I’m going to go out on a limb and state that most everyone is like me, and ironing is not at the top of the list of fun things to do. Am I right or am I right? There are some lessons to learn about ironing, and I’ll let you in on some I have discovered over the years.
I grew up in a day when clothes were NOT wrinkle free. My mom went through all kinds of antics to put off the inevitable – ironing. She had an ironing basket and often things would stay in that basket for years! Truly!! Then when she did iron, there was the process of “sprinkling” the clothes to dampen them and make ironing easier, or at least successful. Then there was a time when my mom even paid someone to do the ironing. I recall driving to the lady’s house with the “ironing” basket, then driving back in a few days and retrieving beautifully ironed clothes.
How many of you have ever seen this contraption? This is what mom used to “sprinkle” / dampen the clothes. I also recall summers when mom would pay my sister and me to “catch-up” on the ironing. We’d watch old movies while we took turns ironing, because watching a good flick helps pass the time, and even make ironing fun!
One thing I learned early on was having the right iron makes ALL the difference. Some other lessons to learn (which I got from my then teenage son) is don’t attempt ironing without your shirt on. He got a pretty good burn on the belly – and walked down the hall lamenting the fact. Another lesson is you have to do something to make the time ironing worthwhile. There is the satisfaction of the lovely smell freshly ironed clothing exudes. And the satisfaction of seeing the finished product. Nothing compares to a clean and freshly ironed shirt. I know, now is the day of No-Iron clothing, but really, if you’re not at the dryer to pull it out the minute dryer stops, you have to iron. So, you may as well make your time enjoyable. For me, I have the right tunes playing – usually on Pandora. Maybe even create an ironing playlist. If you’re like me, it has to be soothing. If you rock out, you’re liable to make mistakes or rush the process. And chocolate, yes chocolate as a reward helps.
I used to have crummy irons – no more. I only buy Rowenta, and when my kids were grown and moved away from home, I let them in on the secret that Rowenta was the only iron worth buying. They last the best and have the best features. The newest Rowenta SteamCare Iron boasts some really great features: Smart temperature which automatically adjusts the iron’s heat to remove wrinkles. How awesome is that? Auto shut-off after 8 minutes of non-use, and 30 second shut off if left horizontal or tipped over – especially important if you have kids running around, or just learning the ins and outs of ironing.
The Rowena SteamCare Iron also has a really nice precision tip to get in hard to do areas, and Vertical steam to remove those wrinkles from a hanging garment. I think my favorite feature is the Burst of Steam which will get out even the most stubborn wrinkle. I love, love my new Rowenta. With the right music, the great smell of freshly ironed clothes, and the best iron out there, Ironing has moved up on my list of dreaded chores. And don’t forget the chocolate.
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