Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A Lost Art...

When I was growing up Mom would iron everything from their jeans (it was the 70's) to Dad's hankies. I remember laying under the ironing board and feeling the spray starch mist over me as she was spraying the clothes. She taught me the correct way (correct to me cause that's how she does it) to iron a shirt.

I have not passed down that tradition to my children. Oh, I iron on occasion but it's not a weekly chore like back in the day. For most things the dryer and a wet washcloth works just fine for me.

As I was ironing today I just wonder...does anyone still iron??? Maybe I need to teach my kiddos the correct way to iron a shirt (and that's not throwing it in the dryer).

11 comments:

Unknown said...

I cannot iron worth a darn. Matt does all the ironing in our family, but all the ironing that needs to be done these days is for his work clothes. He's very good at it . . . thanks goodness, because I'm horrible. I think ironing correctly takes a lot of patience.

Anonymous said...

We are ironers- almost everyday. We have the ironing board & iron set up in the laundry room so it's ready to go. I think it's much easier to iron daily than weekly. Mark is the real ironing pro in the family.

Keetha Broyles said...

I too was taught how - - - but I say "why?" Except on those few occasions when it is totally necessary

Bette said...

I like the dryer method - and if that fails - I will iron - but there are very few things in my wardrobe and my husband's that NEED to be ironed - planned that way! My mom used to sprinkle my dad's white shirts (for work) with a glass bottle with a sprinkler top - then it would make STEAM and it smelled good - she used starch too! I remember that.... but never felt nostaglic enough to repeat it... :)

Bette

Amanda said...

i iron occasionally...but usually its only my work uniform or if the garment DESPERATELY needs it other than that the dryer works fine and small wrinkles that dont look tacky are ok lol i mean you will be sitting in the clothes so they are just going to get wrinkled anyway.

Anonymous said...

I actually like to iron! Pete told me when we first were married, if his shirts were pressed that every woman would know he was taken! Can you believe I bought that?????

I turn on the TV and iron away.... It doesn't take too long and I like crisp shirts. It is relaxing. I have also been known to throw a polo shirt or pair of pants back in the hamper if they are too wrinkled. I refuse to iron those!

By the way... Pete has way too many shirts!!!!

The Hollands said...

Connie...that is way too funny! Pete sure had the lines...and you fell for them!!! :)

I've been known to iron the front of Brian's shirts and then tell him he can't take off his suit coat!! That's bad!!!

dave huffman said...

good to see all you women ironing

Amy R. said...

We're a "throw it in the dryer with a washcloth" family for the most part. I'll occasionally iron our shirts or pants. My mom used to iron everything before she put it in the closet, but I've found that our clothes are so crammed in that they just get wrinkled again. So when I do iron, it happens right before we put the clothes on.

Julie said...

I mostly buy things that don't need ironing. I always try to hang stuff up right out of the dryer so that it doesn't get too wrinkled in the first place.

I do know HOW to iron. When you're the pastor's kid and your dad wears suits EVERY DAY this is something you are required to learn! :) Luckily my husband is "only the youth pastor" (ha!) and wears suits only when someone dies!

A few years ago my mom bought me a steamer. It's pretty fun (compared to ironing) but I still don't use it very often.

Maybe you can use ironing lessons as a creative punishment technique when the Holland kids get out of line! :)

Julie

Bekah said...

My mom ironed everything too - EVERYTHING. and she used to do laundry for a lady who had to have EVERYTHING starched. So I learned lots - and all that learning made me an ironing rebel. I HAVE an ironing board and I get it out about once a month to de-wrinkle something stubborn. I'm a BIG fan of immediately removing clothes from the dryer and hanging them out the night before and all other non-ironing tricks. Still, there are times I embarrass my mother to death, I'm sure. Was I born in a barn?