An ironing love story

I have never enjoyed ironing. In fact, I have always actively avoided ironing. For many many years, I tried to buy only things that did not require ironing. Clothes that probably should have been ironed spent a lot of time bouncing around in the the dryer with a damp towel. I often wore slightly wrinkled things anyway.

My mom bought me an iron of my very own when I started college. I used it mostly for basic sewing projects, and before internship and job interviews. Then I ironed a synthetic black skirt with the heat too high, melting the skirt and ruining the iron. I bought a replacement at a thrift store, but it didn't work very well, and no one wants to iron for 20 minutes and still end up with a wrinkled shirt. My ironing board sat unused in my guest bedroom, except for when I needed it for craft projects or when the cat wanted to use it for a bed.

AND THEN....I house sat for some friends, and after living out of a duffel bag for a week, could not pretend any longer that my clothing did not desperately need an iron. So I used theirs and...

It was the best iron ever.

I didn't realize that having a really good iron -- a heavy duty one with a good shape and good steam -- made such an enormous difference. I asked my friend what kind of iron she had (a Rowenta, as it turned out), and went out and bough one that was nearly identical. Last night, I ironed two year's worth of hand washed silk tops, a bunch of very thin knit tops, a couple of button downs. I ironed until midnight. And tonight, I shall move on to pants.

I feel a bit silly writing so much about an iron, but it was a small thing that I can already tell will make a big difference the the type of clothing I wear, as well as how often I wear some of my favorite things. Have you ever bought a household appliance or gadget that ended up changing a part of your life for the better?