Ironing has never been my favourite activity. For many years, there has always been washing waiting to be ironed in my home. Sometimes I'd do a burst of ironing and get through a basket or two and then it would sit accumulating again until we needed something in the pile. My ironing practices left a lot to be desired.
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This year Hanno bought me a steam press for my birthday. It's a Bernina Domena, made in France. I've had it for a month now and I love it. My ironing has never looked as good as it does now, not even when I had an ironing lady. There are some things I prefer using the iron on, mainly Hanno's good shirts, but I'm getting better and faster at prepping the shirts for pressing. The press has cut my ironing time down considerably, even though I'm now ironing things I didn't bother about before. My aprons, tablecloths, pillow slips, table runners, napkins etc. all look crisp and beautiful.
The main difference when pressing instead of ironing is that you have to take your time preparing the item for pressing. That may be smoothing out the wrinkles on something flat, or it might be more involved if it's a garment. Preparation does take a bit of time but I'm getting faster doing it, and the pressing takes no time at all. I love how my knitted cardigans are looking, it does wool and cotton perfectly. The settings range from wool, silk and delicates, through to cotton and linen and the steam function uses tap water. It's great using it for sewing too because you can press hems and seams in one press and they're straight and as sharp as a tack. It's a great gift and one I'll use every week.
Does anyone else have a press? If so, I'd love to hear your tips and tricks.
Does anyone else have a press? If so, I'd love to hear your tips and tricks.
I agree! I was lucky enough to find a nearly new press at our local charity shop for 5 Euros. I thought it was worth a gamble and I'm so glad - I can do a huge basket of ironing in no time at all, and everything is beautifully pressed and ready to go into drawers. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI have a press and could not do without it. The main tip is practice. It brilliant for t/shirts etc
ReplyDeleteI just put one on the list. I iron dress shirts weekly. I have a very good iron but you just can't get a crisp look. I'll bet pants come out looking great. Appreciate your mentioning this!!
ReplyDeleteMy nephew who works in the city uses his home press to smarten up his suits as well as pressing all his shirts. I think if you had that corporate type wardrobe a press would be a great help.
DeleteI was able to snag a press on Amazon through their warehouse....open box....$50 off. I just finished this week's shirts. They are soooo crisp the boy is going to crack when he moves. lol
DeleteLOL, have the first aid kit on standby. I'm very pleased that it's helping you do your work.
DeleteOh I hate ironing as well! I really only iron when I sew. Usually everything just gets hung up straight away from the clothes line here and ironed right before it is worn (because I find ironing a real chore!) I'm going to find out more about these presses!
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you are enjoying the press Rhonda! I have an ironing lady, she's called Mum. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeleteMy mum's our ironing lady. I often joke that we're part of the great unironed
DeleteI have a press too. My husband gave it to me years ago as a birthday/Christmas gift. I am a quilter, he saw me borrow one from a friend once to iron some special quilt blocks. So he brought me one. I love to use it.
ReplyDeleteI even iron/press the tops of our sheets (I hang them on the cloths lines and press the top to make them look like hotel linens. I also press pillow cases. I press napkins most of the time. Enjoy your press.
I can't believe I'm about to say this about ironing, but that press actually looks kind of...fun.
ReplyDeleteLOL it is. :- )
DeleteI hate ironing too, but my husband and I both have work uniforms that need it! I would love something like that to make the job easier but he has patches on his sleeve and they wouldn't take to being ironed with a crease in them, I have to iron his sleeves without a seam down the arm part. Never mind, only another twenty years until he retires and I won't have to do it anymore LOL
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law had one of these from the 1950's. She loved it and used it for years. She swore nothing ironed better.
ReplyDeleteI am in a minority here... I love ironing! Find it very relaxing, almost theraputic in fact, especially when I'm ironing my vintage embroidered linens : - ) But I bet they would come up even more beautifully with your steam press!
ReplyDeleteI thought I would be the only one saying I love to iron. No thinking required. It relaxes me. I've never known anyone with a press. I'm not sure they are offered in the USA.
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting to me...I never knew what an iron press was before I watched an old video that my mother sent me on laundry day, filmed in the 50's I think. The lady of the house had a laundry press. I didn't realize that they were a modern thing as well. I'll look into it, Lord knows I'd rather clean toilets than iron any day!
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