Originally Posted by
sassey
My grandmother thought everything needed ironed even dish towels and socks I am horrible at ironing my dh used to iron our uniforms because he did a better job with all the knife pleats I spit shinned the shoes and boots
I have never ironed sheets, t-shirts or socks and such in my life, but I think in former times, especially before antibiotics and anti-fungal creams, and before clothes dryer that heated things up, there was probably a health benefit from getting those items hot enough to kill germs. My husband grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, and his mom used a big Mangle iron on everything. Living in the tropics would make that even more important, maybe.
As a kid I learned to iron my dad's shirts and a few other things for our family, and I always kind of liked doing it. At least it's better than cooking because the results stay done for awhile and don't cause a pile of dirty dishes. Now for the last 30-40 years we have had almost no need to iron, and it seems like more of a burden on the rare occasion when something needs it - other than quilt fabric.