Ironing - Saving Money Tips
Using a hand iron consumes approximately the same amount of energy as ten 100-watt light bulbs. Here are some tips to reduce the amount of time you spend ironing.
1. When purchasing clothes and linens, opt for "no iron" types. These are made with materials that will eliminate the need to iron them most of the time.
2. To prevent wrinkles and thus the need to iron, remove clothing promptly from the dryer. By quickly folding or hanging your clothes after drying you'll reduce the need for ironing touch-ups.
3. When folding and smoothing linens such as sheets and pillowcases, do so on top of the warm dryer which will help take out the wrinkles and the need for ironing.
4. If your clothes do have wrinkles, try hanging them in your bathroom while taking a bath or shower. The steam will often remove the wrinkles without having to iron.
5. Avoid leaving cleaned clothes in an "ironing basket." Instead, hang these clothes until it's time to iron them. Placing the clothes in a basket will cause more wrinkles and creases and mean more ironing time.
6. Check and wipe the face of your iron. Making sure it is clean and smooth will ensure quicker and easier ironing.
7. If you use a steam iron, check for mineral deposits and clean them before ironing. These can cause brown spotting which can ruin clothes and cost you money..
8. Don't overheat your iron for the material your are going to be ironing since this is a waste of energy. This will also prevent scorching of the item which can ruin it.
9. When you must iron, try to do a large amount at one time. Separate the ironing into like materials. Begin by ironing light, low temperature fabrics first, then move on to heavier material clothing. This will reduce warm-up time and the iron will always be at the correct temperature for the material.
10. Set a time to iron when you won't be interrupted. keeping the iron heated while you are doing other things is a waste of energy.
11. If you must iron your linens, do so when they are still slightly damp rather than fully dry. Simply take them out of the dryer or off the line before they completely dry and iron.
12. Consider using spray starch on your clothes when ironing. This will make your clothes feel crisp and cut down on the time needed to iron them.
13. When possible, iron clothes on the inside. This will preserve coloring and help prevent staining.
14. If you are interrupted or need to leave for a few minutes, be sure to turn off your iron. Even if you think you'll only be gone a minute, distractions happen and it's much safer to have the iron turned off.
15. Don't forget to turn the iron off when you are finished. Since many people let the iron cool down before putting it away, make it a habit to unplug it and put it in a place other than the ironing board to cool down. This will ensure you don't accidentally forget and think it is off, when it's not.
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In forty years of working, I never left the iron on! 
