Wall Ironing Board

[Major]

As a kid I remember a wall ironing board 'fixed' to the scullery wall, pulled it down to use and just pushed it back up when finished..

Cannot find a picture though.

[eddie]

You woke up and thought about an ironing board?

[Major]

You woke up and thought  about an ironing board?

NO NO NO. I was up at 5.30am.
Wife was ironing and it cropped up.

Do you remember it?


Do you remember the clothes drier/airer that was stored close to scullery ceiling and you let it up and down with thick cord and tied it off on hook on the wall.?

[eddie]

No I don't, sorry. I hate having washing hanging around the house. I stick it all in the dryer.

[Major]

I just noticed, you are only a young Chic.

So, you will not remember the big outdoor mangles. lol

[nicko]

Cast Iron with big wooden rollers, and the metal tub with the 3leg "dolly" to stir the washing?

[Guest]

As a kid I remember a wall ironing board 'fixed' to the scullery wall, pulled it down to use and just pushed it back up when finished..

Cannot find a picture though.

Yes, indeed ...grandparents had one in their home, the cabinet was right in the kitchen. Mom never cared for it cause it took up room and was in the way - she much preferred using her stand alone type that she could adjust for whichever of us 6 kids were going to be stuck with doing all of that huge amount of ironing.

But you still can purchase those cabinets &/or they come in a variety that pop up out of a kitchen counter top area/drawer too >
  

I have one of these >
 Since I try very hard to 'NOT' do much ironing, this stays out of my way until needed.

['Wolfie]

DIY...

Even build one yourself from scratch...

USE keywords like dropdown hideaway and foldaway ironing boards in your Google search..

E.g.
http://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/installing-a-built-in-ironing-board/

http://www.bhg.com/topics/home-improvement/closet-and-storage/built-in-ironing-board.htm

http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/wall-mount-ironing-board/

[Syl]

You woke up and thought  about an ironing board?

NO NO NO. I was up at 5.30am.
Wife was ironing and it cropped up.

Do you remember it?


Do you remember the clothes drier/airer that was stored close to scullery ceiling and you let it up and down with thick cord and tied it off on hook on the wall.?

I remember the clothes dryer that was hoisted up and down by a rope Major. We had one in the kitchen (which was also our main living area) We called it a clothes rack.
I have a very vivid memory of my mum coming upstairs when my sister and me were in bed one night, I was around 5 or 6. It was new and my mum was going to lower it for the first time. She told us not to be scared of the noise it would make as she lowered it.....and it did sound loud when we were in bed.
After the first few uses mum gave up with it and went back to the maidens she had used before.

[Guest]

This isn't my photo, but I've got a set similar but with the wringer unit in
between the 2 tubs; mom used it for washing - winging out and 2nd wash. Then
dumped that out onto the garden {suds & all} and loaded the tubs up with
rinse water - rinse wring and rinse again - wring the item out and hand off
to the kid in charge of hanging on the line {solar dryer} ...


And when we finally got electricity to the house she saved up and got this >
 
But we still used those square 2 galvanized tubs for the rinsing.

[Guest]

NO NO NO. I was up at 5.30am.
Wife was ironing and it cropped up.
Do you remember it?
Do you remember the clothes drier/airer that was stored close to scullery ceiling and you let it up and down with thick cord and tied it off on hook on the wall.?

I remember the clothes dryer that was hoisted up and down by a rope Major. We had one in the kitchen (which was also our main living area) We called it a clothes rack.
I have a very vivid memory of my mum coming upstairs when my sister and me were in bed one night, I was around 5 or 6. It was new and my mum was going to lower it for the first time.  She told us not to be scared of the noise it would make as she lowered it.....and it did sound loud when we were in bed.
After the first few uses mum gave up with it and went back to the maidens she had used before.

I'd never heard about such a contraption so I looked it up ...this might not be exactly what yours looked like Syl, but it would serve the same purpose.
 
Mom and dad just strung clothes line around the house from hooks that dad had attacked to stud wall right above the top of our tall windows; on days that the sheets hung off of them we'd play like they were stage curtains and play behind them or put on shadow puppet shows.
Cheap entertainment for a non-media saturated childhood.

[Syl]

I remember the clothes dryer that was hoisted up and down by a rope Major. We had one in the kitchen (which was also our main living area) We called it a clothes rack.
I have a very vivid memory of my mum coming upstairs when my sister and me were in bed one night, I was around 5 or 6. It was new and my mum was going to lower it for the first time.  She told us not to be scared of the noise it would make as she lowered it.....and it did sound loud when we were in bed.
After the first few uses mum gave up with it and went back to the maidens she had used before.

I'd never heard about such a contraption so I looked it up ...this might not be exactly what yours looked like Syl, but it would serve the same purpose.
 
Mom and dad just strung clothes line around the house from hooks that dad had attacked to stud wall right above the top of our tall windows; on days that the sheets hung off of them we'd play like they were stage curtains and play behind them or put on shadow puppet shows.
Cheap entertainment for a non-media saturated childhood.

That is exactly what it looked like 4Ever.
Looking at the pics you posted and hearing the way we lived back then (50's and early 60's) it looks and sounds positively medieval.
But I bet as kids we were just as happy as modern day kids with all their fancy equipment.
Having said that...thank God we also now have the modern stuff ourselves...our mums and grandparents certainly had to work a lot harder in the home than we cosseted modern folk do.

[Raggamuffin]

I never iron anything if I can help it - haven't done for years. I have a nice shirt which needs ironing so I don't wear it.

[Raggamuffin]

No I don't, sorry. I hate having washing hanging around the house. I stick it all in the dryer.

That must cost a fortune. I hang things up properly to dry in a corner, and I only use the dryer for sheets and sometimes towels.

[Syl]

I iron about once a week....just a quick going over for the essentials, mostly OH's T shirts.
My best mate irons everything...sheets, towels, undies, and she spends time and trouble doing it perfectly.

Lifes too short.

[Original Quill]

Does anyone remember stretch racks for trousers. With today's perm press, those would be great. Never have to iron.

[Guest]

Does anyone remember stretch racks for trousers.  With today's perm press, those would be great.  Never have to iron.

Still have mine: hanging out high up in the garage, collecting dust ...my husband was adamant about have his wrangler jeans looking pressed with a seam running down the front of his boot cut wranglers.  And I wasn't going to 'PRESS' denim - NO WAY, so I would hang his denim jeans up with those wire contraptions inserted into each leg and SHAZZZAM...perfection: stiff legs with a crease = sans the stinking spray starch and hot iron!

[Raggamuffin]

I iron about once a week....just a quick going over for the essentials, mostly OH's T shirts.
My best mate irons everything...sheets, towels, undies, and she spends time and trouble doing it perfectly.

Lifes too short.

I don't buy clothes which need ironing. I don't have an ironing board. I have an ironing mat somewhere but that never sees the light of day.

[Original Quill]

Does anyone remember stretch racks for trousers.  With today's perm press, those would be great.  Never have to iron.

Still have mine: hanging out high up in the garage, collecting dust ...my husband was adamant about have his wrangler jeans looking pressed with a seam running down the front of his boot cut wranglers.  And I wasn't going to 'PRESS' denim - NO WAY, so I would hang his denim jeans up with those wire contraptions inserted into each leg and SHAZZZAM...perfection: stiff legs with a crease = sans the stinking spray starch and hot iron!

I don't know if you follow clothes, by my firm represents (among others) Levi Strauss, a San Francisco company, and the originator of 5-pocket jeans. So I'm familiar with their apparel lines.

But they also have other brands. One is Dockers, which are 4-pocket trousers. I don't think I'd want creases in 5-pocket jeans. But the stretch racks are ideal for Dockers, which are already permanent press. And I agree, I hate ironing.

[Guest]

Still have mine: hanging out high up in the garage, collecting dust ...my husband was adamant about have his wrangler jeans looking pressed with a seam running down the front of his boot cut wranglers.  And I wasn't going to 'PRESS' denim - NO WAY, so I would hang his denim jeans up with those wire contraptions inserted into each leg and SHAZZZAM...perfection: stiff legs with a crease = sans the stinking spray starch and hot iron!

I don't know if you follow clothes, by my firm represents (among others) Levi Strauss, a San Francisco company, and the originator of 5-pocket jeans.  So I'm familiar with their apparel lines.

But they also have other brands.  One is Dockers, which are 4-pocket trousers.  I don't think I'd want creases in 5-pocket jeans.  But the stretch racks are ideal for Dockers, which are already permanent press.  And I agree, I hate ironing.

Growing up in the 50's - 60's with not much to offer in the way of Denim and Levi Strauss was nearly the only true Western cut type of blue jeans around: well there was the Sears & Roebuck carried a line called 'DICKIE' and those were for 'hay shakers/farm kids' ...

Don't recall exactly what was going on in production for the Levi jean line but somewhere in the early 70's their jeans were being cut on the biased grain and one side of the pant leg would twist and the double stitched seam would end up becoming front and center when you wore them.  Then 'Wrangler' became very popular and they stayed with the Rodeo Association and most common worn jeans attire by men & women.
But the thing to do in order to keep that Levi leg from twisting was getting them pressed; for those that could afford it - sending them out to the dry cleaners to have professional starch/pressed with center crease or no-center crease - but that was costly.

[Guest]

The earliest laundry machines I remember were twin tubs like this one and even they looked like hard work!!:



We are very fortunate that we have some many modern time saving conveniences.  Got to use this smiley, it's Miff's favourite

I am quite particular about ironing, I have to be smart for work so I do seem to spend a lot of time doing it!!

[Syl]

Ladies blouses and mens shirts are the most time consuming to iron....thank goodness I don't have to iron many of them nowadays.

[Guest]

Ladies blouses and mens shirts are the most time consuming to iron....thank goodness I don't have to iron many of them nowadays.

A classmate's family owned a dry cleaning business ...and I was let in on the secret of why they charge more for 'ladies blouses' then 'men's shirts' - all those blasted ruffles that we used to wear but now that we don't have those on our business attire. So, when taking your clothing in always state these are for my son/husband/dad and they don't charge you as much as they do for women's tops. 
That's for America; I'm clueless about other countries ...but I only wear cotton since those cleaning chemicals make me itch something awful ...I never purchase anything I can't hand wash or laundry at home.

[Syl]

Dry cleaners are still big business here, but it's so expensive compared to laundering at home.
I look at labels and if it says 'dry clean only' I seldom buy.
Coats, OH's suits and jackets are the only exceptions.

[Major]

This was a horrendous contraption for men, did your man have one.
Oh the pain, worse than having a baby.

[Guest]

This was a horrendous contraption for men, did your man have one.
Oh the pain, worse than having a baby.

I'll make a stab in the dark and guess; is that a travel razor?  The only reason I'd know is that my grandfather had one in his shaving case and he never used that ...said it was just for memories; he used his soap/brush/shaving cup and straight razor blade.

[Irn Bru]

I remember the pulley on the cieling for the washing when it was too wet to hang it outside. Pity that your clothes sniffed a bit about what you had for dinner that day though.

No Febreze in them days.

[Guest]

I remember the pulley on the cieling for the washing when it was too wet to hang it outside. Pity that your clothes sniffed a bit about what you had for dinner that day though.

No Febreze in them days.

Oh, never gave that a thought ... my dad smoked a pipe, in foul weather our clothes would smell of his pipe tobacco or our wood stove.  
But nothing smells better or feels better on our skin than sheets and towels line dried outside.

[Major]

My great grandparents had these and would leave them on their log burner range permanent.

In later years I discovered them at my grans house and had the faces brass plated as ornaments.

Dunno where they went to.

[Syl]

I just noticed, you are only a young Chic.

So, you will not remember the big outdoor mangles. lol

That could double up as an industrial pasta maker now.

[Guest]

My great grandparents had these and would leave them on their log burner range permanent.

In later years I discovered them at my grans house and had the faces brass plated as ornaments.

Dunno where they went to.

'Sad Irons' ...between the weight & heat, it was a name well earned for sure!  I've got  a couple of different sizes - use them for bookends on my book shelves; grandsons asked me what they were for ...so we took one out to the open fire pit and set it up on the grate - waited for it to heat up - I handed them an oven mitt and a old denim shirt and told them to take turns ironing that flat without any wrinkles.  That didn't take long to hear them complain about the weight - the heat and having to keep putting it back on the grate for more heat!    

I still have this old gas iron ...mom used it before we had electricity in our home >

[Original Quill]

This was a horrendous contraption for men, did your man have one.
Oh the pain, worse than having a baby.

I'll make a stab in the dark and guess; is that a travel razor?  The only reason I'd know is that my grandfather had one in his shaving case and he never used that ...said it was just for memories; he used his soap/brush/shaving cup and straight razor blade.

Yeah, my dad had one.  It was a complete kit.  The red part was a stone, and you pulled the blade (rectangle part on the right) across the stone by the handle (thick wire handle seen embedded, left) to sharpen it.  The handle pivots up and you pulled it back and forth to sharpen the blade.  The blade flipped with each stroke.  Then you detached the blade and fixed it to the blade handle, which you see as resting neatly inside the sharpening handle.

It was a travel kit.  As it is shown, it is ready to be packed away, with the handle tucked away.  Only it's top (not shown) is missing.  The top fit in the opening, kinda like a cover over batteries in your TV remote.

[Guest]

I'll make a stab in the dark and guess; is that a travel razor?  The only reason I'd know is that my grandfather had one in his shaving case and he never used that ...said it was just for memories; he used his soap/brush/shaving cup and straight razor blade.

Yeah, my did had one.  It was a complete kit.  The red part was a stone, and you pulled the blade (rectangle part on the right) back and forth over the stone by the handle (seen embedded, left) to sharpen it.  The blade flipped with each stroke.  Then you detached the blade and fixed it to a handle.

It was a travel kit.  As it is shown, it is ready to be packed away, with the handle tucked away.  Only it's top (not shown) is missing.  The top fit in the opening, kinda like a cover over batteries in your TV remote.

Ahhhh,     complete with a wet stone for sharpening that blade; UGH, I can well imagine the number of 'nicks' and dullness that those faces suffered through - no wonder men often opted out for beards!

[Original Quill]

Yeah, my did had one.  It was a complete kit.  The red part was a stone, and you pulled the blade (rectangle part on the right) back and forth over the stone by the handle (seen embedded, left) to sharpen it.  The blade flipped with each stroke.  Then you detached the blade and fixed it to a handle.

It was a travel kit.  As it is shown, it is ready to be packed away, with the handle tucked away.  Only it's top (not shown) is missing.  The top fit in the opening, kinda like a cover over batteries in your TV remote.

Ahhhh,     complete with a wet stone for sharpening that blade; UGH, I can well imagine the number of 'nicks' and dullness that those faces suffered through - no wonder men often opted out for beards!

Haha...yes, ouch. I think I tried it once. It didn't get very sharp.

My dad had a lot of these portable instruments. He was the flight surgeon on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific during the war. He accumulated many such portable toys/surgical tools as a part of military kits.

[Guest]

Ahhhh,     complete with a wet stone for sharpening that blade; UGH, I can well imagine the number of 'nicks' and dullness that those faces suffered through - no wonder men often opted out for beards!

Haha...yes, ouch.  I think I tried it once.  It didn't get very sharp.

My dad had a lot of these portable instruments.  He was the flight surgeon on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific during the war.  He accumulated many such portable toys/surgical tools as a part of military kits.

I had a clear understanding of why European women don't ascribe to the need to shave so much of their body parts like we American women do ...those instruments of torture shouldn't be used for such delicate areas!

['Wolfie]

LOOKS LIKE the sort of torture instrument that Sir Laurence Olivier's character in the Marathon Man movie would have relished !!!

[Syl]

This is all he needed.

[Ben Reilly]

I just noticed, you are only a young Chic.

So, you will not remember the big outdoor mangles. lol

I think I learned about those in school -- back in your day, they were used to punish people for having impure thoughts, right?

[Ben Reilly]

Still have mine: hanging out high up in the garage, collecting dust ...my husband was adamant about have his wrangler jeans looking pressed with a seam running down the front of his boot cut wranglers.  And I wasn't going to 'PRESS' denim - NO WAY, so I would hang his denim jeans up with those wire contraptions inserted into each leg and SHAZZZAM...perfection: stiff legs with a crease = sans the stinking spray starch and hot iron!

I don't know if you follow clothes, by my firm represents (among others) Levi Strauss, a San Francisco company, and the originator of 5-pocket jeans.  So I'm familiar with their apparel lines.

But they also have other brands.  One is Dockers, which are 4-pocket trousers.  I don't think I'd want creases in 5-pocket jeans.  But the stretch racks are ideal for Dockers, which are already permanent press.  And I agree, I hate ironing.

Growing up in the 50's - 60's with not much to offer in the way of Denim and Levi Strauss was nearly the only true Western cut type of blue jeans around: well there was the Sears & Roebuck carried a line called 'DICKIE' and those were for 'hay shakers/farm kids' ...

Don't recall exactly what was going on in production for the Levi jean line but somewhere in the early 70's their jeans were being cut on the biased grain and one side of the pant leg would twist and the double stitched seam would end up becoming front and center when you wore them.  Then 'Wrangler' became very popular and they stayed with the Rodeo Association and most common worn jeans attire by men & women.
But the thing to do in order to keep that Levi leg from twisting was getting them pressed; for those that could afford it - sending them out to the dry cleaners to have professional starch/pressed with center crease or no-center crease - but that was costly.

Dickies, based in Fort Worth, TX has been making high-quality, hard-wearing work-wear since 1918.

For a few years their clothing was also favored in the rap community, for some reason:



They do look pretty bad-ass.

[eddie]

This is bad ass




You wouldn't catch him ironing.

[eddie]

Bad ass

[Syl]

Bad ass

Bad ass....great teeth.

[eddie]

He's quite hot actually. I think it's the pure growl of evilness on his face, you know he's not going to be kind and gentle .

[Syl]

He's quite hot actually. I think it's the pure growl of evilness on his face, you know he's not going to be kind and gentle .

The bloody great weapon in his hand is another clue.

[eddie]

He's quite hot actually. I think it's the pure growl of evilness on his face, you know he's not going to be kind and gentle .

The bloody great weapon in his hand is another clue.

I was so tempted to edit your post and make you say something rather rude but I didn't want to abuse my admin powers

[Syl]

The bloody great weapon in his hand is another clue.

I was so tempted to edit your post and make you say something rather rude but I didn't want to abuse my admin powers

And I can just  imagine what you were going to say...

[blackie333]

I just noticed, you are only a young Chic.

So, you will not remember the big outdoor mangles. lol

I remember one of those rollers being out in the back yard, not quite that old but basically the same MS.

[Guest]

Growing up in the 50's - 60's with not much to offer in the way of Denim and Levi Strauss was nearly the only true Western cut type of blue jeans around: well there was the Sears & Roebuck carried a line called 'DICKIE' and those were for 'hay shakers/farm kids' ...

Don't recall exactly what was going on in production for the Levi jean line but somewhere in the early 70's their jeans were being cut on the biased grain and one side of the pant leg would twist and the double stitched seam would end up becoming front and center when you wore them.  Then 'Wrangler' became very popular and they stayed with the Rodeo Association and most common worn jeans attire by men & women.
But the thing to do in order to keep that Levi leg from twisting was getting them pressed; for those that could afford it - sending them out to the dry cleaners to have professional starch/pressed with center crease or no-center crease - but that was costly.

Dickies, based in Fort Worth, TX has been making high-quality, hard-wearing work-wear since 1918.
For a few years their clothing was also favored in the rap community, for some reason:

They do look pretty bad-ass.

Waaaaay back in the early 70's ...working with the illegals around the quarter horse & thoroughbred breeding & training farms; the illegals usually had 'Dickie' brand jeans to wear.  Seems their parents did a lot of shopping from the Sears & Roebuck Catalog ...they were tickled to know that there was a 'Lee' jean outlet right downtown Omaha that they could get more jeans for their wages.

[blackie333]

Dickies, based in Fort Worth, TX has been making high-quality, hard-wearing work-wear since 1918.
For a few years their clothing was also favored in the rap community, for some reason:

They do look pretty bad-ass.

Waaaaay back in the early 70's ...working with the illegals around the quarter horse & thoroughbred breeding & training farms; the illegals usually had 'Dickie' brand jeans to wear.  Seems they're parents did a lot of shopping from the Sears & Roebuck Catalog ...they were tickled to know that there was a 'Lee' jean outlet right downtown Omaha that they could get more jeans for their wages.

I've never heard of Dickie brands??????????
Did you know that the oldest pair of Levies ever found were valued at a million dollars?
Found down a old gold mine ripped to bits.
I don't know if they were ever sold but it's amazing how valuable some things become given time

[Original Quill]

4Eva, I remember when Levis began cutting the denim on the bias. My wife, who was raised on a farm, and knew Levis, saw immediately what they were doing. We lived in NJ, and so she went to several stores in NYC trying to find Levis that were not cut on the bias. Didn't know about the pressing though...gd idea.

Now that Sears has bought out K-Mart, you see the Dickie brand all over their men's shop. They've become a bit stylish (not much, but...) today and are all over with thin cut legs, etc. Still have the gaudy red/yellow/blue label on the back.

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