Anyone iron anymore?

[Rogar]

Low fruit on my spring declutter is an ironing board stored out in the garage. It think I've used it for weddings and funeral once every year or so, but anymore those seem to be less formal and crisp ironed shirts or slacks are not big deal. At least in my crowd. I guess in a pinch people use a towel spread on a counter top or table? Then I started wondering if I really need the iron.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Don't own a full size ironing board, but do have a small travel one that gets brought out to press something once in awhile. I am more the spread a towel on the counter person IF I am going to press anything. Linen mostly.

[Zoe Girl]

I use my very nice iron for sewing. The last button down shirt I got was one that doesn't need ironing, and other clothing I can hang up quickly and avoid wrinkles. But nothing turns out right when you sew if you do not iron a lot.

[Tenngal]

I iron something maybe once a month? Usually on a towel spread across the countertop.

[Miss Cellaneous]

I iron clothing I wear to work. No matter how quickly I get clothes out of the dryer, they seem to wrinkle. And I just like to have non-wrinkled clothing.

Ironing is one of the few household tasks I enjoy. There's no dirt, your hands don't get wet, no smelly cleaners, just me and the steam iron, making things neat and smooth. It's a lot of reward for very little work.

[pinkytoe]

I left my ironing board behind when we moved as I figured I wouldn't need one. Then when I started sewing a few things for the house, I thought it would be a useful thing to have again. Found a high end heavy duty one at the thrift store for $10 cause I didn't like the way the cheapie ones wobble. Excuse the pun but ironically, I think I've used it less than three times since buying.

[Float On]

Because I sew... I iron.
I gave up the glue gun a few years ago though. Decided there was never ever going to be something I'd want to hotglue again in my life.

[catherine]

Ironing is one of the few household tasks I enjoy. There's no dirt, your hands don't get wet, no smelly cleaners, just me and the steam iron, making things neat and smooth. It's a lot of reward for very little work.

I agree. When I have time to do it, I iron pillow cases and even dishtowels. My ironing board is in the basement, and sometimes I just take the quiet time to iron away. At one point in my life I was into listening to cassette tapes of audio books, and the very topic of this thread takes me back to the hours I spent listening to Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich on my Walkman downstairs at the ironing board.

When we were bringing "as needed only" items to VT last year, DH and I argued over the need for the iron, but I won.

[Teacher Terry]

When my boys were in Cub Scouts and for a housekeeping badge they were asked what do you use a iron for and one kid wrote to patch pants:)). My mom teased me for years. Got rid of it once my mom died since she used it when visiting.

[KayLR]

Like Miss Cellaneous and Catherine, I also enjoy ironing. Always have. It's kind of relaxing to me. Even the smell of it reminds me of my childhood. My mom let me iron simple stuff like hankies and pillowcases when I was just tall enough to reach.

I do iron some of my work clothing, and I also use it when sewing. My ironing board is always up.

[bae]

I steam things lightly when needed, but that's about it.

[herbgeek]

My husband irons almost every day. He is very particular and can spend 20 minutes plus on one shirt. I however only do it on rare occasions, and usually just to the point I get the big wrinkles out. Ironing was one of those things that, because I was a girl, were relegated to me growing up (my mom obviously hated it too, which is why it got delegated to me). I got to iron the family's clothes and I /hated/ it. What a waste of a sunny day. That big pile of laundry stacked up meant I'd be there for HOURS.

[iris lilies]

I never iron clothing.


I iron table cloths, often for flower shows. Once in a blue moon I sew something and I iron then.

[rosarugosa]

Now that I am retired, ironing is a very rare occurrence (and it was pretty rare even before I retired). I am mostly ironing home textiles at this point and not so much in the way of clothing.

[Rogar]

Thanks. Maybe the ironing board will go and the iron will stay. I didn't realize so many people ironed routinely. And sewed. Maybe ironing could be called "mindful meditation" these days. My work attire was what we called Dockers casual and I never minded ironing much. Now it just seems like a time sink. I wear button down sport or work shirts almost exclusively and can almost feel dressed up among the other retirees in t-shirts or sweats. My routine in decent weather is hanging shirts and pants on a hanger on the clothes line. With a little wind they seem to straighten out pretty well and smell good. I'm guessing that is socially acceptable these days, if it matters.

[rosarugosa]

My husband irons almost every day. He is very particular and can spend 20 minutes plus on one shirt. I however only do it on rare occasions, and usually just to the point I get the big wrinkles out. Ironing was one of those things that, because I was a girl, were relegated to me growing up (my mom obviously hated it too, which is why it got delegated to me). I got to iron the family's clothes and I /hated/ it. What a waste of a sunny day. That big pile of laundry stacked up meant I'd be there for HOURS.

When my DH worked at Brooks Brothers, it would take me 25 minutes to iron one of his BB dress shirts. I finally did the math and realized that I was using a good chunk of precious weekend time doing something that could be outsourced for about $5.00.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I have a bad ironing memory. When I was very young, maybe 5 or so, I was playing underneath my grandmother's ironing board. She may not have even known I was under there. Anyway at some point I reached up and placed my hand on the board and she set her hot iron down on my thumb! I still have the scar.

[Gardnr]

Yes. Iron cotton clothing and I press a lot when I sew.

[beckyliz]

I iron a few things for work (especially summer - cotton, linen, etc.). Also iron when sewing. I have found that spray sizing helps me get a nice smooth result.

[rosarugosa]

Someone was using an iron last night in carpentry class to apply some type of "iron-on" veneer product to his bookcase, so I guess the humble iron has uses I had never even imagined!

[Chicken lady]

Dh did all the ironing for our family. When the kids were little I remember him ironing his shirt and a fancy dress for Dd for church. She always looked amazing - until about 5 minutes after we put her down to play....

once when the kids kids were doing some project that needed an iron, we had to call dh at work and ask him where he kept it. His coworkers loved that!

[Rosemary]

I had to iron school uniforms when I was a kid. Since then, it's been my goal to wear as few items that require ironing as possible. I iron occasionally for a special event or for sewing. My mom irons a lot, especially considering she and my dad have been retired for 20 years. I remember when I visited my cousins in Germany in the late 80s, my cousin's mom ironed everything - sheets, jeans, etc.

I'll get my chore meditations done with chopping vegetables, thanks. I've always detested ironing.

[Greg44]

Yup, we iron. I iron all my own personal stuff. dw does her own + she insists on ironing pillow cases AND sheets. Then she can fold them almost as tight as they come new from the store!