Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Tuesday Tips: I need them!

It is 11:40 on Monday night (yes, I am trying out the option to schedule a post for a later time- pretty cool!) and I am waiting for the dryer to stop. I am done with everything I need to do. My kitchen is cleaner than it has been in days. I am exhausted and I want to be in bed. I am waiting for the dryer to stop.

I need help!

About a week ago our iron broke. My sweet little tank of a three-year-old ran right into the ironing board and the iron fell and broke. (The iron was off and obviously should have been put up.) I am ironless. This is driving me crazy!!

I need your tips. I know some of you do not iron under any circumstances. HOW do you do it?!

I spent the day thinking I cannot work on laundry because I may not be able to get the clothes right out of the dryer. With my precious children, even with routines in place, it is hard to calculate the dryer time with what would be going on. And, I can bare all- I am terrible at laundry even when my iron is working.

Lay it on me, any tips for making it without an iron?

11 comments:

RLR said...

We get things out of the dryer when they are still damp. You can shake most things out a bit as you hang them, and they dry wrinkle free (and you save a little money in the process).

Jessica said...

The only way I know how is to pull them right out when my dryer buzzes. I've heard if something is wrinkled you can stick it in the dryer with a damp wash cloth and it will soon be wrinkle-free again. I haven't tried this though.

Kimberly said...

do you want my iron? - cause I've never used it! of course, it's not fancy like yours was but . . .
so my tips are this. first of all if I have something that I know would need to be ironed I pull it out of the dryer before its dry. to help me remember I set a timer. (if I didn't do this - i would completely forget.) when my dryer buzzer goes off (i have my dryer set to continue to "fluff" the clothes until i open the dryer door) I fold or hang up my clothes directly from the dryer. I don't take them out and then fold them. cause then you've just created more wrinkles. also for stubborn wrinkles I use Downy Wrinkle Releaser - it works quite well!
also - because of the way I "do" laundry, i have a laundry day and on that day I don't do anything else outside of the home (no places to go or meetings to attend.)

Kimberly said...

oh and also, when taking the items out of the dryer I pull out the stuff that will get wrinkled first. like all our shirts that need to be hung up or t-shirts that need to be folded before folding the underwear and socks etc...

He & Me + 3 said...

I got nothing...I take his clothes to the dry cleaners. I know...I am lazy and that is bad, but I am not good at ironing anyways, so easier to just get it done.

Anonymous said...

Haven't figured that one out yet but I do have a good tip if you decide to break down and get a new iron...line your ironing board with aluminum foil facing shiny side up and put the cover over it....it reflects the heat and makes ironing so much faster and more efficient!
patti b.

Jill@Barnes Yard said...

Well my first idea is just to put all of your ironing items in a basket and bring them to my Mom's. That is the tactic I always use. However if you're really in a bind I have found this great product called Downy wrinkle releaser. You spray in on the cloths and then just kind of pull the wrinkles out. It works but my Mom is much better. :)

amanda said...

so i never iron. i can send you mine too. i usually just throw it back in the dryer itself or with a damp cloth. that works for me. and i guess i don't mind a little wrinkles. my hubby does and is constantly in the dryer 'ironing'. lol

Beth E. said...

I also remove my clothes from the dryer and hang them up while they are still damp. Men's dress shirts do quite nicely if you hang them up damp. I NEVER buy dress shirts that are 100% cotton!

I have a big wooden drying rack in the basement for things like sweatshirts and jeans to finish drying.

I think that clothes last longer and shrink less by pulling them out of the dryer before they are completely dry.

Beth E. said...

P.S. I do the same thing Kimberly does, too. It really works, and it sure beats ironing!

Anonymous said...

I never iron ... My favorite trick to release wrinkles is to spray the shirt with a little water and put it back in the dryer for 15 minutes or so, then take it out right away. Works every time!

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