Friday, April 7, 2017

Pumping Iron

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Ironing. 
Love it. Hate it. Avoid it. 

What's to love? The history! 

Did you know the board we use today was invented by a freed African-American slave? Sarah Boone was a dressmaker in Connecticut. She did a lot of ironing and got fed up with boards that didn't quite fit, so she designed the board we all know and love today. I suppose until Sarah stepped up and made improvements, people were ironing on tables and floors like broke college students.



What's to hate? The work! 
But we can make that a little easier...

1. Line your board with foil to reflect the heat from the iron.
2. Keep a spray bottle of clear water handy. Set it to mist, not stream.
3. Iron easily scorched items by covering with a square of cotton, like a pillow case or cloth napkin.
4. Got a broken decal (you know, the raised kind like on jerseys)? Touch up the bad sections with waxed paper. Lay waxed side down and use the tip of the hot iron to go over the section.
5. Accidentally got goop on your iron that will leave black smears? Try toothpaste first. If that fails, use a fine grit sandpaper attached to a wooden block. Rub gently while iron is hot, wipe clean.

What to avoid? Any bit you can!

1. Hang or fold easily wrinkled clothes immediately from the dryer.
2. Allow clothes to run through the cool cycle on the dryer before tossing in a basket.
3. Never press clothes into the basket, like my husband. Three loads of clothes stuffed in one basket will always cause wrinkles.
4. Left a load of clothes in the basket too long and have a mess of wrinkles? Spritz clothes with clear water and toss back in the dryer.
5. Bringing out seasonal clothes from bags in storage? Soak a washcloth with water and a bit of liquid fabric softener and toss in dryer with clothes. It removes the wrinkles and comes out smelling fresh.



7 comments:

  1. I didn't know that about the waxed paper! One of my fav Star Wars shirts is splitting horribly and I quit wearing it to save it. I'm going to go try this!
    But first I'll have to buy an ironing board...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flat irons work too. You just need the heat in the spot that's cracked. And to save it in the future, wash inside out and line dry. (Can you tell I spend a lot of time maintaining numbers on jerseys?)

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  2. Love it. I rarely iron, these days - a couple of times a year, if that. I don't have a drier, so I line dry or hang clothes on an airer. Vigorous shaking is important, and I never peg out anything that will retain the impression of the peg!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shaking out is a great tip! I don't use my dryer during the line drying season. Love the smell of clothes fresh from the line.

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  3. Interesting tips Liz. However, I rarely, if ever, iron. I make sure our clothes don't need it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As always, you're a wise lady. I usually just do the collars and sleeves of dress shirts.

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