! Seriously though, I couldn't iron a shirt if my life depended on it... Actually, that's not true, I could iron it, but there would just be more wrinkles when I got done than when I started!
ReplyDeleteAnd window washing... really? I don't believe I have ever washed the windows and we've lived here 15 years. Of course, my car is 21 years old and it's never been washed either. But really... isn't that what rain is for? Perhaps there are benefits to having bad eyesight and low standards.
But my cleaning nemesis is most definitely the vacuum cleaner. I HATE the thing. I always get tangled in the cord or end up knocking something over because I'm not paying attention to where I'm dragging the canister... and no matter how hard I try, I always manage to suck up at least one cat toy into the thing causing it to emit terrible noises and smells.
Living in South Africa, I know that I am very spoiled as our maid, Primrose, who comes twice/week does all of our ironing. During her annual 3-week holiday over Christmas/New Years, I do it, or I sometimes iron in-between her work days eg school uniforms....and don't mind it at all (it's windows that's our nemesis and Primrose can only get to them occasionally and not the second-story ones). We have our board set up permanently most of the time and even after shaking the clothes and line drying, I do like the way ironing perks up the fabric. In summer, it keeps the little flies off too.
ReplyDeleteAt once point, when I was working a full-time internship, we had a different maid who was not working very well and the ironing pile grew & grew. I was exhausted with young children and finally had to let the maid go. I'd take the ironing to my mother-in-law in a big black bag.....her maid Primrose would iron their ironing AND our ironing beautifully. I said if you ever have a free day, you're coming to work for us! Not too long afterwards, the phone call came and Primrose has been working for us for 13 years now...not one, but two days a week, ever since. Our clothes have been beautifully ironed all of these years.....thank you Primrose, we value you and your hard work so much.
I used to loathe ironing, and tried to avoid it, especially when the children were small and I had so little "spare" time. Then for some reason in the last few years I have come to enjoy it, and it is something I often choose to do if I can't sleep, and get up to potter downstairs and need to keep warm in this cold house! I'm not like my Yorkshire friend who irons her tights (!!!) and her husband's socks, but I will admit to ironing teatowels now . . . and even flannels sometimes : )
ReplyDeleteWhat is this "ironing" you speak of? ;-)
ReplyDeleteLike a few of the other commenters, I don't particularly like or dislike ironing but by and large, I don't do it.
ReplyDeleteSince we moved house two years ago, my boyfriend and I have both ironed one set of clothes (a shirt for a wedding for him, trousers & a shirt for a job interview for me), and I've ironed a few crafty things (fusing plastic & a couple of seams) - but that's it.
We both live in jeans & (cotton jersey) t-shirts 99% of the time and after line-drying, the t-shirts are not perfectly flat but relatively crease-free if not perfectly flat. The jeans are sometimes a little more creased but fall into shape after about 10 mins of wearing them.
My mum on the other hand irons *everything* and I think she enjoys the meditative quiet time than other people mention - but I just don't see the point of it for us and I prefer to do other things for my meditation (such as crochet).
I find that with our clothes, if I get them out of the dryer or off the line right away and either hang or fold, I don't have to iron as much. When I do, I do a quick press before putting it on. Since most of our clothing is wash and wear, the only time I need to do a quick press is if we are getting dressed up to go out (which is rare).
ReplyDeleteI just don't iron. lol
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of for weddings or funerals, I don't iron.
Clothes are laid flat off the line in the basket, other stuff folded on top and they 'self iron' (LOL) or in summer, things are hung wet from the washer.
Thassit :)
oh and no dryer either - the 'lay it flat in the basket' and the weight of the folded clothes above it works just fine.
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky though in that the children's school clothes are quite ok (not needing ironing) and neither are my husband's work shirts. If they need ironing he does them himself.
Even his work pants come out well if they're inner leg seam 'hung' right off the line.
Oh yes, ironing, I do hate it! I usually have a basket full, and when everybody starts complaining they have nothing to wear do I get onto it! Lately I decided to do away with ironing sheets, they get stretched on the bed, so why bother, and I now just fold my son´s t-shirts as soon as they come off the line, so it´s mainly shirts and pants. Usually I set the board in front of the tv, put on some programs I taped and haven´t had a chance to see, and get through a load of programs and ironing... Another pet hate is window washing....
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda Jean
ReplyDeleteI am with you about iron. It is not my cup of tea nor is sewing clothes.
Everything I love.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteFrom the age of 11 I had to iron my own school clothes. My dad would see me ironing and ask me to do his to save mum a chore. I didn't mind. It made me feel grown up and important.
After school I pursued a career as an artist. I felt absolutely liberated. I could get away with a lot of arty casual ensembles because I worked in 'the studio/engine' of advertising agencies. No more ironing. One less thing to distract me from living life itself.
When I got married I warned my hubby that if he wanted shirts it was generally his chore. He was okay with that and still is, bless him. Now that my girls are 10 and 13 years they iron for themselves and it makes them feel just as I did when I was that age. Teaching responsibility has its perks :)
I don't actually hate doing any chores. What I do hate is the amount of time spent doing them. The outdoors is forever beckoning me. Come hiking it whispers, come and swim in my waves it murmurs, come lay in the grass it teases...
Vicki
Trinidad & Tobago
What I hate about ironing is getting all the gear out and sweeping the floor first so when the fabric drags on the floor, it doesn't get soiled.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 5, my mom tasked me with keeping all the hankies ironed. Then, as each girl got bigger, we were given more complicated ironing. The ironing board was ALWAYS set up in the dining room (we only ate there when guests came over) and ready to go.
Now, I only iron occasionally since I try to purchase clothes that don't really need it.
My nemesis is windows with dusting being a fast second.
Ironing it is for me too! When I was young, I remember my grandmother carefully folding my grandpa's dress pants and placing them under the couch cushions. When he sat there to watch TV, he effectively "ironed" them for her. And when he got up to get some coffee she would flip the pants over for him to sit on the other side!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny you don't like ironing, Rhonda. I'm a bit surprised for some reason. I happen to really enjoy ironing. I like the smell and sound of it, and that things look so much nicer afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I HATE cleaning out my refrigerator!!
--Kay
Yep - hate ironing. I think it's partly down to no ironing board being right for my height, I find my back or my shoulders cramp up after a short while.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, Howard has a job that doesn't require him to wear business suits & shirts - polo shirts, sweaters and jeans are acceptable office wear for someone that "creative". I have to dress slightly smarter, but sweaters, tunics and long sleeved t-shirts are fine for me.
If something is really creased, a spell steaming in the shower or in real extreme cases, draped over the radiator will suffice.
I also remember being told a story when I was a child. The woman next door was in her 80's then, and she said her mother advised her the first time she ironed her new husband's trousers, to put the crease where the seams were. She said she never had to iron his clothes again.
Well.. I iron every tuesday. I really hated it, let it lay aside, so the mountain of washed clothes was growing and growing.
ReplyDeleteNow I do my ironing every week in front of the tv. Watching my favorite program will help me enjoying the mountain of ironed clothes ;o)
Love from Holland!
I don't iron. I suppose because my mother hated ironing. I don't own anything that truly requires ironing in order to be presentable. (Actually, my cloth napkins could probably benefit from an iron now that I think about it, but with just Matt and I at the table I can't seem to worry too much about it.)
ReplyDeleteI just thought of a story about ironing. When I was staying in Belgium in 2002 my host family ironed everything....socks, underpants, shirts, skirts, EVERYTHING. Having a mom that didn't iron I found this baffling. I can remember having to actually convince my host-mother that she really didn't need to iron my clothes before I packed them in my suitcase to come home. It took some convincing to get her to agree!
ReplyDeleteI don't iron much. And I don't really mind it in itself. Life just seems too short to waste ironing much when there are so many nice clothing selections available that don't need it. Just a personal preference, I suppose. With several young children, I tend to stick to those choices and lots of knit tops for myself to avoid unnecessary ironing. I do get out the iron for special occasion clothing, when sewing, or other times like that.
ReplyDeleteI wash everyday and when the clothing is dry, I iron it then. I detest having wrinkled clothes lying around. I do not enjoy sweeping and moping though. But what must be done, should be done cheerfully and with a thankful heart that I am able to stay home and be the keeper of my home. When I look at it cheerfully it gets done a lot faster and once it's done, I feel happy I did it. Lori
ReplyDeleteOh Yes! I dislike ironing, too. My husband says I have the newest looking iron in the world (I bought it in 1998) and it barely has a scratch or mark on it. I'd rather go crinkled than iron. Although, on the rare chance that I do iron, it must be in front of the tv in the evening after everyone has gone to bed for some reason. I tend to put more creases into shirts and trousers that were there to begin with, though.
ReplyDeleteI also wear only natural fibers that do require ironing. I don't want chemicals or polymers in my garments. My solution has been to set up my ironing board directly in front of the TV during prime time viewing hours and steam away.
ReplyDeleteDish washing and other household chores are done while listening to short stories on the radio. I particularly like the NEW YORKER fiction podcasts. FREE on the web and iTunes. As are THE MOTH podcasts. I often download them to my iPod and march around. I painted my whole house to an audiobook download from the library. Absorption in a story makes all chores much less onerous.
I'm sure we must be related RJ and to all the other ladies who have admitted to hating ironing. I've found the only way I get through it is to put something entertaining on the TV and watch it while I iron. There is some satisfaction in an empty or almost empty ironing basket thought!
ReplyDeleteLoved the WW article too - got my borrowed copy from the library today :)
well done!
Lis xx
I don't entirely dislike ironing when I've properly set aside the time to do it. I do think it makes sense, though, to organize the laundry to minimize it. It is not entirely kind to the fibers involved either.
ReplyDeleteClothes that have to be ironed often look wrinkled as soon as you've worn them for 10 minutes - skirts and pants especially - I can't stand linen skirts or slacks for that reason. I prefer to choose fibers and fabrics that won't look that way. Sometimes they are synthetics. On the other hand, a cotton jersey knit, when hung when slightly damp, doesn't need ironing. And I do love denim jeans!
I enjoy ironing as I find it is a time for thinking or even meditating. What I don't like is putting everything away afterwards. Like several others have said there is something lovely about freshly ironed tablecloths and pillowcases. My husband whinges if I don't iron his hankies as he says they feel much nicer when ironed.
ReplyDeletemegh01
The secret to not having an ironing pile is to put washing away un-ironed and iron as you need it.
ReplyDeleteOur family had a recipe book intermingled with the amusingly cloying verse of 'Patience Strong'. Here is her offering on Ironing:
I love to iron my silken things and smooth them out like new -
It's quite the most delightful task of all the jobs I do -
To change a crumpled heap of stuff into a perfect dress -
To watch the creases disappear, as patiently I press.
And sometimes as I'm doing this I wish that I could find -
A magic iron that would erase the creases from the mind -
The sadness and the worry and the marks of human strife -
The scars of all the sorrows that we take with us through life -
And so I wish that I could smooth my troubles all away -
Just clear them from my mind - and make a fresh start every day.
I don't iron regularly, unless something is really wrinkled. Just don't see the point.
ReplyDeleteAs for my nemesis, the cleaning the shower. I just can't get it clean enough and so I keep postponing it. Spraying with white vinegar and then squeegeeing it off after showering helps (but my partner doesn't do the vinegar bit and I usually shower once a week...)
I've always loved to iron, but since I've had a generator steam iron (the kind with a large square tank that sits separately on the ironing board), I have cut my ironing time by 2/3's. It is amazing. You can either iron the clothes on the board, or hang things and steam them there. It looks like a regular iron, but it has the big tank. After I iron everything, I leave them hanging out of the closet until they are cool, then I put them into the closet. This prevents those creases you get from putting them into the closet. Now, as someone else said, I hate to clean the shower!
ReplyDelete