How Do You Enjoy Ironing

Most people I know hate ironing. In fact, most will try to avoid it as much as they can. But if your job or an event requires you to be well-dressed, you can’t really run away from this chore. You will still need to take out your iron and ironing board and do this chore on a regular basis. If it can’t be avoided, how do you enjoy ironing then to make it less dreadful?

Enjoy Ironing Your Clothes

Below are a few suggestions on how you can make ironing more enjoyable. They will not be able to make you fall in love with this chore but at the very least, they should reduce the dislike and apprehension.

Reduce Your Ironing Load

Ironing will look dreadful if we have a big pile of items to go through. That is when we don’t even feel like starting. So, one of the easiest ways to make the chore more palatable is to lower your standards and pick out only those items that are absolutely necessary to iron. If some people can live without ironing, you can too. There are those who don’t even iron shirts for work!

Of course, you don’t have to go from one extreme to another. Maybe you can start by omitting towels and bed sheets if you are the type who irons everything. Or cut down on items that don’t wrinkle easily. For instance, you don’t really need to iron T-shirts. The aim is to reduce your ironing load as much as possible. If the pile is small, you will not feel the task is daunting and ironing will then automatically become more enjoyable.

Don’t Let Wrinkles Set

When all your clothes are wrinkly, ironing will look intimidating. Imagine of every item in the pile is so wrinkled that you know you will need to spend a considerable amount of time to iron each one. You will feel ironing is such a hateful chore.

So, do yourself a favor. Don’t let wrinkles set after washing. Hang up all your clothes immediately once the washer has completed its job. You want as few lines as possible on your clothes so that when it is time to iron, it wouldn’t take long to finish a piece. Ironing would then be easier and hence, more enjoyable.

Iron After Each Wash Load

Make it a habit to iron your clothes after each wash load. It is just a good way to avoid piling up. The fewer things you need to iron, the faster you can complete the task and the more motivated you will be to get it done and over with.

So, don’t wait for your washing to pile up and with it the ironing load. You will be overwhelmed. Iron small amounts each time and the task will be more relaxing and easier to handle.

Improve Your Mood

Don’t start ironing feeling all moody and frustrated. It will just make the chore more hateful. Instead try to improve your mood. Different people have different relaxation methods and calming of the mind. Some will resort to aromatherapy as certain scents from essential oils are known to be mood boosters. So, turn on your diffuser while you are ironing.

If you are not into aromatherapy, there is always music. Or prepare your favorite beverage and take a sip to help to lighten your mood as you savor the taste. Do whatever floats your boat to make you forget the dreadfulness of the task at hand. Time will pass by faster that way and with it, the ironing too.

Think Of The Savings

Money is always a big motivator. So, whenever you feel down looking at the pile of clothes that you need to iron, think of the savings that you are accumulating for not sending them to the professional cleaners. That might just brighten your mood instantly.

To make yourself even more motivated, you can put the money saved into a money bank and then use it later to reward yourself. Consider it as a treat for yourself and it might just change your attitude towards ironing. Basically, just try to change the way you look at the chore. Use a different viewpoint and ironing may then be more pleasant each time.

Treat It As Therapy

I know it is hard not to look at ironing as a chore. But just as some people find cleaning could help them to de-stress, so can ironing. Try to do ironing when the kids are asleep and there is peace and quiet. Let it be as relaxing as possible without any disturbances or the need to rush.

When the mind is calm, satisfaction is easier to attain as you watch the wrinkles disappear with your repetitive hand movement as you glide the steam iron. Repetitiveness can be therapeutic. So will you feel refreshed when your clothes look crisp and fresh from your effort. It may sound strange but treat the chore as a meditative session and it might turn into something that could help you to de-stress after a tough day.

Iron With Friends

Chances are not only you have to do ironing every week but so do your friends. So, why not start a weekly ironing session by getting together to iron the clothes with a friend or two?

Time will definitely pass by faster when you have company. As you chat with your friends, the chore will be over before you know it. The distraction will take your mind off the ironing although your hands may be moving. If you can’t have friends over, a phone call could also be a good substitute.

Anyway, there are various ways on how to make ironing enjoyable. The above is just a small number of suggestions. What to do while ironing may require a bit of creativity to make the task more pleasant but you can start by considering what makes you relax and see if you can incorporate that into your ironing session. Whether it is treating yourself to a chocolate for each piece ironed or listening to soothing music, ironing need not be that daunting overall.