Italians Iron Everything

I’ve never been very good at ironing. If we move to Italy, however, I think I’m going to have to learn. Italian women spend an inordinate amount of time ironing – and they iron things American women just wouldn’t dream of ironing anymore. Italians iron bedsheets, towels and even underwear. Why? Is it because they prepare every bed or bathroom as if it were hosting royalty? Is it because they just like a perfect crease in their undergarments? The answers are no, and most definitely not. The answer is simple – most Italians don’t own a clothes dryer, and clothing dried “au naturale” on the line is stiff and sometimes (as in the case of towels) scratchy. Ironing fixes both problems.

But like I said, I’ve never been good at ironing. I iron wrinkles in as often as I flatten them out. Which is why I’m relieved to hear that KC isn’t big on ironing, either. Whether or not I turn into an ironing fiend when we move to Italy is up for debate, but I’m not counting on it.