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Wrinkleless in New Jersey
I can’t think of a more boring and tedious housework job as ironing. How many of you don’t know how to iron or just avoid it in favor of the nearest dry cleaner? Okay, so why the article? Life is too short, just go to the dry cleaner, right? I have never been fond of the chemicals used by dry cleaners and have resorted to washing and ironing my own clothes.
When I grew up everyone learned to iron. Either you were taught by your mother or you learned in Home Economics. (Remember making french toast for the first time in Home Ec?) Am I dating myself?
When I went to law school, I marveled at how all of my new law school friend’s shirts looks so cover girl Christy Brinkley crispy-like. I too wanted to be a cover girl. (Who didn’t?) Her screct was spray starch and I became addicted. After a little experimenting among the various types of spray starches, I started using the light spray starch. Just enough to make my jeans have that little crease. (Didn’t everyone iron their jeans? Okay, a little fanatical I admit.)
If you have ever used spray starch, you know what I am talking about. It is like being a skater gliding across a beautiful smooth rink. With each motion, the wrinkles just disappear. The best part is the wrinkles don’t reappear. I have contemplated spraying it on my face once or twice. (A little dab of spray starch and you are good to go.)
A couple of years ago, I switched to Earth Friendly Spray Starch. So, why did I switch from my easy, dreamy inexpensive spray starch? I iron my children’s clothes. (Just the ones that wrinkle. I am not that obsessive.) Conventional spray starch is full of chemicals that I did not want on my children’s clothes.
Any downside to using the eco brand? I found that I have to work harder at ironing their clothes. The pump spray on the Earth Friendly brand does not spray as evenly as the propellant that I was use to. See the picture below as how it sprays.
The spray comes out of a pump bottle so the stream is kind of spotty. It was more like a stream at the beginning of the bottle.
This shirt was impossible to iron with this spray starch.
The starch is very light. If you are looking for that heavy starch feel, this products will not deliver that result. You may have to compromise health versus comfort.
Personally, the easiest way for me to iron is to take the clothes right from the wash when they are slightly damp. After I am done ironing the clothes, they are practically dry. I only iron wool pants wet since ironing them when they are dry is like untangling matted hair. Near impossible. (Is it okay to iron wool pants when they are wet?)
If you want to make your own starch, check out Erin Huffstetler’s homemade recipe. Does anyone remember their mom’s water sprinkle bottle when she ironed the linens? (Right after she took a swig of TAB?) Or buying distilled water for the steam mechanism in the iron?
So, what are you secrets for this mundane choir? Do you have a trick to make ironing easier? Have a homemade recipe that you can share? A way to make the ironing time more enjoyable? Or do you just say the heck with it and go to the dry cleaner?
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on July 25th, 2008 at 1:37 am
i ironed tuxedo shirts in HS, hundreds and hundreds of tuxedo shirts -we never used starch! I am actually someone who’s never used starch for ironing. I think because it came in a can I said forget it
I iron hankerchiefs, my dish towels and like you, when my linen shirts come out or the washer I iron them wet. Seems to work
My ex’s mother ironed her husbands underware !!
on August 1st, 2008 at 1:46 am
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