Sometimes it doesn’t take much effort to add a touch of luxury to one’s life. A scented candle, a single fresh flower in a pretty vase, freshly ironed pillow cases…
People tend to have one of two responses when they find out I iron our pillow cases. They either think I’m nuts or they are unduly impressed. But the thing is, it really only takes a minute or so to iron a pillow case. We have six pillows on our bed but even with that many, I can have them all ironed in just a few minutes. I wash our sheets and remake the bed every Monday. Slipping into a freshly made bed with crisply ironed pillow cases is a simple way to make Mondays better.
What about you? Do you ever iron your pillow cases? What other little things do you do to make your home special? I’d love to know so leave me a comment.
I don’t even own an iron, to be honest. I can understand why some people like to iron things, but I have no desire to follow in their footsteps. Smelling fresh and clean is good enough for my clothes and bedding. I do agree though that getting in to bed the first time after the bedding has been changed feels wonderful.
My mom doesn’t iron, either. I’m sure I picked it up from my grandmother. She taught me to iron when I was very little by letting me iron Grandpa’s handkerchiefs. 🙂
I know how to iron; it was one of the things I learned as part of my homemakers badge for Girl Guides. I just can’t be bothered with it.
That’s the way my mom feels about it. It’s not that she doesn’t know how; she just doesn’t want to do it. Ha!
I was wondering…how is it possible to not ironing clothes? Doesn’t it show? I’m sorry to ask this but as I say, being italian in our country everyone iron everything otherwise you will be seen as very messy.
I think it all depends on the type of clothing worn and how one does laundry. My mom, for instance, NEVER irons but she is very careful to hang up clothes immediately out of the dryer. And that might be another difference. Most people in the U.S. have tumble dryers which leave clothing a lot less wrinkled.
My Mama taught me to iron on my Dad’s handkerchiefs too. My Mama ironed everything except towels and underwear. Yes ironed pillow cases are so nice
There is something so nice about a crisp, ironed pillow case. Granted, they are wrinkled by morning but it’s a treat for a little while.
Yes yes. My mother ironed everything but underware and towels. Sadly I don’t but I do like to iron my pillow cases. Sometimes even my sheets.
My mom never ironed anything – she loved permanent press clothing!
I Love ironing sheets, particularly pillowcases. It relaxes me. My husband loves it. And he’s such a beautiful example of an ideal husband. He’s easy to please, and so grateful. I learned from my mother.
I also do dishes at night, straighten the upstairs, fluff throw pillows, and scrub my white kitchen sink. I love to wake up to a clean house!
There’s nothing better than waking up to a clean house. 🙂
It would be lovely. My aversion to ironing grew over the many years it was my task each Saturday to iron the family’s laundry. 10-12 hours at that job made it the most hated chore of all time.
Well, that would most certainly turn one off on ironing!
10-12 hours a week. How awful!
Ironed anything just isn’t my thing, but getting into a warm (heated mattress cover turned on for an hour before I get in it) freshly laundered made bed, feels like the most wonderful luxury on my aching bones…
There is nothing quite like a perfectly comfortable bed!
Dear Deanna, I’m a 34 years old wife and mum of a very active 11 months old boy and I really enjoy reading you, although I decided to work part time in the morning and not staying at home. I find your suggestions very helpful and inspiring as I’m trying to create a lovely homelife for my family. I just wanted to say that I’m from Italy and here we iron pillowcases AND ALL THE BEDSHEETS! So, when someone tell you you are nuts just think of us Italians!
Kind regards! Giorgia
Thanks for your reply – happy to have you here! I would love to have a big rectangular ironing board or a mangle for sheets. I occasionally iron the top sheet on the guest bed but it’s only a full size so the sheet isn’t as large as ours. Do you iron on a standard ironing board or do you have something special? Do you wash sheets once a week?
I always iron our bedding (and with a family of six, that IS a challenge). There’s nothing like getting in a freshly made bed, when the fabric is smooth and almost silky – no dryer can create that quality (trust me. I’ve tried). Especially when combined also with freshly shaved legs, ehm 🙂
Nothing better!
I and my 3 sisters are probably the only people I know who still iron pillowcases…but then, I iron my t-shirts as well. I learned to iron on my Dad’s handkerchiefs, then moved up to pillowcases for the family, lol. I put very few of my own items in the dryer besides sheets and towels, I prefer to hang them on a hanger in the basement after laundering. Clothes last so much longer that way, and stay newer looking. It has been some years since I’ve had an outdoor clothesline, and I miss that fresh smell, especially in bedlinens, that no fabric softener or dryer sheet can replicate. I think I have to make it a priority to get an outdoor drying setup again. Thanks for reminding me of happy memories.
People usually think I’m a bit “extra” for ironing my pillowcases but I love the way they feel freshly ironed. My mom never ironed anything. When I was very little she hired her grandmother to iron my dresses and the few other items that really needed to be ironed. Otherwise she made sure everything was permanent press and was very careful to take them from the dryer and hang up immediately. It was my grandmother that taught be to iron Grandpa’s handkerchiefs. Like you, I really want a clothesline again. In fact, I just might put that on my Christmas list. My husband had surgery recently so we are keeping our gifts to one another pretty low-key this year as we will have quite a bill to pay. A clothesline would be more of a gift of his time to install than much expense. Thanks for helping me come up with that idea!
What setting do you use to iron your pillowcases?
My sheets and pillowcases are 100% cotton so I used the highest heat.