I can actually remember the days before permanent-press clothing, and how happy Mom was when she didn’t have to iron anymore. She was a working Mom and didn’t have time to iron stuff. Dad’s shirts still needed to be ironed, so he would take to the Chinese hand laundry, run by Sam Woo. (Some of us wrote a little poem that we would yell out loud whenever we’d pass his laundry: "SAM WOO MADE A POO AND YOU CAN SMELL IT, TOO!" We didn’t feel bad about it until much later, by which time Sam had gone to that Hand Laundry In The Sky, where the water was always soft, even without Calgon.)
A lot of that changed after Mom remarried. My stepfather’s shirts were all permanent press, but Mom would iron them, anyway, along with a blouse for herself, the night before they were to be worn. We had gotten rid of the ironing board when we left Glenwood Avenue for the suburbs, so she would take a bath towel, fold it in half, and put it on the kitchen counter, and iron there.
She seemed to be proud of ironing. When I’d go to Chicago I’d stay with them, and she’d offer to iron my shirts. I’d tell her that it was OK, that they were permanent press, but she’d iron them anyway. Everybody has their language of love. Mom’s was freshly-ironed clothes.
Linda brings us Stream of Consciousness Saturday every week. Now a word about Calgon water softener. Helps get clothes up to 30% cleaner!
That commercial is from the ’70’s…I figured it’d explain the references above…
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
That’s a fun take on the prompt, John. Your mom was clever to use the towel and counter method. My grandmother loved to iron – even the sheets. My mom even went so far as to iron her hair so it was straight. Ironing can be rewarding and time-consuming. I do find it a good way to see the fruits of one’s labor. I remember that commercial! I use vinegar instead and it works better.
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I’ve heard that about vinegar…
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It’s hard to find during canning season – stock up now! š
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I do recall a certain satisfaction from getting the wrinkles out with an iron, but not enough to keep doing it. Putting things in the dryer or hanging a dress in the bathroom during a shower sometimes gets wrinkles out. But as someone else mentioned, we can learn to embrace the wrinkles.
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I used to hang mine in the bathroom, too. Things get wrinkled in a suitcase or garment bag, but hanging them up gets the wrinkles out.
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I hate ironing and will only do it when absolutely necessary. German love to iron everything. My mom used to iron my brother’s jeans until he told her to stop as it was embarrassing. She soon found a way to stop ironing but my Aunt in Graz (Austria) ironed everything even the underwear. I remember that commercial so well that I could say the words ahead of time.
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Are Germans like the Dutch, who leave their shades up and their curtains open to show off how clean their houses are?
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Yup…they even have lacy curtains in the windows of their barns.
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Mother love, it creases you up ššš
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Yes, it does. I still miss her. As infuriating and impossible as she could be, I loved her.
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Yes we all have mixed feelings for our mums but we all mostly love them deep down šš
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I studiously avoid buying anything that needs ironing.
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Same here. Of course, most of our clothes are the kind you wouldn’t iron, anyway.
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It was my job from about 14 onwards to iron the family’s clothes, but to my mum’s exacting standards – which included pillowcases and tea-towels. When I left home I slowly whittled down the amount I did until now I have to get the iron out maybe 3 times a year š
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Mary has an iron that she uses to block knitting projects. That’s it.
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I used to iron for others when I was in college. Now, I can’t remember where our iron is.
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Did you look in the cabinet under the sink?
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š¤£
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When I worked as a consultant, I ironed the collar, cuff and a run up the front. I figured the jacket and tie I had to wear all day covered everything else.
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Exactly. Why bother with the stuff no one sees?
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We have an iron, but hardly use it as we live in joggers and tees, and if we fold them right, no need for pressing. Was a godsend on the boat!
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We’ve seen to it that we don’t have to iron anything. Too big of a hassle…
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John, I wish permanent press worked like they say. Here in the UK the non iron shirts my hubby has, still need a little press, despite saying the opposite on the label!
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It’s the same here. That’s why Mom ironed all the time. She probably could have gotten by without ironing, but she didn’t see it that way.
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Us mums have that about us! š¤¦š½āāļøš³š
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