I Hate Ironing

Carol

If I don't like to iron, but still want to look good, I should:
a. invest in a steamer
b. only buy clothes that need no ironing
c. suck it up and iron.

3 years ago

Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from Roberta

Aquamarine

Veteran

A and C? I do both, but I do like to iron. Or, actually, I don’t like wrinkled clothes.

3 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I’ve been saying for years that I’m going to get a steamer. Instead, I probably have wrinkles. I wear a lot of cotton, and some linen and silk. I don’t own an iron. I hang everything to dry, giving things a good shake before putting them on the rack. I think it gives my slightly RATE style an extra edge of “authenticity”.

That’s what I do. No idea what you should do, because idk your style well enough.

3 years ago

slim cat

Veteran

A little bit of everything ( mostly spray with water in some places and air dry ).

3 years ago

Anonymous

Probably A but I do B. Hey, did school start early?

3 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't like to iron, but it's C for me. It makes a big visual difference.

3 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I have a steamer and I don't find it is a miracle cure for wrinkles even when I do use it .

3 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I find it’s easier to get to ironing if the iron is already set up. So … this means I only iron when I sew(!) lol

3 years ago

Kate

Veteran

I hate ironing too. I have a steamer that I use on a few long sleeved 100% cotton shirts. The rest of the time, I do what SF does.

3 years ago

Anonymous

I agree white Jamie. I have a steamer but use the iron more. The steamer is better than nothing and works best on pieces that do not iron well, like Jersey cowel necks, when you do not want creases.

3 years ago

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I do b) for the most part - lots of cotton jersey & some linen blended pieces (so they don't wrinkle quite *as* much as pure linen). I've either made peace with the wrinkles on my silk pieces or I mostly wear them as undergarments - but I'm a teacher, so not much is expected of me style-wise

That said, I'd love a) but just have no idea where to put a steamer in my dinky flat So I mostly hang clothes up in the shower to get rid of the most egregious wrinkles (@SF) & use a water bottle spray whenever I can remember (@Slim Cat)

3 years ago

Anonymous

I throw clothes in the dryer with a wet rag. That gets most of the wrinkles out.
Linen and some silks though the iron is a must

3 years ago

salt-sea

Active Member

I’d say c. I was ready to donate my iron and manage with a steamer - which I find for me works for some clothing but not all - and then I started sewing. There is so much ironing in sewing! So I bought the book Laundry Love (which also has ironing tips) and have embraced ironing.

3 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

A little of each? Plus there is the option of taking items that truly need a professional pressing to the cleaners. I don’t mind ironing terribly much, but I prefer not to have it as part of my weekly laundry chores. So I tend to avoid fabrics that really need it. On the rare occasions that they do need more than our small hand steamer can quickly manage, I will pull out the big guns and get to ironing, but that probably only happens an handful of times a year. My black COS dress is an example — last time it needed to be cleaned, I simply opted to have it dry-cleaned and pressed rather than deal with it myself. Even though it washes nicely, it dries with lots of wrinkles and I prefer it to look crisp.

3 years ago

Indigoprint

Veteran

I kind of like ironing. I think it originates from my childhood chore: ironing pillowcases and my Dad's handkerchiefs. I loved the tidy little sqaure stacks when finished.
That being said I took ironing to a whole different level for me when I purchased an ironing board cover that I loved! Each time I iron something I admire the fabric and if the board is out, not being used at the time to my eye it still looks good.
I do not iron everything smoothing and line drying our clothes works for most all things. I have a lot of linen and may only iron portions...plackets/cuffs. I no longer iron pillowcases or handkerchiefs!!

3 years ago

gryffin

Veteran

I do not iron. I'm not good with an iron. I love the steamer and I will crack it out and it makes a huge difference. Get water for a cpap machine, distilled, decreased minerals and deposits if you go the steamer route. Otherwise if it's really difficult and material can tolerate it goes to the organic cleaner. But the steamer is the best investment I've made. I always do my husband and son's dress shirts and suits if they are still "clean" but wrinkled.

3 years ago

delurked

Veteran

this appropriately sums up my view on the matter
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....id-to-iron

3 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Haha Delurked! I was quite chatty on that thread. I thought of making grilled cheese sandwiches today - I picked the first tomatoes of the season. If I do, I’ll use my 40 YO waffle iron. The plates flip to flat.

Back to ironing - I don’t do it very much. I prefer wearing knits - but I do know how to do it. The more formal the event, the more likely I would be to iron something. For every day? Forget it!

3 years ago

kkards

Veteran

Lol. Get a new dryer that has a steam cycle,

i got rid of my iron a couple of years ago. I have a steamer. But mostly I use the steam cycle on my dyer. If needed i take something to the dry cleaners for a press. But I’ve also moved away from things that need a lot of ironing.

3 years ago

Tina

Active Member

I'm a B.

3 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Just got a new cover for the ironing board this week! I don’t mind ironing, but DH does all the family ironing - usually when there’s a football game on the TV. I’m with Angie on the impact a nicely pressed garment makes on visual appearance.

3 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

I hate it, too. My mother used to iron my father's undershirts and bedsheets. I mostly don't put my clothes in dryer but I read that about 5 minutes on low heat and then hang dry works to get major wrinkles out.
Also, not for crispness but a linen garment in the dryer for ten minutes with an ice cube or two does very nicely.

3 years ago

Sal

Veteran

I don’t mind ironing- it’s more a summer thing for me when I have a lot more pieces needing ironing. It’s one of my preferred household chores…,,

3 years ago

NancyW

Veteran

I don’t mind ironing. I iron handkerchiefs, napkins, linen tea towels, pillowcases, top sheets and most of our clothing. I do it because I prefer how it makes things look and feel. I listen to the radio or a podcast or a book and just work my way through it.

3 years ago

Style Fan

Veteran

We didn't own an ironing board, and our iron was broken. I didn't iron for years. Then I started to wear button-down shirts.
I bought an iron and an ironing board. I am okay with ironing, but I love a good button-down shirt.

3 years ago

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I have a housekeeper who loves ironing, thank god, and she’s really good at it. She even irons things inside out, so as not to leave iron marks! But even she balked at one of my COS dresses with many pleats

I do sometimes use Downy wrinkle release spray, if I put something on and realize it has a crease from the way it was hung.

3 years ago

Roberta

Veteran

When I sewed I bought a Rowenta and came to like the zen-ness of ironing. I was always ironing fabric or seams or pattern pieces. Now I dont sew any more but i still like to iron. I have a little wall rack for my iron so it is available but still looks tidy. I let many things air dry but I still iron lots of garments to make them look newer. Like t-shirt hems and collars, pocket linings and so forth. I iron my sheets on the bed, it's easier.

I've never had a steamer, no idea why. They look so magical.

3 years ago

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