Freezing laundry before ironing (mold, refrigerator, clothes, plastic)

[pinetreelover]

When I was growing up my mother would wash my dad's dress shirts then put them in a heavy duty plastic bag and put them in the deep freeze until she had an opportunity to iron them. I have never heard of anyone else doing this or read about it in any books. I see the practical benefit of it - damp shirts iron up well, but it does seem a bit odd.

[suzy_q2010]

My mother dampened clothes to be ironed by sprinkling water on them, then wrapped them in a towel and put them in the refrigerator.

[gentlearts]

Refrigerator, not freezer. This was so they didn’t get moldy if you didn’t finish the ironing in one day.

“Deep freeze” didn’t really exist back in the day. At least, our freezer was only about big enough for two of those metal ice cube trays.

[pinetreelover]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Refrigerator, not freezer. This was so they didn’t get moldy if you didn’t finish the ironing in one day.

“Deep freeze” didn’t really exist back in the day. At least, our freezer was only about big enough for two of those metal ice cube trays.

My mom definitely put them in the freezer! We had a deep freezer in the garage (this was the 1970s) and that is where the shirts went. I always enjoyed breaking them off of each other for her to iron.

This is probably where my love of ironing got started!

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

My mom definitely put them in the freezer! We had a deep freezer in the garage (this was the 1970s) and that is where the shirts went. I always enjoyed breaking them off of each other for her to iron.

This is probably where my love of ironing got started!

Oh, I was back in the 50s.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

My mother dampened clothes to be ironed by sprinkling water on them

I can still see the old Pepsi bottle with an aluminum head stopper.

...then wrapped them in a towel and put them in the refrigerator.

Salad leaves? Sure. Shirts? This is completely new territory.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by MrRational

I can still see the old Pepsi bottle with an aluminum head stopper.
Salad leaves? Sure. Shirts? This is completely new territory.

Putting them in the refrigerator allowed them to become uniformly damp. The sprinkle bottle would leave wet spots and dry spots.

https://www.carolcassara.com/vintage-ironing/

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

Putting them in the refrigerator allowed them to become uniformly damp.
The sprinkle bottle would leave wet spots and dry spots.

Whatever did they do before refrigeration?
ooh! Maybe this started as a gimmick like Frigidaire promoting other new uses?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icebox_cake#History

[Flamingo13]

I can't remember the last time I ironed anything - ironing board is covered w/piles of clothes here.

[SnazzyB]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Refrigerator, not freezer. This was so they didn’t get moldy if you didn’t finish the ironing in one day.

“Deep freeze” didn’t really exist back in the day. At least, our freezer was only about big enough for two of those metal ice cube trays.

I learn something new every day! I never knew this!