Ironing- bad wife?

amother ↓

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:25 am

Am I a terrible wife if I've never ironed my husband's clothes?
My mother in law recently made me feel like I'm a terrible wife because I don't iron my husband's shirts.
I really don't see the point in doing so.
I dry his shirts, he folds them up (they're not even on a hanger, so any creases they get are because they're folded), and then wears them.
Often my husband will sleep in a shirt- creasing it terribly.
My husband doesn't care if his shirts are ironed or not. I don't really know how to iron, and in the past, any time I tried to iron clothes, I only ended up ironing in the wrinkles...

Do you iron shirts?
Do you think anyone who doesn't iron shirts is a bad wife?

In the words of my mother in law "Any self respecting woman wouldn't let her husband walk out of the house in an unironed shirt or pants".

Am I really so terrible?

Helani

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:29 am

I take out my iron maybe once a year...the shirts go to dry cleaners. You're only a terrible wife if you do what your husband doesn't like. As long as he's happy you're a wonderful wife. Smile

mummy-bh

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:42 am

I used to go crazy over ironing. Don't laugh, but its actually the one household chore that I enjoy! Now, though, I don't do any ironing (except in emergencies!) because I don't consider it to be a good use of my time.
I discovered a tip which virtually eliminated all need for ironing. I put a couple of shirts in the dryer with one towel, and take them out and hang them immediately they are dry. Crease and crinkle free!!

BrachaVHatzlocha

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:45 am

I don't iron either. very rarely, at least.
your lucky his shirts don't wrinkle in the dryer. I try to take them out before they do, but it doesn't work. And my dh wears white shirts every day, which generally need ironing. Which he generally does.
B"H.
If fact, I need help with my clothing that requires ironing....
(blushing face)

Mitzvahmom

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:48 am

what's an iron??

my ex once tried to get me to iron.. Eventually I got the hang of it, but considered it a major waste of time.

When I first got divorced, I was obsessed with my kids looking to a T, realized I was going nutz over silly things... rather kids be happy, instead ofme stressed.. B"H they are still sweet and dressed nice...just not ironed Wink

pinktichel

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:52 am

Quote:

well if u r then so am I!!! I DONT DO SHIRTS - its in our ketuba Wink

Lol.... that's what I tell Dh all the time!! I hate ironing... I'd rather clean toilets all day. It takes me ages to iron one shirt and seconds for him to crease it again!!

Pickle Lady

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 11:55 am

I am married over 5 years and the iron is still in the box and the ironing board is still in the original plastic wrap.

I am proud of myself when I do the laundry let alone ironing.

batya_d

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 12:06 pm

ha, I never iron, and I told him one of the first days we were married "I don't do shirts; please acquaint yourself with the dry cleaners next door."

I have ironed only on occasion, when there is a certain item I need and it is hopelessly wrinkled. I usually hang things to dry, or leave them in a humid place like the bathroom during a shower and it gets a little better.

I recently bought a hand-held steamer, I can't wait to see if it really works on wrinkled clothes; it is also supposed to be good (steam treatment) for split ends on shaitels.

Ruchel

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 12:30 pm

amother wrote:

I've never ironed my husband's clothes?
My mother in law recently made me feel like I'm a terrible wife because I don't iron my husband's shirts.
I really don't see the point in doing so.
I dry his shirts, he folds them up (they're not even on a hanger, so any creases they get are because they're folded), and then wears them.
My husband doesn't care if his shirts are ironed or not. I don't really know how to iron

I could have written that. My mil had a maid, I am NOT one. So dh irons his shirts when he wants to, and that's it. It never annoyed anyone except my mil, who only sees the bad in everyone anyway.

There are shirts you can buy that don't wrinkle (as much).

I am also not planning to iron my children's clothes, if their school requires a shirt. Why would 6 years old go around in ironed shirts when I don't?

You're not a bad wife, but you probably have an annoying mil...

Now, dh has ironed my engagement suit because it was wrinkled LOL

Mimisinger

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 12:48 pm

I don't iron that often. Instead I have a closet full of wrinkled button down shirts...

I iron every so often. I ironed in shana rishona, dh's shirts for shabbos. He wears plaid button down shirts daily but I just hang them when they come out of the dryer and they're fine.

I recently got the ironing board out b/c I wanted to not wear wrinkled clothes and it felt good to be neat and pressed. HOWEVER, mostly, I just made more wrinkles than there were previously.

I think if your mil wants your dh to wear wrinkle-free clothes, than by all means, invite her over for coffee and an ironing session.

↑ amother ↓

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 12:49 pm

I told dh on our 3rd date that I have no idea how to iron shirts and he said "ever heard of the dry cleaner" LOL it was understood before it was even an issue.

chen ↓

Sun, Jul 29 2007, 12:50 pm

greenfire wrote:

any selfl-respecting man would learn how to take care of his own clothes and iron them himself ...

Bravo! just what I was thinking!

southernbubby

Fri, Aug 03 2007, 12:04 am

I am here in Louisville taking care of my father who is ill. He gave me some Downy wrinkle spray that completely removed the wrinkles from a rayon shirt that I was wearing that was badly wrinkled. Daddy does not like wrinkles.

justanothermother

Fri, Aug 03 2007, 6:03 am

I like crisp clothing on the family, but I hate to iron. DH is especially particular. So I found a babysitter who likes to iron and she does my clothes for me after the kids go to sleep. She comes once a week and that is enough to keep on top of things.

OP, if your husband is sleeping in his shirts and then wearing them out of the house, it seems like he could care less about his shirts, so it's not an issue of being a good wife or not. I don't understand how a grown man would want to go around looking like that, but to each their own.

Quote:

In the words of my mother in law "Any self respecting woman wouldn't let her husband walk out of the house in an unironed shirt or pants".

Remind your MIL that she raised him.

↑ amother ↓

Fri, Aug 03 2007, 6:13 am

justanothermother wrote:

OP, if your husband is sleeping in his shirts and then wearing them out of the house, it seems like he could care less about his shirts, so it's not an issue of being a good wife or not. I don't understand how a grown man would want to go around looking like that, but to each their own.

He only sleeps in his shirt when we're going away for shabbos- he doesnt think its worth the shlep to bring extra clothing to wear as pajamas, so he wears his shabbos clothes (minus the suit jacket and hat) to bed cuz thats all he brings...
I would never do that, but oh well, what can I do? I'm not his mother, I'm not gonna teach him proper ettiquette.

↑ greenfire ↓

Fri, Aug 03 2007, 6:43 am

for some reason even though my son usually does iron his clothes ... when we were in brooklyn he takes 5 shirts out of the car and asks my sister which one to wear ... she laughed and said they all look the same - creased - I had to iron his shirt cause he looked like he came out of the suitcase ...

mimivan ↓

Fri, Aug 03 2007, 7:42 am

wow, I'm amazed at how many ladies can get away with not ironing...especially since many of our husbands wear white button up shirts!

I don't know what I"m doing wrong that I need to iron... but to those of you who can do without...gezunta heit