Why I Hate Ironing

In my whole life, I have never met anyone who likes ironing. But I have met plenty of people who gladly avoid this chore. Some have resorted to buying clothes that don’t require ironing at all. Others will just wear them without caring about the wrinkles. Even my mom who likes to labor through the day doing all sorts of household chores hates ironing. She said that it is the only task that she wishes she could avoid. But since she is too fussy about being presentable, she irons her clothes and my dad’s the moment they are out from the washer. Never pile them up, as she said. It makes the chore even more dreadful!

As my mom gets older, she hates ironing even more because it requires her to stand while she completes her task. Her legs are getting weaker and I have told her to do it sitting down with a tabletop ironing board. But old folks never listen but well, that’s a story for another day. For me, I have my own reasons why I hate ironing and I can go on and on about it. But I will try to keep it short so as not to bore you with my rants about this dreadful chore.

The Reasons Why I Hate Ironing

Ironing Is Boring

The task is just too repetitive. You stand there and glide the iron back and forth umpteen times to get rid of the wrinkles. When you vacuum, at least you are moving from room to room. But ironing requires you to stand at the same spot and repeating the same moves. How boring is that?

Well, to make it a little bit more interesting, I will turn on some music. It helps to take away some of the boredom. Sometimes, I would drag my ironing board all the way to the living room and watch TV while I iron. But I have also burned my hand before watching TV while ironing because my eyes were glued to the screen rather than the boring job right in front of me. So, it is not a good idea but sometimes, it is really the only way that could motivate me to pick up my clothes iron. The good news is I haven’t scorched any of my clothes before watching TV and ironing at the same time. Have you?

I Can Never Get It Perfect

Ironing is never a satisfying chore for me because I can never get perfect results. I can use high steam output all the way or damp the clothes before ironing, but I will still end up with a few minor creases here and there by the time I finished. Obviously, I’m not a professional and I may not have the right steam iron to get laundrette-level results. I can accept less but to have spent a bit of my time going back and forth on the piece of clothing and still notice a few wrinkles is just annoying.

Anyway, I’m lucky I’m not particularly fussy about getting every minor line out of sight. A friend spends a few hours ironing each time because she is a perfectionist and can’t stand having even a slight wrinkle on the clothes she is ironing. If I spend the whole morning ironing, I think I wouldn’t have the mood to do anything else for the day because I would be too tired and frustrated!

It’s Hot

Ironing is more bearable during the colder months. But where I live, it can be really hot and humid during the summer. A hot weather plus a heat generator is certainly not a very nice combination when you are the one holding the latter. So, if I have a big pile to iron, you can bet I will be sweating by the time I’m done. And then, I will have to head for the shower all because I have just done some ironing!

It’s Heavy

I find that a steam iron can get rather heavy, especially in the initial stages when it is filled with water to the max. Having steam output gives better results. So, it is definitely better to fill the steam iron with water. I can fill it halfway to cut down on the weight but then, I will have to refill more often which is also troublesome.

I understand that a heavy iron helps to get rid of wrinkles faster but it is also tiring on the arm. I need a fair bit of strength to move the iron which is also why I end up sweating when I iron as mentioned above. Maybe this can be my perfect excuse to buy a new and lighter steam iron?

What Do You Hate Most About Ironing?

So, enough about me and why I hate ironing.  What about you? What do you hate most about ironing? Or don’t tell me that you love this chore! I will be glad to send all my clothes to you for ironing if you really exist and living close to where I’m.

Anyway, I really doubt there is anyone who loves doing this task. At most, I have come across people who are indifferent to it. They hate other chores more but they can’t find in their heart to love ironing either!