Here's what comes to my mind:
- not ironing at all, but that probably gives you wrinkled clothes?
- Ironing the old-school way, with a cast-iron iron that you put on a stove
Does anybody have better ideas or comments on my ideas?
ERE solution to ironing
Option 1. I have never owned an iron and have been pretty clueless the few times I tried to use one. I live in jeans and tshirts. Even for fancy occasions, many dresses seem to be made of materials that don't wrinkle or the wrinkles come out after you wear it for a bit. I could see this being a problem for men's dress shirts though.
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George the original one
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jacob
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Hangers is definitely easiest. Electric irons seem superior due to built in thermostats (never used anything else). My ironing has been at an absolute minimum, so I use a pair of damp towels on a table rather than owning an ironing board. With my absolute lack of technique a real board wouldn't make a difference to me.
If your needs are similarly low anything flat, smooth, with a high heat capacity will work. We just have a residual iron back from when DW had a lot of appliances. It shouldn't be too hard to get a used iron for practically nothing either. Several months ago, I saw 3(!) irons in the park dumpster---I'm yet to find a good reason why someone would throw out three at the same time.
If your needs are similarly low anything flat, smooth, with a high heat capacity will work. We just have a residual iron back from when DW had a lot of appliances. It shouldn't be too hard to get a used iron for practically nothing either. Several months ago, I saw 3(!) irons in the park dumpster---I'm yet to find a good reason why someone would throw out three at the same time.
@jasonR: Haha I've never thought of that! Ingenious idea!
@bigato: Oh, so the wrinkles go out of the clothes from your body heat? That's interesting to know.
@<everybody>: Thanks for the ideas.
Quick summary of the available options:
1. Don't iron. (Body heat will do it for you + use hangers for clothes)
2. Buying a used iron (or one you received as a gift)
3. Put really hot water in a cantine and use that to iron.
One of those should definently do the trick.
I've never thought of that! Ingenious idea!@bigato: Oh, so the wrinkles go out of the clothes from your body heat? That's interesting to know.
@<everybody>: Thanks for the ideas.
Quick summary of the available options:
1. Don't iron. (Body heat will do it for you + use hangers for clothes)
2. Buying a used iron (or one you received as a gift)
3. Put really hot water in a cantine and use that to iron.
One of those should definently do the trick.
@bigato - that's just what I was going to mention. In the fabulous memoir "Little Heathens" the author (sorry the name excapes me at the moment) mentions the precision of hanging the clothes on the line in such a way as to reduce ironing and judging the rest of the townsfolk by their efficiency or lack thereof.
Guys, it costs like 12-15 cents per hour to iron*. I'd be more worried about the expense of clothes that require ironing (i.e. more expensive than free t-shirts) than the cost of ironing itself.
*Hat tip to piper for questioning the cost. It might actually be less, based on the fact that an iron is 1200-1500 watts but might turn off and on during ironing.
*Hat tip to piper for questioning the cost. It might actually be less, based on the fact that an iron is 1200-1500 watts but might turn off and on during ironing.
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dot_com_vet
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BeyondtheWrap
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I don't iron. I just hang my clothes on hangers.
Agree that your clothes iron themselves when you wear them. I think the purpose of ironing your clothes must be to create the illusion that you wear them all the time. I never thought it was your body heat that did this, though, because hanging clothes up also helps take out the wrinkles. I think that hangers, by being shaped somewhat anthropomorphically, are supposed to stand in for you when you're not wearing the clothes, in order to support the illusion that you wear them all the time.
Agree that your clothes iron themselves when you wear them. I think the purpose of ironing your clothes must be to create the illusion that you wear them all the time. I never thought it was your body heat that did this, though, because hanging clothes up also helps take out the wrinkles. I think that hangers, by being shaped somewhat anthropomorphically, are supposed to stand in for you when you're not wearing the clothes, in order to support the illusion that you wear them all the time.
Okay, so we have a new quick summary of the available options:
1. Don't iron.
1.a Body heat will do the ironing for you + use hangers for clothes.
1.b Put the clothes to dry using pegs in a position where they don't get much wrinkles.
2. Buying a used iron (or one you received as a gift)
3. Put really hot water in a cantine and use that to iron.
1. Don't iron.
1.a Body heat will do the ironing for you + use hangers for clothes.
1.b Put the clothes to dry using pegs in a position where they don't get much wrinkles.
2. Buying a used iron (or one you received as a gift)
3. Put really hot water in a cantine and use that to iron.
Bring clothes on hangers into bathroom when you shower. The humidity will reduce wrinkles.
Wrinkle-free clothing. Their wrinkle-free-ness lasts some number of washings.
Naturally wrinkle-resistant clothing, like poplin. Even if it has some wrinkles, they're much easier to iron out, and they'll benefit more from the techniques already mentioned above, like removing from the dryer promptly.
Clothing that's supposed to be wrinkled. Seersucker, linen.
Buy a good iron, like a Rowenta. When you do iron, it won't take as long.
Wrinkle-free clothing. Their wrinkle-free-ness lasts some number of washings.
Naturally wrinkle-resistant clothing, like poplin. Even if it has some wrinkles, they're much easier to iron out, and they'll benefit more from the techniques already mentioned above, like removing from the dryer promptly.
Clothing that's supposed to be wrinkled. Seersucker, linen.
Buy a good iron, like a Rowenta. When you do iron, it won't take as long.
Learn how to iron. It's not hard and you get better with practice . I was raised that ironing was a "life skill" (like washing dishes, basic sewing of buttons, tack stitch a hem and basic cooking). Knowledge is power. Youtube has a plethora of tips, tricks and how-tos on the subject. @Chris: Exactly!
Yes, yanking the items that "need" ironing out of the dryer immediately does help, but still not the same as ironing.
Had my own iron when I went to college (shiny, new retail one, gift) and sold it off while there. A year later, "inherited" one from my grandparents. It's 50 years old, electric, works like it's brand new. Damn thing will probably outlive me!
. I was raised that ironing was a "life skill" (like washing dishes, basic sewing of buttons, tack stitch a hem and basic cooking). Knowledge is power. Youtube has a plethora of tips, tricks and how-tos on the subject. @Chris: Exactly!Yes, yanking the items that "need" ironing out of the dryer immediately does help, but still not the same as ironing.
Had my own iron when I went to college (shiny, new retail one, gift) and sold it off while there. A year later, "inherited" one from my grandparents. It's 50 years old, electric, works like it's brand new. Damn thing will probably outlive me!