29 Jul 2009

Do you iron?




So last night I ironed. And ironed. And ironed. Had a cup of Twinings Lemon and Ginger Tea - a big one, and ironed some more. And somewhere amongst all those clothes I got curious - who else irons but me? What are your ironing tips?

My friend Kerrie has an ironing lady. She comes once a week for a few hours and just irons everything in the basket. Good, eh? Who else'd like an ironing fairy like Kerrie's?

Another friend, Lizzie, uses a timer. Every evening, well most anyhow, she goes into the laundry and sets the timer for 15 minutes. When the bell rings she switches off the iron and walks away. She says it works.

I iron in short bursts - often when Jemimah is doing copywork or maths or illustrating her nature notebook or something similar. This, along with a couple of sustained evenings works for me. I did have to make one minor modification though - I find that if I only have a short time to iron that I tend to do the quick stuff - Jemimah's clothes, hankies, tea towels and the like. At the end of the week I'd end up with a big terrible pile of my nemesis - men's business shirts. Now I have a rule that every time I turn on the iron I must iron at least one shirt. Mostly this makes the dreaded pile much smaller - if it grows at all.

What about you? Do share your secrets...I'm curious.

While we're on the subject of ironing - which I am, believe me - do you iron your sheets? Now I'll grant you that nothing is lovelier than sinking into a big bed of freshly laundered and perfectly pressed white 1500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, but that's why we stay in hotels on holidays, isn't it?

If you do iron sheets, how do you do it? Do you iron them when they're on the bed? My mum does that. I don't. Anyway, I only iron the tops of my flat sheets since that is all you see when the bed's made - oh, and I iron the pillow cases and the doona cover too.

So what about you? Do you iron or not? Do you think those who do iron sheets are enviably house proud or oddly obsessive compulsive?

One last question while we're in the laundry - how often do you change them? I change ours once a week. On Wednesday. Why Wednesday I wonder? Dunno really. There probably was a reason once-upon-a-time...

Image from here.

22 comments:

  1. Hmm, with a dh in the army I have to iron. Actually he would happily do it but he works all day so it's the least I can do for him.

    My daughters both iron and do their own clothes. My 14yods does his own ironing for cadets and jeans...and he often does his father's work uniform and I pay him $2.

    Nearly 12yods is learning to iron hankies and napkins.

    Iron sheets? Are you crazy woman? LOL No, I do not iron sheets. My mum used to iron tea towels and Bonds singlets and just about everything but I do not.

    I change our sheets once a week, usually on a Monday because it's also a day when we do a fair bit of housework.

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  2. Iron? Nooooooo! Never! Well, hardly ever. I do fold - neatly, and this works most of the time. I have been known to whip out the iron 10 minutes before leaving the house, but no, ironing is not a regular activity in which i partake. Some may think "lazy"....i prefer to think of it as FREEDOM!!!!

    Melanie x

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  3. what's an iron?

    jk

    i iron when i am making things, feel like melting something or if i truly do not feel like looking disgruntled before i leave the house.
    peter irons his own shirts bc he says he is better at it than me. this system works quite well for me and i highly recommend it, unless of course one truly enjoys ironing!

    however, i think peter is pushing to buy a separate iron for craft. you can see his eyes ridden with anxiety before he puts the metal to his workshirts when he knows i've been using it.

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  4. I iron, but I'm the odd ball of my friends. None of them iron anything. Most folks I know just hang their clothes up straight from the dryer or send their dress shirts out for dry cleaning & pressing.

    I iron Sunday clothes and hubby's work clothes (school teacher). I iron our curtains.

    I do not iron our sheets.

    I do one load of dress clothes per week and just iron it all when it comes out of the dryer. Put on a movie or music and start ironing.

    I change our sheets every Friday.

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  5. hmm! can't think of when I last used the iron:)
    I am blessed to have a hubby that does his own ironing (of work clothes)! As for me and dd, there's not much ironing between us, I generally either hang up clothes straight after drying so they are not creased too much and for the others I fold them neatly (try to atleast) to save me ironing.
    Now, I'll be kind to you about ironing your sheets and won't hold that against you, lol!
    I'm lucky again in that department as dh changes our sheets once a week usually sometime on the weekend! Gee, this makes me sound lazy doesn't it but trust me I'm not, we have a good division of labour in this household:)

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  6. If I didn't know better from yesterday's post, Jeanne, I would say you had too much time on your hands!!!
    Teatowels? This is a joke?
    I did iron sheets, doona covers and pillow slips when first married, but that has long gone. I iron good clothes... My skirts that require it. That's it.
    Girl, you are tiring me out. Can you post a nice dreamy book review or poem next! ☺

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  7. I iron if it needs it before I put it on. My second son has a job at Hungry Jacks and irons his own shirt before he goes.

    Steve's shirts for work, I wash in a permanent press load and then hang them on a hanger.

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  8. I had to iron my shirt this morning because i had to go to see my client. But I rarely iron! I hate it when I have to iron especially in summer, oh it's awful :(

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  9. Hi Jeanne,
    We iron most things in this home, but sheets - no way!

    Our children do most of the ironing, and they do an excellent job.

    We iron as soon as the washing is dry, well that night, anyway.

    Our bedding - all of it gets changed on Mondays - why - I don't know - just the day that my husband changes the bedding.♥ Our housework is done on Thursday mornings.

    Blessings,
    Jillian
    <><

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  10. Growing up, ironing was my favorite job and I really enjoyed pressing my uniform when I was in the military. Now I rarely iron, everything gets hung up or folded immediately so no need - seems these days all of our clothes are "garment washed" for the relaxed look, even some of my skirts and tees are called "tissue" and I have to twist them to dry! Ah, the iron-y.

    Until recently I ironed our table linens but when MIL came, she smoothed them with her hands and hung them over the banister to dry perfectly so now I follow suit.

    Sheets, weekly - on our laundry day which is also Poetry Friday! I wash and fold, everyone puts their own away.

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  11. Iron? I am one who needs to be reminded what one is. My hubby irons all his clothes and any of mine that "have" to be ironed. I am awful at it. When my brother and I lived together, he would stop me at the door and tell me to change and he would iron my clothes. This is one art I want to learn. I love the idea, just have not taken the time. Freshly iron sheets sound divine. I grab everything as it comes from the dryer. Many blessings.

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  12. What's a 'doona'? You can tell I'm not from OZ!!!!I really enjoy reading your blog, I have a brother-in-law in Sydney(who doesn't?!) and a newly married daughter who likes the idea of moving to Australia- a good excuse for mum and dad to travel.

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  13. I never used to iron but one day I noticed how badly creased my children's clothes were in comparison to their trendy, smartly dressed cousins! So I have started doing a little bit more. If I am really lazy I will put clothes in the dryer because it seems to iron out any wrinkles. My last electric bill has made me think twice about that. Gosh, I hate ironing with a passion!

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  14. Hi Lynn, a doona is a duvet - I like to add a few Australianisms to keep you all on your toes!!

    I'm really enjoying everyone's replies!! They're all so funny - and yes, Ruby, I do iron tea towels - don't you?!!

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  15. oh, you have hit a nerve, here, Jeanne!
    i iron, I like to have it all done by Friday evening.
    I like to listen to a podcast & sprinkle the ironing board with lavender essential oil to make the task more pleasurable/bearable

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  16. LOL - wow you're good Jeanne.

    I can't remember the last time I ironed - oh yes, I've occasionally ironed my hubby's shirts for work when they're badly creased - but that's it! I can't be bothered ironing and I reckon letting the clothes iron out naturally while being worn is the best way! LOL

    My mum iron's EVERYTHING, right down to her washers and hankies...I think that's hilarious....but if you iron sheets then you most likely do this too? Hehe

    Ahh isn't it great how unique we all are!

    Great interactive blog you posted!

    JEN

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  17. Hey no fair!! I am the least - read this - LEAST - OCD person in my family! I would never have even thought of ironing a sheet if my husband hadn't suggested it!! I could blame my mother-in-law, I guess!

    As it is, I only iron the top foot, and I must admit that they look much smarter sticking out the top of the quilt cover than my wrinkly ones ever did.

    I do not iron washers - they're towelling, for goodness sake!! Betty, get a grip!! LOL!

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  18. hahaha...my Mum, who is Betty's sister also irons EVERYTHING..hankies and all! My story is exactly the same as Jen's, I do not iron unless it is a very creased shirt, dress or B&B sheets ect! Our industrial drier irons all the sheets and pillow slips! I feel stressed at the thought of ironing, I don't even like folding...lol! The kids have been doing it lately..lol

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  19. I don't iron. I hang things up straight out of the drier, and if that doesn't work, DH irons. He is much better at it than me, and the arrangement suits us both. ;)

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  20. What's ironing? LOL. I only iron if I need to. So ironing is as far apart as I can make it. Nah - don't iron the sheets. Never really thought about that. I'm too busy for ironing. Can I use that as an excuse?

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  21. I iron regular cotton blouses and shirts and occasionally kakhi pants [trousers] when needed. I do NOT iron sheets or boxer shorts or anything else that can be "de-wrinkled" sufficiently in the drier! I like to iron on Sunday evenings when PBS has on the British comedies and my all-time favorite "As Time Goes By."

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  22. I forgot to tell you - the ironing lady quit. So now I spend Sunday nights ironing, ironing, ironing.

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