Recently there was a short discussion on my Facebook page about ironing. Most people who commented did not iron; had thrown out their irons. Some recommended various brands of clothing that were "no iron" friendly. Some had never ironed in their whole lives. Can you imagine?! I was the only one who ironed. I responded with, "I iron and I am not ashamed!"
When did ironing become this unthinkable act?
I remember my mom ironing mountains of white shirts for my dad. He wore one everyday to work. I can't tell you how many young men I've seen passing the sacrament in wrinkled white shirts.
I've been known to ask my daughter-in-law if she wouldn't like me to iron her top for her. She always laughs like I'm joking. Just yesterday she had a top on that was so wrinkled-but I didn't ask because I knew she would just laugh. What is wrong with having the bow on the front of your blouse flat instead of lumpy. (Does anyone say "blouse" anymore?)
Ironing used to be part of a woman's "bag" of talents. Pioneer moms heated their iron (or irons, if they were lucky enough to have more than one- one heating while ironing with the other) in the fire or on the stove. It was important that her family look neat and wearing pressed clothing is a way of looking "neat".
Back then you ironed your petticoats as well as skirts and bodices (now that's a word you don't hear very often). And your petticoat didn't even show. My cousin, Marie, used to only iron the parts of her outfit that showed, like the collar and cuffs under a sweater. I tried that once-I didn't even make it out of my room. I felt so "disheveled". I iron everything whether it shows or not.
My mom taught me pillow cases should be ironed and at least the top hem of a flat sheet if you don't have time to do the whole thing. And I did most of the time, especially if she was coming to visit. Since her passing, I don't do it as often as I should.
Now I realize that lots of fabrics today are supposed to be "wrinkle-free". You can always spot the people wearing "permanent press"-they're wrinkled. And seriously, they think nobody notices. Clothing made out of this fabric is meant to be washed in cold water on a special "cycle". They have to be dried carefully and then "finger-pressed" (that means smoothing the wrinkles out with your hands) as you fold them or before you hang them. This whole process actually takes just as much time and energy as ironing.
Those of us who do iron fall into two groups. My daughter, Sandi, falls into the first. She hangs up or folds everything and then irons it just before she wears it. She always looks "neat". I fall into the second group. I have an ironing pile. When it gets big I spend a day (sometimes more than one) ironing everything. Then I put the board away and the pile starts to grow again.
I don't just iron when it needs to be done. Most of the time I iron when I'm procrastinating doing something more important like working on a drawing or design or painting, a Sunday School lesson, a talk, or cleaning the garage. Ironing takes no real concentration so you can think about other things. Or nothing. It's a great time to watch a scary movie.
So I iron. More people should. Come on! Wrinkles are BAD!
When did ironing become this unthinkable act?
I remember my mom ironing mountains of white shirts for my dad. He wore one everyday to work. I can't tell you how many young men I've seen passing the sacrament in wrinkled white shirts.
I've been known to ask my daughter-in-law if she wouldn't like me to iron her top for her. She always laughs like I'm joking. Just yesterday she had a top on that was so wrinkled-but I didn't ask because I knew she would just laugh. What is wrong with having the bow on the front of your blouse flat instead of lumpy. (Does anyone say "blouse" anymore?)
Ironing used to be part of a woman's "bag" of talents. Pioneer moms heated their iron (or irons, if they were lucky enough to have more than one- one heating while ironing with the other) in the fire or on the stove. It was important that her family look neat and wearing pressed clothing is a way of looking "neat".
Back then you ironed your petticoats as well as skirts and bodices (now that's a word you don't hear very often). And your petticoat didn't even show. My cousin, Marie, used to only iron the parts of her outfit that showed, like the collar and cuffs under a sweater. I tried that once-I didn't even make it out of my room. I felt so "disheveled". I iron everything whether it shows or not.
My mom taught me pillow cases should be ironed and at least the top hem of a flat sheet if you don't have time to do the whole thing. And I did most of the time, especially if she was coming to visit. Since her passing, I don't do it as often as I should.
Now I realize that lots of fabrics today are supposed to be "wrinkle-free". You can always spot the people wearing "permanent press"-they're wrinkled. And seriously, they think nobody notices. Clothing made out of this fabric is meant to be washed in cold water on a special "cycle". They have to be dried carefully and then "finger-pressed" (that means smoothing the wrinkles out with your hands) as you fold them or before you hang them. This whole process actually takes just as much time and energy as ironing.
Those of us who do iron fall into two groups. My daughter, Sandi, falls into the first. She hangs up or folds everything and then irons it just before she wears it. She always looks "neat". I fall into the second group. I have an ironing pile. When it gets big I spend a day (sometimes more than one) ironing everything. Then I put the board away and the pile starts to grow again.
I don't just iron when it needs to be done. Most of the time I iron when I'm procrastinating doing something more important like working on a drawing or design or painting, a Sunday School lesson, a talk, or cleaning the garage. Ironing takes no real concentration so you can think about other things. Or nothing. It's a great time to watch a scary movie.
So I iron. More people should. Come on! Wrinkles are BAD!
Posts
3 comments:
Just this week at work there was a conversation about ironing little boys shirts, to which I replied, "I don't mind." My friend was shocked. "What?" I said, "I iron everything." "Oh, you're one of THOSE kinds." said another friend. I just can't understand THOSE who don't iron, or those who don't mind wearing un-ironed things. Mark will wear super wrinkled woven cotton shirts and it BUGS me, because he won't take it off and let ME iron it. My ironing board is ALWAYS up.
I'm in the Sandi camp. We have our ironing board hanging on our closet door and we'll set it up in the bathroom. John just irons his stuff before work, but sometimes I get ambitious and just go in and get his shirts and iron them for him to be nice. Sometimes I cheat and just steam my cotton t-shirts if I got them out of the dryer properly and they just have fold lines in them.
But, I don't iron jeans. I pull them out of the dryer when they're hot and shake them out. And if I forget and they're wrinkled, I'll put them back in.
I have to say that all my friends know that I iron. My best friend won't buy something that "needs" to be ironed unless she knows that I'll be there to iron it for her! It's true that iron only what I am wearing that day but only because I don't have time to do it all in advance. And I have obviously inherited the ironed sheets thing because I always iron my pillowcases and the top of the flat sheet. Must be something about the memory of being at grandma's with the starched flat sheet pulled over my head! I am not ashamed to say that "I IRON!"
Post a Comment