Was it a new HDTV? Luckily, No.
New appliances for a kitchen redo? I’m salivating here but sadly, No.
A new laptop to replace or add to the one desktop computer in our family of 5? No again.
Of all the domestic possibilities, I have been schlepping around looking for a satisfactory iron to purchase. Not a flat iron for my hair, but a regular, boring clothes iron. And there are two people in my house more interested in this purchase than I am.Back in the day when the Hubs and I were a DINK household we actually had his and hers irons. The hers came to be mine after I ironed my sweaters – I guess the heat was too much and fragments of melted angora would get pressed all over the Hubs’ shirts next time he needed the iron. Even though it cleaned up really well with nail polish remover on a cotton ball (back then besides having lots of soft red sweaters I had lots of red nail polish and polish remover handy), a new iron was purchased and I was banished from the new
iron.My husband is really, really good at ironing. He says he got started when he was in middle school and his mom ruined some of his clothes in the washer and she was bad at ironing, so he took over his washing and ironing. If I need something of mine ironed perfectly I ask him to do it. He doesn’t enjoy it so most of his work clothes go to the dry cleaner these days.
My oldest son has always been surprisingly concerned about his clothes and a typical morning involves him asking if I can iron down a collar or smooth out a t-shirt for him.
And then last week the iron just wouldn’t heat up. The Hubs said, “Don’t we have another one?” Sometime in the past after I stopped wearing fuzzy sweaters and most of his shirts went to the dry cleaner we downsized to one iron. And his memory is so bad he didn’t know.
So I bought a new one from Target and that night we tried it out and I didn’t like it because it was too heavy and Hubs didn’t like it because he put in a lot of water and it dripped a lot. So back it went and a different iron was purchased. This one didn’t even get plugged in because back at home we noticed the coating was scratched as if someone had a fiber melting incident on it and returned it.
Walmart was the logical next choice but it is outside of my Monday-Friday schedule and there might be anarchy if I waited till the weekend to get there. So I tried Kohls and voila they had about 10 irons on display and two on the shelf to actually buy. There was a $29 choice and a $109 choice (as if). I think we have a winner and I can actually throw out the box . It has satisfactory steaminess, no water drips, no scratches and not too heavy. The Oldest son was just happy to hear that we were keeping this one.
It’s time to pass down the tradition of middle school boys doing their own wash and ironing. I say my mother in law is a very smart lady.
15 comments:
Wow I am impressed. We own an iron (it was matt's before he met me - I didn't own one on my own) but rarely use it. We have a super cheap dry cleaners - and that's where our iron-able clothes go. I hate ironing, but Matt doesn't...so if we MUST break it out at home, he does it. Funny and interesting post! Hope you're doing well!
Who knew buying an iron could be so challenging! And there's really one for $109.00? Unbelievable. It must be the Dyson of irons.
I haven't ironed in 20 years. My husband irons every morning. Works for me.
He taught the boys also, except the middle one. Doesn't believe in it. Must take after me.
Well done finding a no drip iron. Not easy. I generally cop out and send Ralf's shirts to the dry cleaner. It's only women's stuff that's so expensive to dry clean, the men got off much easier. My own stuff, needless to say, does not get ironed.
I am all admiration at the policy of teaching middle school-aged boys to iron. We don't iron much in this household. I think I'm on the second iron I've had in my married life? It seems okay though. I agree a bad iron is not even worth using.
I do not iron. I had to buy a new one a few years ago because my old one rusted!
What is this thing you call an, how do you say, iron?
Fascinating.
(I love that your Hubs is better at it!!!)
i keep reading this...and can't get over the fact that buying an iron could be blog worthy...but this is coming from a gal that doesn't know how to iron clothes...i am pretty sure my fleece vest is not iron worthy...giggle :)
when i met my husband he was ironing his shirts with a little travel iron...pretty damn funny. then my mom bought us an iron, cuz' somewhere someone has said that when you get married you must have a great working iron in the house. i use it to iron fabric when i sew gift bags...and i started buying rick shirts that do not need iron.
i do love this post...and don't envy that buying an iron can be such a PITA(pain in the ass).
Wow, that's a lot of decision making going into buying an iron. You would probably shun me if I told you the last time an iron was used in this house. Go ahead, guess...
It was probably three years ago when we went up north for my grandfather's funeral. We're wrinkly, lazy folks here.
Rowenta Irons all the way. I've been using a hand me down from my mother for years and she knows irons.
The woman irons her sheets.
No way! Most of you do not iron? At all? I must not be getting my clothes out of the dryer fast enough. Or hanging them up on hangars correctly. And I dress pretty casual....
Not even a twisted cotton collar in the bunch of you? It sounds like Sara does irons.
LOL. I totally use the floor (or a towel or anothe piece of clothing) as an ironing board when I just need to do a quick press.
I used to work for a lady who made me press her 7 year old's t shirts. But, eh, they did look better.
My mom's theory on ironing is that it doesn't always matter if you pressed a new wrinkle into the garment because people will still know you actually made an attempt to iron. And that's what's important.ha!
Who knew ironing was such a rich subject!
Sara, we're twins because I deleted a longer post that I did right above and I mentioned how I used the floor. No need to flip open the ironing board when I just need to get the hangar folds out of some pants in the front. And I am fanatical about getting the boys' clothes out of the dryer as soon as it's done otherwise they bring me their wrinkled t-shirts.
Once in a blue moon I will gather about 10 things and iron in front of the TV, but I do not keep a basket of clothes to be ironed like my mom did.
I agree finding a good iron is really hard. I'm not very good at ironing no matter what the quality of the iron.
My friend owns a clothing store and she swears everyone should own a steamer, just hang the item up and a few swooshes and you're good to go.
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