Not anymore. My
husband always said a workman is only as good as his tools, and when we looked
at the ironing situation we discovered I really disliked having the board
moving around when I was ironing.
My ironing board now is a Brabantia model and has the stable
feet I love. With a good steam iron to
help, ironing has become a joy and not a chore - especially with some
background music to keep one company.
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| I like to iron in my sunny bedroom |
Back in the 1980s (such a long time ago!) I knew a woman who
was already well into her 70s. As a
teenager she had worked in a commercial laundry after school and knew several
tips about how to iron different items.
Ironing handkerchiefs is one that really stuck with me. Somehow, when my hankies come in from the clothesline
they always seem to be skewiff and hard to iron straight. Mrs W taught me to iron each of the four
sides straight, and then iron the middle.
Most of the time I then end up with an even-sided handkerchief.
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| Beginning the ironing of a handkerchief |
My mother loved to embroider items and taught me how to iron
embroidered cloths. Always iron on the
wrong side so that the embroidery will stand out on the right side. If it was a special piece, place the item on
top of a towel to prevent the embroidery from flattening and make it stand out
even more.
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| Ironing an embroidered cloth |
It is not that I iron everything that I could. Upon leaving school I boarded with a woman
who insisted on ironing all of her sheets as she loved the crisp clean feeling
of wrinkle-free sheets. I have a
sister-in-law who irons her towels and they always look neat and tidy sitting on
the shelf. My sheets and towels only get
folded, but that is my personal choice (I do iron pillowcases).
How much do you enjoy ironing?
Margaret.
Not my favourite chore.....funnily I used to do it at home for extra cash when the children were little.
ReplyDeletePillow cases - tea towels - posh stuff - if 'hung out to dry properly' most goes into the wardrobe unironed, if it looks wrinkly when it has to be worn then it gets a quick going over. That's about it.
I don't dislike ironing but there is always so much else that needs doing. I peg hankies on the line so they dry straight and just fold them. Only iron clothes that "need" it.
ReplyDeleteoh and linen tablecloths
DeleteOf all housework I like ironing the best and willingly do it. Although I don't iron towels or sheets.
ReplyDeleteI love ironing I find it very relaxing I even did it as a job to earn extra money
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ironing. I gave away my ironing board and use a folded towel on the counter in my laundry room. The iron is always out so I can quickly touch something up. When my son ( the one who lives here) was promoted to manager he began to wear dress shirts, a clean one every day. My DIL doesn't iron so I willingly offered to iron his shirts, which I do every week. I like a lovely crisp pillowcase too and some of my tea towels get ironed.
ReplyDeleteI don't iron point blank. Never will! I can
ReplyDeletethink of no household task I loathe more (although
vacuuming comes close). If my husband needs anything
ironed, he knows where the iron lives and is happy
to use it.
Interesting subject, for us housewives anyway. My daughter does not iron . She hangs everything out so it dries uncrinkled and of course makes sure clothes she buys are non wrinkly.
ReplyDeleteI have a big Steam iron,don't know what it's called, but it has a big holding tank for water which the iron stands on. Loads of steam. I hate ironing but love ironed clothes.
That embroidered cloth is just like one I got from my grandmother!!! I have two to hand on to my kids. Don't use them anymore as they are getting thin.
I remember my nana use to iron literally everything and I mean everything from the tea towels to flannels to sheets and it was all stacked neat in her linen cupboard, these days people don't seem to iron that much, maybe it's the generational differences.
ReplyDeleteI can only use pure cotton or linen, so almost everything I have needs to be ironed, including quilt covers, but they do look smart. I also only purchase white bedding and towels, a throw back to my childhood, but white linen is beautiful. In our house I clean and hubby does laundry including the ironing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip on how to iron embroidered items. I have several dresser scarves and pillow cases my mother embroidered. I've never know how to iron the pretty. Like you, I always dreaded doing the ironing...hated it! and would let it pile up. Now I keep the ironing board set up in the sewing room with the iron there too. I use it lot while sewing. What I hated most was having to set the ironing board up. Sure enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm likely to be the only man commenting here and I am doing so because I'm sitting down with a coffee to read blogs after having just finished my ironing (on my wider-than-standard, very solid ironing board with a good heavy steam iron). I like to sleep in crisp sheets so I iron my sheets, my hankies and my shirts. I listened to Elgar's Sea Songs and then the radio whilst ironing. I can't say that I like it but there are very much less appealing chores.
ReplyDeleteI hate ironing and do as little as possible. I admire your dedication to the art though!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ironing, I find it is relaxing and I think ironed clothes do help one feel a little more preened.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ironing flat stuff...but never liked to iron jeans, which I had to do when I was a kid. But not all the time...mom ironed part of the time. And not real crazy about shirts either, but I don't hate them. Not saying that.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great tip about ironing each side straight...and also about the embroidery, but I knew what you were going to say before you said it. But would not have thought of it in relation to embroidery.