Ironing Pillowcases

[whirlcool]

Karen is doing the weekly ironing. As I passed by I noticed she was ironing pillow cases. I asked her why spend the time ironing those because they'll soon get wrinkled. Her response, her mother ironed pillowcases, my mother ironed pillowcases, and beside you like it too!
Which got me to thinking, there is nothing nicer that taking a shower before going to bed and then smelling the fresh pressed pillowcase. I'm used to it, in fact in hotels I often come across starched and ironed pillowcases.
With nothing better to do I came across this little article on the Internet about pillowcase ironing. I felt it kind of heartwarming and funny at the same time. Kinda like an Irma Bombeck kind of funny.
Who remembers the Coke/Pepsi bottle with the cork and metal sprinkler attatchment? I do, my Mother used one!

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/jennings050902.asp

 

[goprog]

Yup, Mom had one of those 40 years ago and I'm looking at it
right now! The cork now has duct tape around it. Mom took it
to the fair and had it dunked or something at a booth that gave
it a multi-colored/painted finish - yellow, green, red, white -
but almost all of the paint has worn off now.

 

[djmjlcst]

Wow! There's a memory!

My Mom used to do the same thing. She had a 16oz TAB and later a Sugar Free Dr. Pepper glass bottle (yes with cyclamates)! She used to do all her ironing with that bottle sprinkler close at hand. Thanks for jogging my memory on this one whirlcool! I completely forgot about this until you mentioned it! - Mike

 

[scott55405]

We never used one of those bottles for ironing since at least in my lifetime we always had an iron that sprayed, but my dad had one he used with the grill, I'm guessing to tame flareups.

Whirlcool, we always ironed pillowcases, dishtowels, tshirts and my dad's boxer shorts. One of my mother's friends even ironed socks. I would often "help" by ironing the pillowcases and dishtowels, as they were flat, square and easy (and hence fun) (LOL).

 

[michaelman2]

I always get a funny look when my friends hear that I iron bed linens. Their comments usually include " they will wrinkle the minute you sleep on them"....Ironing flattens the fibers of those 400+ thread count linens. They stay completely smooth (they may look wrinkled) much like a cotton dress shirt feels so nice once ironed. People envision someone using a hand iron, but this is where an ironer/mangle is a must!

 

[jeb]

Ironing- don,t forget the hankies

My mother also had the sprinkler (in a pepsi bottle) but I learned to iron on the hankies--- small,square, and no big deal if you mess up. Formula for ironing hank; iron flat-fold in halve, iron again- fold in half, iron again, fold in halve. Little hand couldn't go wrong with this formula

 

[bingwsguy]

If I could have freshly laundered, line dried, pressed linens everyday...life would be wonderful. I acutally think this thread may have inspired me to do just that. The thought of getting into that bed every night is very relaxing.

 

[saltysam]

OH MY

Wow this has brought back memories........My grandma had a coke bottle with the cork and sprinkler in it.......I can remember watching her iron not only pillow cases but also the sheets on Saturday mornings when i was visiting in the summers.......Nothing like life on the farm........what i wouldn't give to go back in time to re-live some of those moments.......sigh!
Mark

 

[tlee618]

Allen, thanks so much for the link to the fun story. I don't iron the pillow cases every week but usually about every other washing they get ironed. Always iron the cases for the guest beds. It is just one of the nice little touches we can do. We did have the sprinkler cork top thing too, ours was on a Pepsi bottle. Later we had one of the "fancy" store bought sprinkler. I remember it being a beautiful turquoise color. Such fun memories!!

 

[ironrite]

And ours was the sprinkler on a Heinz ketchup bottle! Somewhere here, I think I still have that sprinkler attachement.

Take the laundry off the line, fold and put away things that didn't need ironing. Not my father's work pants. For those, my mom used those metal pant creaser frames so they came off the line wrinkle free. Then sprinkle the remaining clothes on the kitchen table, fold them up and into a plastic bag for ironing on Tuesday. If you starched, you did that before you dried. The starch was the boiled type, with Satina added to make ironing easier.

Monday was wash day. Being in Arizona, with low humidity, the clothes didn't sour. Otherwise you had to find room in the refrigerator to store the bag overnight.

 

[pturo]

Ironing Sheets

Whatever gets your sheets up! I think line drying sheets is a marvelous old idea and I do it whenever I can. Screw the ironing, I think it takes the outdoor smell out. If you have wrinkles in your line dried sheets, you are not hanging them right. " Five pins, Delores, not four, you know how I like them". Ironers and manlers are for hotel sheets. I also like "scratch" towels dried on the line in summer, very exfoilating, at the beach after a shower.

 

[pturo]

Ironing Sheets

Whatever gets your sheets up! I think line drying sheets is a marvelous old idea and I do it whenever I can. Screw the ironing, I think it takes the outdoor smell out. If you have wrinkles in your line dried sheets, you are not hanging them right. " Five pins, Delores, not four, you know how I like them". Ironers and manlers are for hotel sheets. I also like "scratch" towels dried on the line in summer, very exfoilating, at the beach after a shower.

 

[gansky1]

I line-dry all bedding but I love ironed pillow cases. No starch for me though, just pure, clean cotton. The freshly ironed - outdoor scent is amazing. This weekend, I ran a patient stack of pillow cases, my duvet and pillow shams through the Ironrite. My bed was like a big white puffy cloud last night - heaven on earth!

 

[danemodsandy]

Laundry Sprinklers

For those of you who envy anyone who still has their ironing sprinkler, here's a source. They're only $1.49, even after all these years. Fa goodnitz sake, get yaself a real Coke bottle, though, not a plastic water bottle like it shows in the pic:

Laundry Sprinkler

Moisten dry clothes for easy steaming and ironing with this retro laundry sprinkler. It's a classic and it works. Simply attach to a water bottle and sprinkle as you are ironing.

www.gourmac.com

 

[pturo]

and a helluva wine cork for letting the reds breathe for dual purpouse

 

[jamiel]

Mmmm, memories. My grandmother had the sprinkler head on a 1950 vintage Pepsi bottle and a Betty Crocker iron (that lay on its side...pointed on the ends). My mom was modern...always used a spray bottle and a GE Spray/Steam/Dry iron from about when I was born (early 60s) in black and chrome...I always thought that iron looked like my mom's harlequin eyeglasses.

 

[tlee618]

Mike I still have a few pairs of the metal pant strechers that my mom had!! You can really get a sharp crease in a pair of Jeans with those!!

 

[perc-o-prince]

For those of you who envy anyone who still has their ironing

I happened across the same ones at a flea market (Todd's Farm in Rowley, MA). I was gonna take a pic of the box of 'em, but didn't bring my camera!

Chuck

 

[tomturbomatic]

$1.49!!! We paid a dime for our old aluminum model in the 50s. Old Fogey