Ironing Woes...Love the vintage Hate the ironing

[64tonya]

Am I the only one who approaches the ironing board with dread? :eusa_doh: I feel like Dorothy in the wizard of oz when I have to iron, "Pintucks and pleats and circle skirts, Oh My!"

Ladies, Any tips for a less painful ironing experience?

 

[LelaViavonie]

Amen to that Sista!! lol

Although if I create the fun experience of ironing its not too bad.. I put on my adorable apron... head scarf on... and my favorite record... and off to Ironing Land I go

I truly despise it.. but it must be done! So I figure.. why not have alittle fun with it... **blushes** I have been caught a few time dancing with the iron or my clothes to the music.. but dont tell anyone... lol lol lol

 

[LizzieMaine]

Use a *heavy* iron. It might sound counter-intuitive, but modern lightweight irons are actually more work to use. A vintage heavy iron might seem harder to push around at first but they do a much better job with a lot less repetition.

Mine is a Sunbeam Ironmaster, c. 1935, and it gives me a workout -- it weighs about six pounds -- but I never have to go over and over a piece. It heats up, holds the heat well, and the sheer mass of the thing presses out the wrinkles the first time over. Plus it makes a convenient doorstop when I'm not ironing.

 

[dhermann1]

When I was a kid my mom and her best friend used to do their ironing while reading to each other. One would read aloud, the other would iron. And they gobbled down Leidrekranz cheese with onions. They got through Dr Zhivago this way in 1958.
Personally, I always used to have Sunday evenings as my shirt ironing night. I'd do several shirts, plus whatever else was needed, while listening to music if the 30's and 40's on The Big Broadcast on WFUV FM. I can now listen to it on WFUV.ORG, still on Sunday nights.

 

[Weston]

Well, I'm a man, but an old hand at ironing from the Air Force.

1. Powerful, hot and heavy iron is the key. Not just any $10 Chinese jobby is gonna do the trick. Invest in a decent one and you're set. I have my grandmothers Sunbeam with its original box from 1952. That'll do.

2. Rediscover that tiny section of the cleaning aisle – ironing products! Starch can make sure your ironing stays ironed. I don't know if this stuff is found off base, but Sta-Flo works wonders. For best results (ie cardboard wear) buy a cheap spray bottle and a bottle of Sta-Flo. Don't dilute it at all and screw the spray head directly on the bottle. Boom, whatever you iron will darn well stay that way.

But not everyone wants creases they can get a cut from.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Use a *heavy* iron. It might sound counter-intuitive, but modern lightweight irons are actually more work to use. A vintage heavy iron might seem harder to push around at first but they do a much better job with a lot less repetition.

Mine is a Sunbeam Ironmaster, c. 1935, and it gives me a workout -- it weighs about six pounds -- but I never have to go over and over a piece. It heats up, holds the heat well, and the sheer mass of the thing presses out the wrinkles the first time over. Plus it makes a convenient doorstop when I'm not ironing.

I second the -heavy- iron helping.

I also have a Sunbeam...late 50's early 60's (gotta love that classy blue/green) that was my moms before me....and once you get the temp right...man does it go.

Metal..none of that silly lightweight teflon coated nonsense for me....

 

[Lady Day]

I have a 52 sunbeam, but cant use it. I dont have the space for anything but a tabletop ironing board, so I have to use a silly little $10 travel number I picked up from Walgreens.

I dont use any products either, just the steam setting on the iron. Works wonders! If you can get a steamer instead of an iron, Id recommend that. Its better for the fabric, and its faster too! But if not, then just steam it with your iron steam setting. Mmmmm steam...

LD

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

A steamer is something I really, really want. Too useful!

For the time being, I love the steam setting on my iron, and my silk organza press cloths for clothes that need it. Don't forget to use distilled water in your iron. If you don't, you get mineral buildup inside the iron and it'll spit little mineral flakes all over your clothes. Ask me how I know. Which reminds me...I need to clean out the iron with vinegar. Again. :eusa_doh:

 

[64tonya]

Good Attitude!

You've got the right idea! :eusa_clap
I'll have to try that next time....and yes..there will always be a next time when it comes to ironing

 

[KittyT]

A heavy iron helps, but I don't agree that it's really that necessary. What IS necessary, however, is having a *quality* iron, not something cheap. A good iron should have a soleplate that heats evenly and will ideally give you powerful bursts of steam.

I have a Rowenta Effective Cord Reel iron. It heats very quickly, gives vertical bursts of steam as well as regular steam, has a retractable cord, and at just under 4 lbs isn't uncomfortable to use at all. It was purchased as a quality sewing iron and is quite possibly the best $70 I've ever spent.

What I do really, really hate about ironing is not having adequate space for a proper ironing board. For now I'm stuck with a stupid table top thing.

 

[Smuterella]

I know I've mentioned it before but with delicate fabrics it really helps to iron through another piece of cloth, just a cotton hanky will do. It prevents "iron shine" marks

you can buy specialist ironing cloths too

 

[Paisley]

I steam my clothes. I have a Whirlpool steamer, but it stopped working, so I just put a hot pot with water in it, set the timer I've got it plugged into, and let it steam away the wrinkles. No rust spatters, no ironed-in wrinkles, no wrinkled parts that are too hard to get to.

My mother hated ironing too. How do you think polyester got to be so popular?

 

[dakotanorth]

Ironing

I own a $100 iron and a $50 ironing board. They make a difference.
I agree with the people who said a heavy iron helps- steam and pressure are the two factors, so the heavier the iron, the more pressure it creates.
A good _height_ ironing board makes a difference too; hunching over a cheap board puts huge strain on your neck and back.

 

[Rachael]

a press cloth is essential, as is a seam roll. I can't bear to think of how many skirts and slacks I ruined by pressing them on an ironing board, only to find those shiny stripes alongside the seams.

Or of course one can always chuck em in the dryer with a damp towel.

 

[Miss Sis]

Ironing most vintage stuff damp helps, I find, as well as a decent iron and a pressing cloth.

I launder almost all my vintage myself apart from coats and suits, and I also do alot of the BF's, so I do more than my fair share of ironing!

 

[Blondie]

My tip for a more pleasurable ironing experience is....
....pay someone to do it for you ! lol

 

[Sunny]

Watch something! The last evening I put in ironing I watched a couple episodes of "I Spy." The time before that, it was a whole afternoon (I had new sheets to do) watching Michael Shayne movies. I've been known to dig out other things to iron so I could finish a show.

If not a movie, listen to old radio shows. You don't even have to look up from what you're doing.

I always use the steam setting, but my real standbys are spray starch and water. Spray starch on the shirts and other things, squirt bottle for skirts and things I don't want too stiff. Using the squirt bottle is like regular steam x 3.

 

[KittyT]

a press cloth is essential, as is a seam roll. I can't bear to think of how many skirts and slacks I ruined by pressing them on an ironing board, only to find those shiny stripes alongside the seams.

well those shiny strips don't indicate ruin. They will eventually go away on their own.

 

[64tonya]

I steam my clothes. I have a Whirlpool steamer, but it stopped working, so I just put a hot pot with water in it, set the timer I've got it plugged into, and let it steam away the wrinkles. No rust spatters, no ironed-in wrinkles, no wrinkled parts that are too hard to get to.

My mother hated ironing too. How do you think polyester got to be so popular?

Yes, the 70's were a low maintenance era...I've been thinking about a steamer, especially for the delicate items like hat veils. Any recs?

 

[decodoll]

Jiffy makes great steamers. They've been doing it since 1940. I have one of their professional ones, but they make hand held steamers too.