Do you iron?????

[papasvacs]

<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Had a discussion with a few friends last night about ironing.  It seems to be a lost art.  </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">I iron any and all shirts that have buttons on them, dress, casual, polo, etc. I iron pillow cases.  I iron hankies. I iron my sheers before they go back up when washing.</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">I iron my tablecloths, like the one pictured below.  96" of pure 100% cotton.  We use it for the holidays.  It is always on the table for Chrsitmas Day meals.  Used it the other night for a party with 11 friends.  Can't image not ironing it before using it (or the dozen matching napkins!)</span>


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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">So ----  how much do you iron?  Do you iron?  What do you iron?</span>


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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Greg F.</span>

 

[papasvacs]

I iron...........

<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">shirts, dress and casual.........</span>

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Greg!!

That is  a beautiful cloth!!!   I iron ALL shirts, tablecloths, curtains, slacks, etc.


  I have 2 Black and Decker "Classic irons", plus 6 HOOVERs. All dress shirts have SHARP creases.  Not that many people notice me or what I wear,  but.... "I" know.


  Soon, I'll post my Lenox Christmas tablecloths.  YOU would appreciate them.

 

[papasvacs]

I "used to" have.....

<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">.... a Lenox Christmas cloth.  Hmmmm,,,, lost that in the divorce. </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">I do my ironing here in NY with either my General Electric Spray and Steam iron, my Sunbeam Vista Jewel iron with shot of steam or a newer Rowenta.  In Florida, I have a Black and Decker Classic, a GE steam, dry and spray iron and a Proctor Silex steam and dry.</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">I prefer the vintage ones.  The do a nicer job, I think.</span>


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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Looking froward to seeing the Lenox cloth, JOhn!</span>

 

[luxman107]

I agree with you that it is becoming a lost art, just as a many house keeping chores are becoming. I iron but not nearly the amount of stuff you do

 

[luxflairguy]

Speaking of ironing!
I just ironed for over an hour. All my William Sonoma kitchen towels are always ironed after going through the Miele laundry pair,. Polo shirts were done, 2 pairs of slacks and one 110" x 50" tablecloth. Still have the long sleeve shirts and the chino's to do. They're sprinkled and wrapped for tomorrow. I also own and use once a month, the Miele rotary iron. Sheets of course!! My iron of choice is a Bernina steam generator iron that was made by Reliable. 15 years old and still as strong as ever! The NW has very soft water, so llittle to no scale. Happy ironing!

 

[compactelectra]

I Would Agree

Ironing is a lost art.  I wouldn't think of putting a tablecloth or cloth napkins on the table without ironing them first.  That said, I send my shirts to the laundry.  Just don't have time to do that and am told that if you pick the right laundry, shirts last longer if they are professional laundered and pressed.  I sweep them back in on their hangers right into my closet.  I ALWAYS notice if someone is wearing a wrinkled shirt. 

 


Notwithstanding my not pressing my own shirts.  I iron all the time.  I am a quilter and that requires constant ironing as you build a quilt.  It starts with washing and pressing the fabric before you cut and piece.  Now there is some controversy about washing before piecing, but I am definitely a washer and presser before.  My Miele rotary iron is the only way to go.  I don't know if anyone besides Miele still makes rotary irons which used to be known as "mangles", the most well known was the Ironrite.  This Miele makes short work of flat goods and wouldn't be without it.  This one is from Andy Weter when he closed down his store and will be forever greatful.  Andy know this machine is used and loved.  Just finished 15 fat quarters for a new quilt and getting ready for 10 more.  Wam-bam-thank you M'am and they are done!

[this post was last edited: 12/15/2012-14:24]

 

[compactelectra]

Here Are

The next set of fat quarters to be washed in the Maytags and go right from the washer to the Miele.

 

[compactelectra]

Once The Fabric

Gets up to the sewing room the Rowentas take over.  I have about a dozen vintage irons and favor GE.  But when it comes to heads-down ironing, this combination cannot be beat.  Charlie Watrous gave me this Rowenta Steam Generator from his days demonstrating Rowenta products on QVC - thanks again Charlie.  This was the original made in Germany and just goes and goes.  The new ones - not so much.  Bought a new backup made in China and sent it back.   This is a Rowenta ironing board.  Build like a Sherman tank.

 

[compactelectra]

Finally

A close-up of the Rowenta steam generator. I thought Terry was going to faint when he first used it.  That thing irons like there is no tomorrow.  Pressurized steam for days.  Very little maintenance and she has been working for years.

 

[compactelectra]

You Talk About A Lost Art

How about ironing on a mangle?  Marty Kaplan in St. Louis is an artist with his Iron-rite which he uses to iron his shirts.  Boy how things have changed.  I remember the mangles in the laundry room with the washer and dryer.  Mary can be dressed to go out after ironing!



http://archive.org/details/MakingaN1946

 

[compactelectra]

I Always Iron Table Linens

Terry and I used to agree to disagree on ironing methods.  I like using the rotary iron for flatwork, but he insisted on an iron and the ironing board.  One thing we agreed on, table linens must be pressed!

 

[papasvacs]

How beautiful!

<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">What a beautiful table!  Love sitting down to a meal surrounded by fine things.</span>


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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">BUT....... don't even get me started on Maytag.  You could see the Maytags in the picture behind the table cloth, possibly.  That is in NY.  They are just over 4 years old and working well.</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">The Maytags in Florida..........  THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER STORY!   The washer lasted 2 years!  We just replaced it.  I am so f'ing mad at Maytag right now.</span>


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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Want my OLD Maytags back!  </span>


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[compactelectra]

That's Why

I keep the old Maytags going.



http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?43903_52

 

[MikeKLondon]

I hate Ironing BUT

Everything has to be ironed so I send out to the ironing shop or sometimes I do use the Phaff roller for bedding

 

[turbo500]

I honestly cannot remember the last time I ironed anything. I've found if I take everything out of the dryer quickly enough and get it hung up, I don't need to.

 

[compactelectra]

Chris

It all depends on how anal you are.  I need crisp creases and collars.  Nothing can beat a crisp ironed and lightly starched shirt.  I notice the difference.  Maybe I am old fashioned and a product of the fifties. 


 


Of course, I don't do it myself for obvious reasons.

 

[jayelux]

Crisp Creases

I iron a lot. When I was young and had no money to send my shirts to the laundry, I would dip the shirts in starch then run them through the spin cycle. I'd iron them while still slightly damp. I was proud when a colleague commented that my sleeve creases could slice a tomato. (Maybe not that sharp, but OK for a nonprofessional.)
Today I take the easy route and buy "no-iron" 100% cotton shirts. Wash as usual and hang to dry. Then press with a hot iron and a lot of steam. The finish lasts a long time this way. I find that the local shirt laundry is too hard on the shirts, and the colors seem to fade much too quickly. And the shirts look too casual if they are tumble dried, even though they are no-iron.
I drooled at the site of Fred's mangle and had never seen one in person until we visited Andy at the Miele showroom in Dallas.
Jay

 

[trebor]

Fred,

I have iron envy! The Miele is beautiful. I am a weaver, machine knitter, hand knitter, quilter and garment designer so I use an iron a lot. I have my grandmother's heavy old GE spray, a couple of Rowentas (overpriced in my opinion) and a Eurosteam with a self contained mini-boiler, which I absolutely adore. I was eyeing the Laurastar system, but am convinced I should look for a gravity fed iron like Sussman or Naomoto. It is what professional dry-cleaners, dressmakers, tailors, and alteration shops use, in addition to heavy strictly dry irons.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

I don't have the time or the patience to iron. I let the dryer "iron" for me.

 

[dial-a-nap]

I have numerous vintage GE's and Sunbeam irons, most found NIB at sales, etc. I've tried the Rowenta steam generator iron but found that while it worked as intended, it just didn't fit my hand well and knuckles rubbing on the temperature dial just took all the fun out of ironing - LOL. I did some research and bought a Reliable Iron Maven and love it. It holds a lot of water, has a self-refilling pump and tank that allows refilling without stopping to cool down the steam tank, etc. I love that it can shoot steam halfway across the room!

Trebor - if you have some, please post some pictures of your projects, the weaving sounds fascinating!

 

[trebor]

Weaving is a has a long learning curve..

which is one of the reasons I got involved with it. I am a neophyte weaver. I am an accomplished knitter on the Passap and Superba 5mm gauge machines as well as hand knitting and the Bond knitting frame. I sew and draft patterns. The weaving is on hold for now as I have an audition early in Feb with a couple of ladies who are opening an UP scale boutique in Indy. Taking a week's vacation to knock out half a dozen outfits this coming week. I'll post pics as they come off the assembly line.
The vac shop has turned out to be a dead end. The owner has no passion for the business, no vision, no desire to do anything except to avoid work. I am hopeful this will lead to something.

 

[chuffle]

Yes...

... I iron every week, on laundry day. I wear cotton shirts to work, and they are ironed as they come out of the dryer. Slacks are ironed, as needed. Tea towels are ironed, as they take up less space in the drawer when pressed. During the late spring, summer, and early fall, I use 100% cotton sheets and pillow cases - they too, are ironed. Finally, I iron the dining room tablecloths, when they are changed seasonally.

Below, are the irons that I use as the mood strikes. All are good steamers, and I enjoy the "heft" that they bring the ironing board, making quick work of the job. The Westinghouse is "special" to me, as that was the iron that I recall my mother using 'way back, in the early 60's.

I grew up ironing, and have been doing it since being on my own in the late 1970s. Some folks marvel that I still iron, but I find it relaxing, and a great time to think. Besides, I just like the finished look of a shirt, or the crisp creases of the pillow case when I crawl into a freshly made bed. Simple pleasures, but worth the while.

Joe

 

[air-waycharlie]

Oh Gosh............

I am going to out myself here on some level........

My mother had a woman that ironed for her. She was Mrs. Hopkins, but "Hoppy", to me. She did all my father's shirts, (until the late 60's, and then they were done by the cleaners

], all blouses, all trousers and all sheets.

She taught me how to iron everything from briefs, bras, socks and sheets! For many years I ironed on and off. At this point in life, I iron, NOTHING, due to fact I have a wonderful laundry that creases, presses and folds everything to my liking.

During my collage years, a grandson of the VanHeusen shirt company told me, no matter what, wash my shirts and then send them to a professional laundry. I do this to the day. He also said, turn polo, and polo like shirts, inside out, with all buttons, buttoned, through the wash and dryer, then turn them back inside and hang them.

I've done that for years and still do it. Fading is minimized and then look good for a long time.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

That is an arsenal of

ironing machinery there.  Great appliances.

 

[whirlpolf]

not really "do" iron, but I rediscovered it

Last year I acquired a rotary iron by AEG just in order to get my line of 60ish Lavamat frontloaders complete.
It had been standing there unused until last December. That was when I got it out to do some kitchen towels and drapes.

Pure FUN, I love it! See them zigzagging slowly on the collection table, hear that "dweee-wooot/dwee-woot -bzzzzz" sound when the ironing shoe is pressing to the roller and the roller slowly starts turning.
FUN! Our basement is somewhat chilly, so I could really see small steam clouds forming and diving upwards to disappear. DWEEE-woooo! again.

Not that I was overly "anal" (quoted from some thread above / but stop, sorry, must rephrase!....) - I couldn't care less about wrinkled fabrics (hey, I drive a custom bike all year through, mud and gravel or a snapped chain might be a concern, not creases)

But I just love that Terminator dweee-wooo sound. Such fun! (and no, I do not touch a regular iron, that is boring).

That pic doesn't show my own machine, but just the very same model - folded down for storage. I even got that vinyl dust cover for it from the former owners (basically a square condom with AEG printed on it). Love it to pieces! ;-))

 

[durango159]

Just did today!

Most of the time the dryer does things enough. But I don't have a fancy job right now that requires dress pants. Today I did iron a few garments though.

I have a Panasonic NI-A56NR iron. I've had since around 2004 and really like it! It has lots of steam functions, nice navy blue see through tank, and cord winder.

 

[mark40511]

I do iron some -

but I hate it with an intense fiery passion!

That table looked great! I didn't see a speck of anything out of place.

 

[motojoejo]

I iron my clothes every morning as part of my getting ready routine. It took for ever to find a quality iron but bought a top of the line Rowenta.