Why?
Because I still iron clothes.
I'm not sure how this has happened. I thought I'd become such a let loose - fancy free - maybe even slip shod mother, when I stopped ironing knickers, vests, tea towels, sheets and duvet covers; just one of the tips in my 5 quick ironing tips for busy woman post. But apparently I am not as relaxed as I thought. Relative to the mums commenting over on my How do I find the time? post, I am ironing when I need not.
In fact I haven't come across anybody else who irons their husbands shirts yet. Now I realise this isn't particularly feminist of me; but really it was never about it being 'the womans' job, or otherwise; it was just that I quite enjoy ironing compared to other potential tasks (like mowing the lawn) that we split between us in our husband-wife partnership. I like it because I can watch television whilst doing it. So my husband and I have a split of chores and I ended up with this one.
What's interesting now the children are growing up is that the ironing pile always consists of 50% children's clothes (cotton dresses, T-shirts, school uniform shirts etc), 45% mu husbands work shirts and T-shirts and only 5% mine. Since I don't walk around smelling really ripe (at least, if I did, I hope my friends would tell me quick!) then I'm not entirely sure how this happens!
This week's discovery, that I'm fairly alone in the ironing world, put me off doing it. It almost made me resent doing it. Then, today, there was an incident that put me off even further.
I managed to knock the board and spill my jug of water on the floor and on the plug extension. The iron followed, and sat, in the puddle of water, on our wooden floor, steam hissing and bubbling from underneath! I was slightly freaked; jumped back away from the puddle, screamed at my daughter to stay across the other side of the room, and carefully walked around the board to turn the plug off before catastrophe could hit.
I was shook up. In a split second I thought I was going to get electrocuted. And then I thought I was going to burn the house down. Irrational I know, but I panicked in those seconds. I put the iron and board away pretty quickly.
Maybe this is a cue to give up ironing entirely? What do you think? Is it 'normal' these days? Is everyone else really good at hanging up clothes quickly after drying outside? Or is it natural to just get dressed and let the creases drop out throughout the day? Do they drop out? Really? I don't trust it... I really don't.... I need help!
We just walk around creased, in the scheme of my life not a biggy but I understand other people have different standards.
ReplyDeleteIt seems so easy, but I just can't bring myself to do it! Am I allowed to blame my parents?! ;-)
DeleteI too just walk around creased. I think 'is it worth spending my time doing something just so the babies have less creases in their clothes?' and I think, NO!! It's not a bad thing to have standards but I do think people iron because they think other people notice creases and because everyone else does it, and as you have found out, it is not the case at all. What are you going to do now instead? :)
ReplyDeleteOh, all the time I could save to finally write a book! I am going to try and wean myself off ironing one garment at a time!
DeleteAnother non-ironer too. Life's too short. The only reason we have an iron is for hama beads...
ReplyDeleteI see a pattern here!
Delete:-)
I'm with you on the ironing, I do mine, my sons and my husbands! Mostly my husbands, he has so many shirts and needs to look smart for work. Also I just think ironing makes you look smarter. I have tried drying things a certain way to get rid of the creases but still not as good as when they are ironed!! And I also watch TV, a bit of Desperate Housewives, Grim or Bones, soon you are through the pile! :o)
ReplyDeleteIt's the shirts that take the time. I won't be able to wean off those! Glad I am not alone! Was beginning to think I was the only mum still using an iron!
Delete:-)
I'm the same as you lovely! It's one of my jobs- I don't mind it tooo much although I tend to do it every few weeks and spend hours on it. I too watch Desperate Housewives while doing it! Don't do underwear or Jammies and for t shirts it depends how creased they are. But with 7 of us it just builds up.
ReplyDeleteIt's bad enough with 4 of us. You must watch a lot of Desperate Housewives to get through that lot! Thanks for letting me know there are other ironers out there. :-)
DeleteBIG non-ironer here but am very much alone in the depths of Boden wearing, bunting cladding Sussex. I like a crease or two and if he needs his shirts ironing he pays for it in London ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, it sounds very stress free. Maybe I'll save some pennies and get someone else to do it. Like that plan. :-)
DeleteI couldn't give up ironing and do not know how other women get away with it! It seems to all need ironing in this house, including the duvet covers. I draw a line at pants and socks but I remember some of my friends' mums ironing those when I was growing up!
ReplyDeleteA big welcome to the ironers club!
DeleteMy mum did pants and socks too. Are standards slipping these days do you think? Or is it that the last generation were more likely to be stay at home mums with more time to invest in these tasks?
we iron clothes, but my daughter doesnt....and she does not iron my grandchildrens clothes including school shirts (grrrrrrr) why oh why oh why and when did it become acceptable to go everywhere crushed???? Does this boil down to society's general lack of respect for anything anymore??
ReplyDeleteI mean come on, in my mums days steam irons did not exist and ironing was a hard tedious job that took hours in a week. Nowaday you have steam generator irons that makes the taste quick and easy....but seeems a lot of the "younger generation" spend more time on their computers/smart phones writing blogs and tweeting to make their family look smart and respectable.
*and breath*....*climb down off my soapbox*
I completely understand where you are coming from.
DeleteI think there is something about women being less likely to be stay at home mums in this generation and therefore having less time for this. But I think also we now have reduced expectations because we 'expect to have everything' but find that we realistically can't?
The point about steam irons is a good one. The tools are better than ever, but we aren't bothering? Do we care less what others think? And is that a problem? I tend to think we should care, as humans still judge on looks and appearance before anything else.
Oh this is difficult. I think I'll just have to get my own balance.