My thought is: If you can avoid it, do so. I adhere to ironing on an "as needed basis". My ironing sessions used to be for an hour or so every week. I ironed while I watched TV. Then, I stopped watching TV so what to do about ironing. That is when I had my "aha" moment. I will iron as needed.
Let me suppose that I continued my "ironing sessions". I would have a closet full of ironed clothes. And... what if, "my time to go" was tomorrow? I would have a closet full of ironed clothes. You see...I wasted two hours. That is my ironing philosophy and I am sticking to it.
Recently a group of us were visiting. For some reason the subject of ironing came up. Most of us agreed with me. I think there was one hold out. She used ironing as a therapy. She could lose herself in the process. Frankly, I think I would find another process in which to lose myself. Another of us didn't believe in ironing at all. She told her two boys that if they insisted on buying cotton shirts that has to be ironed, then they would be the ones ironing. (It worked. Can you believe it; they learned to iron?)
I have noticed in the last several years that a lot of people subscribe to the "no ironing" philosophy. They adhere to their belief with so much vigor that the pendulum swings the other way. I think they actually wad their clothes up so that they looked "unironed"*). Now you can even buy clothes that come with the "unironed" look. There was a time when the only thing that looked "unironed" after you had it on for ten minutes was linen.
Remember when:
Blue jeans used to go to the cleaners to be washed, starched and ironed with a perfect crease.
We sprinkled clothes, put them in a pillow case and in the refrigerator.
Your mother ironed the sheets and pillow cases.
When irons looked like these
What do you remember about ironing? Comments welcome!
* Is that a southern word? My spell checker does not like it.
