Ironing that is not ironing trick

I have a love/hate relationship with ironing.  On the one hand, I love the instant gratification that comes from running a hot iron over lightly spritzed cotton…the sizzle as the wrinkles are pressed away, and the crisp feeling of a freshly ironed shirt.  Me likey.

On the other hand, I hate to have another pile of work to fit in between the sorting/washing/sorting/folding/putting away machine that runs my life on a regular basis.  So, for the most part, I buy wash and wear clothing that just doesn’t require ironing.

But there are a few dress shirts here and there, as well as the *I gotta have this* cotton or linen pieces that are S-O-O-O-O-O cute in the store that they temporally paralyze the part of my brain that makes good decisions.

So I wash said adorable shirt, and it comes out looking like this:

Oy.  What was I thinking???

So, this is the trick that works for me for our casual wear…the few clothing pieces that come out of the dryer as an unwearable wad of wrinkles, but it’s just not worth heating the iron up over.

It works so well, that I keep one of the sprayer bottles in the hall closet, and use it on bedsheets, tablecloths, and the inevitable pressed-in closet wrinkles.

How to NOT Iron

First, I got a spray bottle, and filled it with tap water.
You can also add a drop of scented oil if you want, but the smell dissipates after the item dries.

Next…are you ready for this moment of genius?

I sprayed the wrinkles with the water.  Sort of…well, exactly like I was about to use the iron.

But I’m not.  I’m just tricking it into thinking it’s about to be ironed.

Repent of your wrinkles, and be set free!

and then…

I spray the back of the shirt too.

But, don’t worry, you don’t have to spray the back of your sheet or tablecloth.

And finally, (drumroll, please)

I spread and tug the lightly damp fabric, and smooth out the wrinkles with my hand,

so it looks like this…

Voila!

Wearable.

Sleeves, collars, button plackets and the bottom hem are usually the parts that need to be sprayed and smoothed.
This method is really quick…I can work through several shirts in a matter of minutes, and don’t have to mess with a hot iron or my impossibly creaky ironing board.  Which requires me to get into a yoga position to close it.  It’s not pretty.

This method also works for items that are impossible to iron, such as this (formerly) irresistibly cute little rose corsage on my baby girl’s dress.  Which now looks like a collection of pink spitwads.

I sprayed them down at the base of each flower and fluffed them out…

Aha!  Cuteness!

spray bottle of water