Do you (or your SO) iron your clothes?

[OptOut | 8,895]

I went back home to the UK recently, and it reminded me about one of the most pointless household chores. It has never ceased to amaze me how much time my mum wastes ironing clothes! She complains, and has complained endlessly for the last 40 plus YEARS about how much time it takes to iron, and she can be there for hours sometimes just ironing away. But... WHY?!

I have never ironed a single item of clothing, in our house we iron nothing, it's straight from the dryer to the drawer and then on my back! My clothes are not excessively wrinkly... and even if they were, who CARES?!!! Clothing materials are naturally soft and pliant, they naturally form wrinkles and creases, and then naturally unwrinkle and uncrease too, throughout the day. 

Has anyone, anywhere, EVER complained to your face about excessively wrinkly clothing? Is this all just a conspiracy by BIG IRON? Is there a MORE pointless household chore than ironing? The answers to all these questions, and more, must be ironed out!!! 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,641]

No, I'm from the laid-back American west.  I wear jeans to work.

[Kguillemette | 1,561]

My culinary school had military style uniform standards. Coats and pants had to be wrinkle free with creases straight down the back and another connecting the shoulder blades. Ironing was about a 45 minute a week chore. Since I graduated I have never touched an iron again!

[Brickman | 4,073]

Nope never do unless it looks like a crumpled piece of paper and I'm going to an event like a wedding or something.

I wear wrinkled shirts to work and by the time I get there my body heat has unwrinkled them and if they're still wrinkled who cares? People are too polite to say anything anyway  Ironing is a big waste of time.

[Nugfish | 653]

I remember buying an iron & ironing board when I was first married because my mom always ironed everything. I spent 10 minutes trying to iron a shirt and the wrinkles wouldn't come out so I asked my wife what I was doing wrong and she had no idea because she never ironed anything either so we gave the stuff away. It's been 14 years now and regret nothing. 

[phart010 | 1,710]

I used to iron my clothes every morning before work. Since I had to be out the door by a certain time, I learned to iron my shirt and pants within like 2-3 minutes.

in 2017 or 2018 our business had a financial slump and they suspended our 401k match, laid a bunch of people off, and ommitted our annual pay raise. To make things seem less bad, they also suspended the business casual dress code. I haven’t worn a button up shirt since then and I don’t intend to ever again 

Edited April 26, 2023 by phart010

[OptOut | 8,895]

Is it possible that there is a generational divide here? Is there anyone else here with Ironing mad parents?

[Gloves | 11,890]

I see no point in ironing clothes unless it's suits for business types, and that ain't me, man. 

[PII | 1,918]

I think one time I washed a white shirt and when it dried it was all wrinkly and I was like: "Oh, this must be what old timey fastidious types use irons for..."

I actually have a really cool one though that I use to iron video game boxes that are excessively deformed...

[OptOut | 8,895]

2 hours ago, Gloves said:

I see no point in ironing clothes unless it's suits for business types, and that ain't me, man. 

Goddamn hippie!

[Link | 2,768]

6 hours ago, OptOut said:

Is it possible that there is a generational divide here? Is there anyone else here with Ironing mad parents?

I definitely think it's that. Maybe a it's holdover from when material was different and stayed wrinkled more. I'm thinking mid-century. My mom ironed. Idk if she still does. And she's retired.

[B.A. | 1,139]

Sometimes when I travel for work I would need to iron, something about how I pack or suitcases in general and my shirts would be a crumpled mess.  I haven't used a non-hotel iron in years. 

[a3quit4s | 4,142]

I can’t even remember the last time I used one. I’m more likely to have dropped something at the dry cleaners more recently than actually ironed something myself. I’m not even sure our iron made it in the move to our new house. I know my wife sometimes uses a hand steamer on her clothes for work since she has to dress professionally, does that count?

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

I dont even think we have an iron. 

[Tulpa | 3,569]

I have a small iron that I use to touch up dress shirts if I have a presentation or something for the muckety mucks. Most of my clothes are wrinkle resistant, so it's usually a quick once over, and only about once a quarter that I need it.

 

 

[Aguy | 776]

I wear button up short sleeve shirts to the school I work at so I press those real quick. My pants are jeans or something similar so I don't bother ironing them 

[TDIRunner | 2,794]

I work from home now and I'm currently sitting in the clothes I slept in last night.  But even when I worked in an office that required "business casual," I still didn't bother ironing anything.  With that said, I don't wear wrinkled clothes either.  I make it a point to get stuff out of the dryer and hung up quick enough that my clothes will look presentable.   Also, most clothing today will not wrinkle that much if cared for properly.  There are exceptions obviously, but if you don't want to iron, there are plenty of "wrinkle free" clothing options so you don't have to worry about it.  

[JamesRobot | 5,845]

Regularly wear business professional attire and iron every week.  It's also a strike against you if you show up to an interview with a shirt that's not pressed.  

[nrslam | 477]

Ironing boards are like exercise equipment-a convenient place to hang clothes.

 

[Tabonga | 2,364]

48 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

 It's also a strike against you if you show up to an interview with a shirt that's not pressed.  

Which is why I show up for such things without one.........

[SilverspoonGaming | 336]

I used to iron the shit outta my jeans in high school, but anymore its not worth it, so if it has to go back in the dryer for a few mins, so be it...

[OptOut | 8,895]

2 hours ago, a3quit4s said:

I know my wife sometimes uses a hand steamer on her clothes for work since she has to dress professionally, does that count?

Yeah, that sounds suspiciously like ironing to me! 

59 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

Regularly wear business professional attire and iron every week. 

How is this possible?!

I always imagined your working day beginning at the crack of noon as you roll off the pool table where you passed out the night before, followed by a quick breakfast of Jack Daniels and cold poptarts direct from the box. After that you button up your denim jacket, slick back the mullet and wipe the hooker spit from the sides of your mouth, and it's off to the Monster Truck stadium to practice wheelies till sundown, when the REAL fun begins!

Please don't shatter my illusion of you with this corporate stuffed-shirt reality, I need this! 

Next thing you'll tell me you're not even a real robot... 

[Tabonga | 2,364]

Oh for the good old days when you simply shipped your laundry to China (or other foreign desinations)........

https://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question123505.html

[phart010 | 1,710]

Back in the day, clothes were probably more likely to be 100% cotton, 100% flax, or 100% wool. Nowadays everything is a blend with synthetic materials and probably is less susceptible to wrinkles.

Edited April 26, 2023 by phart010

[JamesRobot | 5,845]

3 hours ago, OptOut said:

Next thing you'll tell me you're not even a real robot... 

Nah we're all good.  I passed the captcha when I first signed up.