When do you do the endless piles of ironing?

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Samster

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Just curious about this. The best intentions...I can never get this done during the day. I'm constantly turning the iron off to deal with something else. So, I end up doing this late at night :-(
 
We only ironed pillow cases and the top of the flat sheet to fold over the blanket..AND...that was my husband's job. I know you are pretty much doing everything yourself and I caution..this is going to burn you out quickly. Maybe sometime soon you can afford to pay someone to assist you with these kinds of thing. I hope so.
 
Have you looked for a mangle yet? Miele makes the new ones but they're expensive. Good excuse to come here if you want to take one home for you - we have several spare of the old Ironrites.
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I used to do it during the day between checkout and checkin, and sometimes in the morning after breakfast was in the oven but before service began. But - I have housekeepers who take care of the housework for the most part, and both of them can iron the linens if I need them to. Now we send the sheets out, so it's only the napkins and tablecloths.
Jeanne
 
I got rid of all sheets that require ironing. Period. Full Stop. I do iron pillowcases and don't mind that, it is actually therapeutic at times, esp if i have music on.
 
As things stand right now with you (and me 3 years ago) you have cotton sheets that you think require ironing (and quite possibly they really do). Don't iron the whole sheet, just the top edge. Don't iron the fitted sheet, just tug really hard when making the bed. Give your best effort to the pillowcases, they show the most.
This is not what you want to hear, but...even with help I was ironing sheets long after hubs was sound asleep. I was ironing until midnight in the summer. Everyday. I hated it, hated that hubs 'got' to go to bed while I was still working, hated that I was still pulling sheets out of the dryer long after he was done with the towels, hated the whole idea of not stepping foot outside the house for weeks on end (and I'm not joking about NOT stepping foot outside the house, not even to let the dog out, I did NOT open the door to the outside world for weeks on end).
Whew! Anyway, I gave up on all cotton sheets and went to poly cotton. I am much happier.
I have a basket that has the pillowcases in it. I try to iron for an hour a day during the summer, an hour a month in the winter...
 
I only iron pillowcases, dresser scarves, and some napkins. Ironed sheets are found at the Greenbrier. You asked when I keep the appointment with the dreaded ironing board. The answer is when the pillowcase stock gets low - I have at least 2 sets of pillowcases for each set of sheets - and there is no one in-house, I set it up in the dining room in the evening. It is cooler and less distractions. I can iron a dozen or more pillowcases pretty quickly.
 
Do dishes and clean kitchen. Get laundry started. Clean/fluff rooms. Have lunch. Set table for breakfast and do breakfast prep for next day if possible. IRON!! (This usually get's started around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.) I keep on top of it every day or at the worst every other day. Not a problem. I also only iron the top of the top sheets and the pillow cases.
 
As things stand right now with you (and me 3 years ago) you have cotton sheets that you think require ironing (and quite possibly they really do). Don't iron the whole sheet, just the top edge. Don't iron the fitted sheet, just tug really hard when making the bed. Give your best effort to the pillowcases, they show the most.
This is not what you want to hear, but...even with help I was ironing sheets long after hubs was sound asleep. I was ironing until midnight in the summer. Everyday. I hated it, hated that hubs 'got' to go to bed while I was still working, hated that I was still pulling sheets out of the dryer long after he was done with the towels, hated the whole idea of not stepping foot outside the house for weeks on end (and I'm not joking about NOT stepping foot outside the house, not even to let the dog out, I did NOT open the door to the outside world for weeks on end).
Whew! Anyway, I gave up on all cotton sheets and went to poly cotton. I am much happier.
I have a basket that has the pillowcases in it. I try to iron for an hour a day during the summer, an hour a month in the winter....
I have a tall covered laundry basket in my laundry room that has nothing in it, the top is used. From the dryer I fold the pillowcases and stack them there. It is the waitign area to be ironed. Then like I did an hour ago, I cart out the ironing board and iron em up. I hang them on a dry cleaner type hanger. All the pillowcases are hung together and all the sheets elsewhere.
Sheets get hung up straight from the dryer and they hang until they are placed on the beds.
When I go to make up a room I grab the sheets and pillowcases on hangers and carry them all up. I used to keep the extras in the guest closets, where guests would use JUST the pillowcases when they wanted and that bad idea was put away fast!
The reason I did that was I could have these "little legs" carry up sheets to each room for me and save me tons of stair time and effort. But not anymore.
 
I only iron pillowcases, dresser scarves, and some napkins. Ironed sheets are found at the Greenbrier. You asked when I keep the appointment with the dreaded ironing board. The answer is when the pillowcase stock gets low - I have at least 2 sets of pillowcases for each set of sheets - and there is no one in-house, I set it up in the dining room in the evening. It is cooler and less distractions. I can iron a dozen or more pillowcases pretty quickly..
When I loved in Australia I had to iron everything i owned since I hung everything out to line dry. That was ironing. There was a continual basket of ironing 24 hours a day, even levi's had to be pressed. I don't know how you do it with your sheets, mine used to wrinkle out really bad.
 
As things stand right now with you (and me 3 years ago) you have cotton sheets that you think require ironing (and quite possibly they really do). Don't iron the whole sheet, just the top edge. Don't iron the fitted sheet, just tug really hard when making the bed. Give your best effort to the pillowcases, they show the most.
This is not what you want to hear, but...even with help I was ironing sheets long after hubs was sound asleep. I was ironing until midnight in the summer. Everyday. I hated it, hated that hubs 'got' to go to bed while I was still working, hated that I was still pulling sheets out of the dryer long after he was done with the towels, hated the whole idea of not stepping foot outside the house for weeks on end (and I'm not joking about NOT stepping foot outside the house, not even to let the dog out, I did NOT open the door to the outside world for weeks on end).
Whew! Anyway, I gave up on all cotton sheets and went to poly cotton. I am much happier.
I have a basket that has the pillowcases in it. I try to iron for an hour a day during the summer, an hour a month in the winter....
I have a tall covered laundry basket in my laundry room that has nothing in it, the top is used. From the dryer I fold the pillowcases and stack them there. It is the waitign area to be ironed. Then like I did an hour ago, I cart out the ironing board and iron em up. I hang them on a dry cleaner type hanger. All the pillowcases are hung together and all the sheets elsewhere.
Sheets get hung up straight from the dryer and they hang until they are placed on the beds.
When I go to make up a room I grab the sheets and pillowcases on hangers and carry them all up. I used to keep the extras in the guest closets, where guests would use JUST the pillowcases when they wanted and that bad idea was put away fast!
The reason I did that was I could have these "little legs" carry up sheets to each room for me and save me tons of stair time and effort. But not anymore.
.
I used to lay everything that needed ironing over the back of the second comfy chair in my bedroom. I decided that after 3 years I have had enough of laundry strewn everywhere. So, I have a laundry basket that got freed up when we redid our bathroom (we had to get a much smaller laundry basket to fit the new space-yikes!) and I am using that. Makes the room look so much neater.
 
We only ironed pillow cases and the top of the flat sheet to fold over the blanket..AND...that was my husband's job. I know you are pretty much doing everything yourself and I caution..this is going to burn you out quickly. Maybe sometime soon you can afford to pay someone to assist you with these kinds of thing. I hope so..
Hi Cat Lady, Our home is a brand new home built my DH in 2004. We hve a very big Irish Family and would love for all of them to come and put them up here, and have a grand old time. I think having our whole family out here is what it's all about.
If they ALL caould agree on a weekd, or duing the week, we intend to close all room or my fmaily I mena how often wot we get to see them?.
With approx. 28 B*B's on The Northfork,of Long Isnnd, we figured why not give it a B&B a try.
All the B&b's out here iron their fittled and flat seehts, and iron their pillowcases.
I WsS NOT GOING TO SPEND MY SUMMER IRONING FLAT AND FITTED SHEETS AND PILLOWCASES.
The deciding factor was that I found a laundry serviec -- $4.00 for sheets and $1.00 for pillocases. They pick up on Modays and drop of on the followng Monday.
Hope this helps.
Patrricia, BytheBluff.om
 
I only iron pillowcases, dresser scarves, and some napkins. Ironed sheets are found at the Greenbrier. You asked when I keep the appointment with the dreaded ironing board. The answer is when the pillowcase stock gets low - I have at least 2 sets of pillowcases for each set of sheets - and there is no one in-house, I set it up in the dining room in the evening. It is cooler and less distractions. I can iron a dozen or more pillowcases pretty quickly..
When I loved in Australia I had to iron everything i owned since I hung everything out to line dry. That was ironing. There was a continual basket of ironing 24 hours a day, even levi's had to be pressed. I don't know how you do it with your sheets, mine used to wrinkle out really bad.
.
My DH almost fell off his chair when the middle son asked me to press a pair of Levis for him and I said sure, go set up the iron and ironing board. It proved he knew where they were. I said Watch! then showed him how to iron a shirt. Was the last time I ever ironed a pair of Levis. When I was a kid, all the mothers had pants stretchers for the jeans and slacks. they fit into the legs so the crease went in as the jeans hung on the clothesline.
As for my sheets, I hang them as soon as the washer quits (or try to) and I use Egyptian cotton sheets. They seem to wrinkle less than other cottons do. I just smooth everything out on the beds when I make it. I smooth the top hem especially. It really does not look wrinkled. If anything, there are some fold marks but I try to smooth them out also. Fitted sheets are wonderful!
 
Maybe it depends on clientelle and setting. We don't iron anything for the B&B. Napkins get tucked into napkin rings in ways that look the same regardless of their state of flatness. I don't know what the material is but it is the same as the tableclothes and they don't really wrinkle anyway. Occaisonally if the table cloth is in need (sat too long before getting folded...) it gets tossed in the dryer for a couple of minutes just before putting on the table.
Sheets no, pillowcases no. We will clean until things are spotless, but we will not lose sleep (or anything else) over a wrinkle in a pillowcase. (Keep in mind though that ultra prim and proper clashes with our cabin theme).
 
Well, the only ironing time I have usually is at night when the house is quiet. I guess it's really my least favorite thing to do but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. So, maybe it's worth it ;-)
I now have 3 sets for all the beds in our cottage and 2 sets for the beds here, plus one extra set. Actually, having the extras can make you complacent about ironing right away. haha!
This is definitely something that will be hired out to someone, somehow, somewhere when we get busy enough to justify it. Unfortunately, there's just no place for a Mangle :-(
 
My solution was to have a Grand Opening open house and to open our basement area to the public. (Our bedrooms on the second floor, however, are still trashed a week later!) I managed to iron every piece of linen laying around and reorganized my napkin and placemat storage. (Sheet storage still needs organized!)
My long term plan is to have a designated piling area that laundry can come out and lie flat until I am able to iron it. We also kicked around the idea of making a custom ironing board that would be as deep as a large napkin (so I could do it in one "swipe") and long enough for at least a queen sheet. But although the laundry room is cleaned out (amazing! wonderful! so worth having it on the tour! I can move around in there without having to climb over construction detritus and auction leftovers! Of course, the furnace room is now impassable...), we still haven't really finished that room yet. But at least I can get at my three ironing boards, iron, and steam press, and there's no longer drywall dust over everything.
=) Kk.
 
Well, the only ironing time I have usually is at night when the house is quiet. I guess it's really my least favorite thing to do but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. So, maybe it's worth it ;-)
I now have 3 sets for all the beds in our cottage and 2 sets for the beds here, plus one extra set. Actually, having the extras can make you complacent about ironing right away. haha!
This is definitely something that will be hired out to someone, somehow, somewhere when we get busy enough to justify it. Unfortunately, there's just no place for a Mangle :-(.
Samster said:
... but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. ...
Seriously? (I believe you, I'm just surprised. ;) ) Maybe it is that I am a guy, but there are 1000 other things I would comment on or even notice in a B&B than whether the sheets were ironed. I notice antiques, art work, fine craftsmanship, I even notice flowers and plants. I definitely notice clean, and comfortable (as opposed to scratchy) sheets but the flatness of the sheets, I can't imaging a world where that would be something I would comment on ;) If I am ever at any of your places and a comment about ironed sheets ever escapes my lips, just shoot me or hit me with a 2x4 because life as I know it must be over.
tounge_smile.gif

 
Well, the only ironing time I have usually is at night when the house is quiet. I guess it's really my least favorite thing to do but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. So, maybe it's worth it ;-)
I now have 3 sets for all the beds in our cottage and 2 sets for the beds here, plus one extra set. Actually, having the extras can make you complacent about ironing right away. haha!
This is definitely something that will be hired out to someone, somehow, somewhere when we get busy enough to justify it. Unfortunately, there's just no place for a Mangle :-(.
Samster said:
... but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. ...
Seriously? (I believe you, I'm just surprised. ;) ) Maybe it is that I am a guy, but there are 1000 other things I would comment on or even notice in a B&B than whether the sheets were ironed. I notice antiques, art work, fine craftsmanship, I even notice flowers and plants. I definitely notice clean, and comfortable (as opposed to scratchy) sheets but the flatness of the sheets, I can't imaging a world where that would be something I would comment on ;) If I am ever at any of your places and a comment about ironed sheets ever escapes my lips, just shoot me or hit me with a 2x4 because life as I know it must be over.
tounge_smile.gif

.
I can attest...he never mentioned sheets, ironed or otherwise, while he was here! Altho, we had a power outage to talk about so that may be why.
wink_smile.gif

 
Well, the only ironing time I have usually is at night when the house is quiet. I guess it's really my least favorite thing to do but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. So, maybe it's worth it ;-)
I now have 3 sets for all the beds in our cottage and 2 sets for the beds here, plus one extra set. Actually, having the extras can make you complacent about ironing right away. haha!
This is definitely something that will be hired out to someone, somehow, somewhere when we get busy enough to justify it. Unfortunately, there's just no place for a Mangle :-(.
Samster said:
... but it's one of the things that the guests always comment on, ALWAYS. ...
Seriously? (I believe you, I'm just surprised. ;) ) Maybe it is that I am a guy, but there are 1000 other things I would comment on or even notice in a B&B than whether the sheets were ironed. I notice antiques, art work, fine craftsmanship, I even notice flowers and plants. I definitely notice clean, and comfortable (as opposed to scratchy) sheets but the flatness of the sheets, I can't imaging a world where that would be something I would comment on ;) If I am ever at any of your places and a comment about ironed sheets ever escapes my lips, just shoot me or hit me with a 2x4 because life as I know it must be over.
tounge_smile.gif

.
I can attest...he never mentioned sheets, ironed or otherwise, while he was here! Altho, we had a power outage to talk about so that may be why.
wink_smile.gif

.
We talk of that trip often. The power outage makes it a fun story to tell. ...that and DW and I acting out what it was like hiking the various trails in Barr Harbor with me hobbling around after my ladder accident and DW waiting for me to catch up and calling me like a dog....that always has people laughing by the end of it.
 
We have 60/40 cotton/poly blend, 350 to 400 tc, and the guests love them. We iron pillow cases only, just to make them look really nice. They really don't need it. I would be ironing until 6am if I did the sheets! It is usually 3 or 4 pm before I'm through just cleaning the rooms.
 
We have 60/40 cotton/poly blend, 350 to 400 tc, and the guests love them. We iron pillow cases only, just to make them look really nice. They really don't need it. I would be ironing until 6am if I did the sheets! It is usually 3 or 4 pm before I'm through just cleaning the rooms..
Thanks KonaGirl and welcome to INNspiring.com. Do you have a brand you recommend on those sheets?
 
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