According to a large study, our favourite chores to do include hoovering, laundry, general tidying and washing up. Our least favourite chores include jobs like cleaning windows, dusting and cleaning the loo, but overall 16.6% of those who responded to the study felt that ironing was their least favourite chore of all.
Why Is Ironing So Unpopular?
Ironing involves standing in one spot, performing a repetitive movement (or set of movements) with little to no satisfaction at the end of the job. Plus, there is always more to do, so it never feels completely ‘finished’.
Can’t You Just… Not Iron?
Ironing is a job that we do to stop clothes and other items looking creased and untidy. It’s particularly important for school uniforms, work uniforms and other items that are of a more official or ‘presented’ nature. Ironing is a straightforward way of getting the job done, but if you really cannot stand it… there are some ways to reduce the job, or even change your method of ironing out creases so that the ironing board can take a hiatus.
How To Iron Less
There are various ways to cut down ironing, and here are just a few handy suggestions:
Declutter Your Wardrobe
One of the easiest ways to do less ironing is to have less clothing. Try decluttering your wardrobe by removing anything that you know you definitely do not wear, or want. If there are items that you are unsure of you can try the ‘hanger method’. This is where you hang all your clothes in one direction on the rack, and then every time you wear something you hang it back in the opposite direction. After a certain amount of time you’ll see that some hangers remain in the original position and you can then move those clothes into affordable self storage, or give them to charity.
Operate A Seasonal Wardrobe
If your wardrobe is decluttered but you have your entire years wardrobe crammed into one area, things can get messy and creased, leading to more ironing overall. It could be worth using bargain self storage to only operate a seasonal wardrobe. This will help you to have more aeration and space in your current wardrobe, as well as more organisation and a better aesthetic too. It’s also a great way to store other household seasonal items so you make the most of your space at home. Camping gear, Christmas decorations, summer sports equipment and more all have a place in bargain seasonal self storage.
Try The Shower Steam For Single Items Of Clothing
One of the easiest ways to quickly unwrinkle an item of clothing is to hang it up in the bathroom as you take a shower. The steam will quickly drop all the wrinkles out, so your outfit is nice and crease-free by the time you’re heading out.
Invest In A Clothing Steamer
For easier access to the ability to steam your clothes you can buy clothes steamers. They are a more fun and easy way to straighten out your clothes without having to iron. They’re also known for being more gentle on clothes, and quicker overall, so they are well worth the investment if you’re finding ironing is laborious and taking a lot more time than you have to get rid of those wrinkles.
Try Flattening An Item With A Damp Towel
This method is a bit of a last minute option for both inside the home and when you’re away from your iron and you need to remove wrinkles from a piece of clothing. You simply lay the item of clothing you want to straighten out onto a table or another flat surface, then put a damp sheet, towel or other piece of material on top of it and press down using your hands. You can then hang the item and let it dry and it should be straighter now following this process.
Hairdry The Clothing
You can hairdry a wrinkled item using a warm hairdryer on a piece of clothing. This sometimes works better on damp clothing, but ultimately it takes patience either way as the wrinkles will drop out eventually.
Buy Material Less Likely To Crease
Some materials are prone to creasing, which can mean they need ironing more than other items of clothing. Nylon, olefin, acrylic and polyester are all naturally resistant to crinkling, whereas cotton, silk and linen tend to be more likely to wrinkle. As you consider clothing and what to buy, it could be worth leaning towards the most wrinkle-resistant options if you really do hate ironing.
Spray Items Down
Spritzing items with a little water can help the wrinkles to drop from clothes naturally if you then hang them up afterwards. For a little extra freshening up in addition to removing the wrinkles, you could also create a natural freshening spray using essential oils, which will not only help drop the wrinkles but add a lovely scent to your clothes too.
Use A Kettle
This is a handy tip for when you’re travelling and you want to remove creases from an item of clothing. It is also helpful if you are in a rush and don’t have time to iron out wrinkles. You simply boil the kettle and hold the wrinkle about a foot away from the spout as it lets out steam. Be very careful not to touch the steam yourself as you’ll get scolded. As the steam touches the wrinkle it should naturally straighten out.
Are You Ready To Live Without Ironing?
Ultimately, ironing is often the easiest way to remove wrinkles from lots of clothes at any one time. However, as our suggestions above prove, there are always other options to help lessen the amount that needs doing, or to help get the job done in a different way for a little bit more of an easier life all round.