Avoiding ironing

I still iron although in this heat the 2 full wash baskets sitting looking at me today will have to wait until it cools down. I don't iron towels, socks or underwear or anything which is fluffy like my dressing gown so manage to whittle the pile down once I get started.

My DIL in NZ never irons - they straighten, smooth and fold everything - she doesn't even own an iron!

Hetty - I await your evidence via large, long term studies on humans please!

I once stayed with a colleague who ironed his face cloths.
We always thought he was a bit 'peculiar'.

whisper: husband has just started to do the ironing - hooray!

I do usually iron cotton and linen - and nearly all my summer things are cotton or linen, or a mix.
However recently I decided I just couldn't be bothered to iron a pair of C/L trousers - they'd been smoothed out when hung to dry - and TBH any creases soon vanished so that you wouldn't know the difference.

A tumble drier is a big help, but for environmental reasons I use mine an awful lot less now.
My dd never irons anything! She doesn't have a TD either. SiL does iron his work shirts, though.

SirChenjin, I'm not surprised that you couldn't find firm evidence of safety either. Information is sketchy. Have you ever wondered about ingredient lists? The common 'Amongst other ingredients' phrase at the start means they'll only list what they legally have to.

White vinegar in the conditioner department works very well. I repeat, why risk adding toxins to your home?

www.scientificamerican.com/article/greener-laundry/

My elder sister was once staying with my younger sister in the US, to look after little niece while younger dSis' dh was ill in hospital.

Elder sister did the washing, and subsequently went mad trying to find an iron - turned the house upside down looking for it.
Eventually asked younger sister where on earth it was.

'I haven't got one!'
Everything goes in the dryer.
According to younger sister, in the US hanging clothes on a washing line is a sign of either poverty or madness, possibly both.
Though to be entirely fair, where she lives, for several months of the year it would be far too cold to hang anything outside.

The evidence isn’t sketchy Hetty, it’s non-existent. There is no evidence whatsoever to link fabric softeners to cancer (any type) and while it’s obviously completely up to you to reject its use it’s wrong to claim it’s carcinogenic

Really SirChenjin? Perhaps you'd like to tell Karen about your superior knowledge?

ackermancancercenter.com/blog/safer-alternatives-to-fabric-softeners

Or maybe I’ll believe the evidence on Pubmed, Cochrane, Medline etc and from my colleagues in oncology.

Hmmm... decisions, decisions . I think I’ll go for the latter and you can go with Karen.

It seems you like to be right SirChenjin! Perhaps you are - but still no evidence, so I'll repeat 'Why risk it?' Why use any unnecessary chemicals, in fact any chemicals at all? Why does laundry have to smell of perfume? Surely, clean laundry with no smell is perfectly OK.

It’s got nothing to do with ‘liking’ to be right - I am simply pointing out that there is no evidence to show that fabric softeners cause cancer.

I’ll repeat - if you choose not to use fabric softener then that absolutely your choice, but don’t claim fabric softener is carcinogenic - these types of groundless and inaccurate claims are widespread across the internet and cause great harm, upset and cost to health services.

Unfounded

SirChenjin, perhaps I should have said 'potential carcinogen' then. There are no long-term studies as the use of these products (and a host of others) is fairly recent. There are indicators, though, and that's quite enough for me. Oncologists may disagree about safety, meanwhile why risk it?

I'd certainly agree with you strongly about all the dangerous anti-vaccination internet propaganda that has caused untold misery and loss of life. Here, however, we are simply talking about an unnecessary product that may cause harm. Encouraging people to just stop using it will bring no adverse consequences.

I particularly object to the 'trade secret' aspect of companies being allowed to put the 'amongst other ingredients' statement on their labels. It's a nightmare for severe allergy sufferers.

Of course, it also depends on where you are. Some chemicals are banned in Europe but not in America. People should read around the subject and then decide:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10872633

www.life.ca/naturallife/0608/softener.htm

www.hunker.com/12427821/what-are-the-dangers-of-fabric-softener

www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/05/skip-fabric-softeners

www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/05/skip-fabric-softeners

detergents?

branchbasics.com/blog/laundry-chemicals/

You know the pubmed article refers to a test carried out on mice? I didn’t read the others as the rest are not unbiased, rigorous studies.

Look, we can toss this back and forward all day long. Ultimately you have taken a personal decision not to use fabric softener because you are concerned about some of the possible risks of some of the ingredients and that’s fine, but please don’t tell the rest of us that fabric conditioner is carcinogenic - the evidence is clear that it’s not. When I said that the internet is awash with unfounded statements I wasn’t simply referring to the anti vaccination movement. All kinds of claims are made by people with all kinds of agendas so it’s important to learn how to read research and understand what the figures mean. The Behind the Headlines is a great resource if anyone is interested.

SirChenjin, I really don't think we disagree much. I do know about serious research but I was just gathering ideas. I'm not at work and I took my audience into consideration. GN is just a funny and fairly lighthearted forum in my view.

Yes, agreed that 'possible risks' is probably what I should have said. Any sloppiness on my part I'm sorry for and a consequence of trying to simplify things and blend in (as I seem to easily confuse some on here, as on the dog poop post). Agendas I understand but usually it's fairly clear if somebody is keen to influence or selling something - not in this case.

I think you'll easily find plenty of other ridiculous stuff to criticise on here. I know I have but logical comments get deleted, it seems. I will persevere.

I wonder Hetty about the link you make between “not at work” and the “audience” you “take into consideration”
I hope you are not implying that comments need to be “dumbed down” because you regard this as a lighthearted “seniors’ “site.

Any road up..
So far I have only one top with peg marks on it (because I didn't hang it out on a hanger)

A pair of chino type shorts came out fairly wrinkle free, and all the jersey shorts have been ok.

I have ordered one of the stand type hangy up things so I can dry clothes (on hangers!) indoors if needs be.

Thank you all for your help - it seems I just needed to take more care with the washing at the start of the process in order to save faffing around at the end of it.

Hetty I'm not at work and I took my audience into consideration. GN is just a funny and fairly lighthearted forum in my view

Really? You obviously haven’t ventured onto some of the politics threads ?
And please give the GN membership a little more credit for intelligence and understanding.

If you felt anybody was “confused” at your dog poo comment, Hetty, perhaps you should have expressed yourself more clearly or at least said why you felt it necessary to make it?

I haven't ironed since DH retired, he took over. He prides himself on a perfect job, every last item neatly pressed.
I had to ask him not to iron my frillies as the elastic was getting melted on to the iron base.
I do not believe you can skip the ironing, it is very obvious when people wear tops or shirts that have not been on the ironing board.

Why does it matter harrigan? Surely it shows that they have better things to do than ironing.

Yes, janeainsworth, I do find it funny. I can't help it. The politics posts are particularly hilarious. I will attempt to credit your intelligence whilst spelling things out clearly for others.

Sometimes it reminds me of those spoof sites like the Rochdale Herald or Southend News Network, with only some readers sharing the joke. I can't believe that some of the posts are genuine.