Ironing Woes...Love the vintage Hate the ironing

[Sunny]

See and I have a built in ironing board circa 1930 or so. The only slightly depressing thing is that it is in the kitchen, so other then loud music, there is little entertainment to be had while standing there.

But it works perfectly, is full sized and means I don't have to figure out where to store an ironing board, since I live in a small bungalow. It even swivels out so that it is in a convenient spot yet does not block any walkways or other cabinets.

If you ever get the joy of having a house with a built in, go for it. Sadly, far too many houses converted them into shallow spice racks.

That sounds awesome! I'd love to see pictures of one. There aren't many houses that age anywhere near me, but a certain clever dad of mine might be able to create one.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

There are companies that still actually make the cabinets..or a modern version of....


http://ironaway.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=ITEM-A-46

etc...

I will take a picture of mine when I get home.

 

[Lorena B]

oh yuck! i am glad i am not the only one that hates ironing

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

oh yuck! i am glad i am not the only one that hates ironing

I agree...It's all about the hot dryer, for me.

 

[64tonya]

There are companies that still actually make the cabinets..or a modern version of....


http://ironaway.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=ITEM-A-46

etc...

I will take a picture of mine when I get home.

Oh, I used to live in a cute little bungalow built for the california expo back in the day that had one! I miss that place, it was my favorite domicile

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Ok....as promised, pictures of my built in ironing board. The bungalows were built in 1910, but they modernized the kitchens a tiny bit around the 30's somewhere. My fridge -still- doesn't actually fit in the main kitchen and instead has to go in the service porch like room behind it, where the icebox undoubtedly lived at one point.

Please ignore the stuff in the background. Its my back kitchen (or utility porch) and thats recycling waiting to go to the recycling place.

is what the cabinet looks like closed. Its metal and I find it extremely 'fun' that they actually carved out the path of the door opening into the door jamb at the top.

is what the mechanism looks like...the bottom part lowers it down..and the wheel turns it, so that it doesn't hit my other cabinets but instead you rotate it as you lower it so it clears all the obstacles.

is what it looks like down....

 

[LelaViavonie]

That is soo cool... Oh I wish I could live in something that was built in those days.. ONE DAY

 

[decodoll]

I have a cabinet ironing board too in the kitchen. House was built in the late 40's. The cover is shredded though, and it's not quite full size. I really need to look and see if I can find a new cover for it.

 

[Sunny]

Awesome pictures! That is great to see. Thank you!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I have a cabinet ironing board too in the kitchen. House was built in the late 40's. The cover is shredded though, and it's not quite full size. I really need to look and see if I can find a new cover for it.

Get a full size cover anyhow...mine is.

You just need to get one of the kind that has actual strings to tighten it and not just elastic....

If you look in the close up picture you can also -just see one edge of what looks like a spring...the wires at the sides are pointy and grab into the fabric of the cover and pull it towards the middle...

I nabbed mine from the old cover.....if yours are still under there, you might well be all set....if not...try using those suspender like clippy things with elastic in the middle that people use for fitted sheets...like http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=308770

to keep the extra surplus cover fabric -under- the board

 

[decodoll]

Thanks, Miss Neecerie. No springy thing... the original shredded cover is actually nailed to the board on the underside! I think I might have some of those sheet elastic things somewhere. I'll have to try that.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Ok....as promised, pictures of my built in ironing board. The bungalows were built in 1910, but they modernized the kitchens a tiny bit around the 30's somewhere. My fridge -still- doesn't actually fit in the main kitchen and instead has to go in the service porch like room behind it, where the icebox undoubtedly lived at one point.

I had one exactly like that in the apartment I lived in in Santa Barbara -- *very* convenient. The apartment also had a built-in icebox -- the whole "kitchenette" idea was very popular around the '20s, and they were very clever finding ways to make the best possible use of space.

My current ironing board is a wooden yard-sale find. Cost $15, but it's stable, solid, and indestructible.

 

[tuppence]

I must be the laziest girl around.
The worst thing about ironing, is hauling the ironing board out. I did have one of those tiny Ikea ironing boards that I used to put across my knees, until the iron fell and got my thigh. Scars mostly gone now though.
My husband adjusted my ironing board so its low enough that I can sit on the couch, watch t.v and do the ironing.

I'm definitely going to get a vintage iron now. I had actually physically picked one up at an antique shop and was shocked by how heavy it was. I thought it would make an excellent door stop. Modern irons don't seem to be working for me, I can see a lot of sense in a heavy iron actually meaning less work.

 

[Cricket]

Use a *heavy* iron. It might sound counter-intuitive, but modern lightweight irons are actually more work to use. A vintage heavy iron might seem harder to push around at first but they do a much better job with a lot less repetition.

Mine is a Sunbeam Ironmaster, c. 1935, and it gives me a workout -- it weighs about six pounds -- but I never have to go over and over a piece. It heats up, holds the heat well, and the sheer mass of the thing presses out the wrinkles the first time over. Plus it makes a convenient doorstop when I'm not ironing.

Not only are you getting some ironing done, but you are also getting your workout in, killing two birds with one stone.

 

[Craig Robertson]

I iron nearly every day. I like freshly ironed shirts and slacks, and, if I want them done, I have to do it myself.
In one of Murakami's books, he has a male character who always irons his shirts when he's agitated.
It can be a rather Zen activity. (sometimes, 'cept when I'm late)

 

[tempestbella42]

I
My husband adjusted my ironing board so its low enough that I can sit on the couch, watch t.v and do the ironing.

.

i actually love ironing vintage( i always use a water spray or starch depending on material/colour!) its the everyday stuff i hate doing!

tuppence.. thats what i do...trouble is it becomes a "occasional table"

i treated myself to a steamer iron as i sew too, and was lucky in findindg a 1940s style...its got a heavy iron by a company called homefront..ill try and find alink but ive had it ovwer a yr and moved twice!

 

[Vanessa]

Ok....as promised, pictures of my built in ironing board.

Last night I discovered I could join the "I have a built-in ironing board club" too.

We discovered a secret door in my cottage behind the fridge that is, in fact, a built-in ironing board with an electrical outlet and not the breaker box we thought.

Door with new matching knob for kitchen

Ironing board folded down w/either an iron rest or a sleeve board.

The patent stamp inside the closet. Looks like the company stamp says Eureka...which is about what I said when I found out not only did I have a built-in, but another electrical outlet! (There's a serious lack of those.)

 

[ScotchWhisky]

I can't recommend steamers highly enough... it's an investment, but not much more than a really good, heavy iron. It makes my life infinitely more enjoyable, especially since I have a lot of silk blouses that suffer awful wrinkles after having been tucked into a skirt and belted for twelve hours...

Also, I never did really learn how to iron darts properly. Men's shirts I can handle, but give me a blouse with darts and I'll give you the blankest expression you ever saw.

 

[64tonya]

Conair Steamer

Thanks for all the recommendations about steamers. I went out an picked up a conair for 29.99 thinking I would end up returning it, but it is great! I recommend it. I tried it on a rayon dress and the wrinkles just melted away! Some of the heavier pieces are more stubborn, but I'm sure I'll get better at it

 

[Miss Leah]

I like ironing lovely vintage pieces but I am a lazy ironer. Over the years I've learned some tricks. First, cottons and linens benefit from a damp resting period before you go at them with your iron of choice. So I do the washing, then fold the items to sort of coax the wrinkles out (this is so effective with sheets, pillowcases and tablecloths, that I often don't have to iron them at all!). I typically let them rest overnight...but watch out, once I forgot them for a week and had some little mildew spots to contend with. I then pop them in the dryer for a few minutes to get some steam in them and dry just a bit. Then I hang them up on a garment rack I have in the laundry room. The flat sheets are folded in thirds, lengthwise and dry just fine. The next day I just fold them up and voila "faux" ironed linens!

Beautiful linens and cotton shirts deserve the full treatment however. I wash these and let them dry a bit but I then fold up these items and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer. My grandmother used to let them dry all the way and then sprinkle or spray them with water and put them in the refrigerator for a day or so. I learned NOT to do this because of another mildew incident. I guess she had more time to devote to laundry than I do.

When I have some time to spend (usually at least 1/2 hour, but more often 1 + hours), I get out the bag o' linens, turn on my iron (no steam needed), and start ironing. I have a drying rack right next to my ironing board, so as items are done get put on the rack to finish drying. (I hang shirts on the shower curtain rod). Again, time is your friend and will do most of the hard work. The next day, everything is gloriously crisp and ready for the next go round!

Have fun!