But I do like ironing. I do it so infrequently, I associate it with getting all fancied up to go out to a special event.
And everything about it is so relaxing… The sound of the water in the iron, the hiss of steam. That clean smell, rising with the hot steam. You’re forced to slow down and pay attention, if you want to get it right.
Whether you’re alone or sharing the moment with company, it’s a recipe for encoding a core memory, deep in there, pinned in place by multiple senses.
I came here to say this. I go into zen mode when ironing my clothes because I only have to do it when I’m either celebrating or doing something very important to me.
All these other things to worry about, but right now, my only enemy is this wrinkle next to the collar.
Fold your clothes immediately after drying, while they are still warm. Also, dryers that can add steam really help if you’ve got a few things that need wrinkle removal. Also, handheld steamers are cheap.
Mostly, avoid needing to iron by avoiding wearing formal business attire.
I don’t use the dryer except for towels, and I’m generally pretty good about taking them out when they’re done washing- can definitely tell when they’ve sat there a while!
Take your clothes out of the washer immediately, untangle them if necessary, and put them in the dryer. Don’t just dump all the clothes from washer to dryer. Remove the clothes from the dryer as soon as it’s done while they’re still warm. Hang shirts on hangers and put away the pants. Lastly, only buy new shirts and pants that are iron-free.
Honestly most the advice I’m seeing is basically an answer to “how to avoid clothes looking absurdly crinkled” but nothing gets clothes as crinkle-free as an iron. Most people are just content with some crinkles.
Ironing is really only required for “dress up” clothing, casual cotton clothing is generally presentable if you wash, machine dry and fold/hang while still warm. You will have a crease and it will resolve itself in a few hours. Polyester blends also come in several utility blends like the stain free, moisture dispersing and wrinkle resistant. I’m realizing reading this thread that some people iron all of their clothing, but in my home we typically only iron our formal occasion attire (rare).
Ironing clothes died long before millennials. Grandma quit ironing before you were born. Wrinkle Free shirts and pants started showing up in the 1970’s and were common within the decade.
Suits and other “nice” clothes are designed to enforce class separation. Reject them. Although you should probably wear them to a funeral or wedding anyway, out of respect.
As a chubby middle aged sales guy who remembers when we used to wear suits, I miss them because a suit and tie is about the best thing you can wear as a chubby guy to look good.
Yeah… I’m pretty sure you need an iron for those. A decent iron can probably do everything that a hand steamer can so, might as well just go with a nice iron.
Ironing is the only time of the week where I have the time to watch TV or movies. Not that I don’t have free time, but I usually spend it in other ways. During ironing, I’m a captive audience. That said, I don’t iron all that much. I remember the last season of The Boys took me four months to finish…
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