What do you iron first?

[Monoriu]

I've been locked in the great ironing debate with my mother in law recently. 

Basically, we don't iron the clothes immediately after they are washed.  They are put in a post-wash zone for a few days.  When "ironing day" comes, my priority is to clear the post-wash zone as quickly as I can.  Clothes that are left in the zone for too long become smelly, especially if they are not dried 100%.  That means, bed sheets get top priority, because they occupy the most space and are the most difficult the dry. 

Suits get the lowest priority, because they are dry cleaned and don't get into the zone in the first place.  For me, the purpose of ironing is to facilitate storage, to keep the clothes dry and to reduce space required. 

MIL adopts a completely different view.  She is an ironing maniac, and thinks that even pajamas and underwear need to be ironed.  In her ideal world, everything I wear should be ironed the day before I wear them. 

Her criteria is very simple.  Whatever that could be seen receives top priority.  For her, ironing is to make us look good.  Things that cannot be seen receives the lowest priority.  In other words, suits get the highest priority, while bed sheets get the lowest, exactly the opposite of me 

[Neil]

Null vote:  I'm married.

[Grey Fox]

Null vote: Don't own anything worth Ironing (or actually wear it).

[sbr]

Why would you iron bedsheets?  get them completely dry and either fold them up or put them back ont he bed to get wrinkled again.

[Monoriu]

Why would you iron bedsheets?  get them colpletely dry and either fold them up or put them back ont he bed to get wrinkled again.

Because -

1. Bed sheets that are not ironed are difficult to fold
2. Bed sheets that are ironed occupy much less space, a precious commodity for me
3. Bed sheets are extremely difficult to dry.  Ironing ensures that they are properly dried.  I don't want to sleep in a smelly bed.  It is not hygenic.

I have 7 sets of bed sheets and duvet covers. Each set is numbered and is used on a strictly rotational basis.  Given that each set occupies the bed for two weeks, it'll be 14 weeks, or over 3 months, before each set is used again.  I therefore cannot "put them back on the bed again".

[sbr]

Why would you iron bedsheets?  get them colpletely dry and either fold them up or put them back ont he bed to get wrinkled again.

Because -

1. Bed sheets that are not ironed are difficult to fold
2. Bed sheets that are ironed occupy much less space, a precious commodity for me
3. Bed sheets are extremely difficult to dry.  Ironing ensures that they are properly dried.  I don't want to sleep in a smelly bed.  It is not hygenic.

I have 7 sets of bed sheets and duvet covers. Each set is numbered and is used on a strictly rotational basis.  Given that each set occupies the bed for two weeks, it'll be 14 weeks, or over 3 months, before each set is used again.  I therefore cannot "put them back on the bed again".

That's fair.  I haven't had much problem getting my sheets completely dry or storing them in a closet so I have never even attempted to iron my sheets.

I currently own one set of sheets (thanks to my cat thinking it was a good idea to shit on my bed twice in one month), I wash and dry them then put them right back on.

[Martinus]

I iron them as I need them. Can't be arsed to do "ironing sessions".

[Barrister]

I had to iron some of my barrister's shirts a couple of months ago (they have a very particular collar, and french cuffs, to go along with barristers robes).

I had to absolutely hunt down our iron.  Turns out it had never been unpacked since we moved 2 1/2 years ago.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Bedsheets, pants, t-shirts and shirts.

What goes first depends on what there is.

and EVE-mining while ironing is a good idea. :p

[Alatriste]

I don't do my own ironing, I pay a cleaning lady to do those chores...

[You are invited to gape with awe and amazement as the Spaniards demonstrate the wonders of Work Specialization (that, and Romanian immigration). WARNING: Absolutely no scribes will be allowed.]

Now, I wash clothes the day before she comes to my flat, so everything is ironed roughly 12-18 hours after being washed.

[syk]

About once a year I iron a shirt.

[Jos Theelen]

I don't iron. I hang them when they are still wet. That removes most of the wrinkles.

[Martinus]

I am now between cleaning ladies (the last one went back to Ukraine). The new one I will hire will need to iron stuff too, because I can't stand doing it every morning.

[Brazen]

Because -

1. Bed sheets that are not ironed are difficult to fold
2. Bed sheets that are ironed occupy much less space, a precious commodity for me
3. Bed sheets are extremely difficult to dry.  Ironing ensures that they are properly dried.  I don't want to sleep in a smelly bed.  It is not hygenic.

I have 7 sets of bed sheets and duvet covers. Each set is numbered and is used on a strictly rotational basis.  Given that each set occupies the bed for two weeks, it'll be 14 weeks, or over 3 months, before each set is used again.  I therefore cannot "put them back on the bed again".

1. Get rid of 5 sets of bed clothes.
2. Tumble dry and hang until completely dry.
3. Put away without ironing now you have room to keep them.

Also change your bed clothes every week, Mister Stinky.

[Caliga]

No need to iron anymore.  My wardrobe is: 100% polyester. 

My suits are wool, but the dry cleaner takes care of those.