How To Iron

Ironing is an important skill in a homemaker's repertoire. However, I really never have any time to iron. In the morning, I sleep until approximately 8 when our nanny arrives and then the girls and I wake up and I run around, throw some clothes on, brush my teeth and leave.

I know that I should iron in the evening after I put the girls to bed, but I am always too tired to go and iron at that time.

A number of years ago, my mother purchased a beautiful, expensive German iron for me. I used it all of the time, briefly, and ironed everything in our house, including our sheets. A good iron is a real luxury to have because if it is heavy enough and hot enough then you only have to iron the item once. If you have a cheap iron, you will find that you must iron and reiron the item over and over in order to eliminate the wrinkles.

Then, when I started working, I told myself that I would iron every day, and bought all of these expensive clothes that have to be ironed. I quickly realized though that the best work clothes are ones that require no ironing, and so now I live in sweaters and polyester pants. Dry cleaning is another no no because I just never have time to make it to the cleaners. Further, the iron is a real hazard around small children, so yet another reason to avoid ironing like the plague that it is.
Below is a list of

Some Ways to Avoid the Iron

1. Buy lots of sweaters.


(Both available at Barney's Coop)


2. Do that hang your clothes in the bathroom while you take a shower trick.

3. Take the item of clothing, throw it in the dryer with a washcloth that is damp and let them dry together.

4. Work clothes, I hate work clothes. You only wear them to work, where other work people see you, they don't care you don't care, if you are like me, you spend 90% of your time alone in your office anyway, so the point is buy work clothes at Target. I have a pair of work slacks from Target that cost a whopping $12.00 that I covet BECAUSE I don't have to iron them.

5. If you take two minutes to hang your dry clean only clothes between wears instead of throwing them on the floor of the closet, like I do, then you will save yourself the trouble of ironing.

6. If something appears only slightly wrinkled, try it on! You will be surprised by how those wrinkles are less noticeable once the clothes are on your body.

7. When you shop, you MUST take the ironing factor into consideration. You aren't going to start ironing if you don't already, no matter how much you love the item.

If you must iron, then make sure you heavily sprinkle water on the item first and let it sit for awhile, it will take out much of your work.