Monday Real Talk
Who Uses an Iron in 2026?

I was sitting here thinking about what to write for tonight’s Real Talk when I remembered a conversation with some of the young people I work with.

The subject? Owning and using an iron.

Now, let me just say… I am an iron-and-ironing-board kind of person. My ironing board is folded against my wall right now. When I was going into work, every morning I pressed my clothes.

That was part of getting ready. Get dressed. Check the mirror. Make sure those wrinkles weren’t going to work with me. 🤣

So imagine my surprise when none of the young people I asked even OWNED an iron. 😱

And before somebody says, “Maybe their clothes don’t need ironing…”

Some of those wrinkles would like a word. 😉🤣

In my own home, I’m the only one who uses an iron.

Which brings me back to my question:

Who uses an iron in 2026?

And yes, I had to see what Google had to say. You know me. 🤣

I found reporting on a 2023 UK survey from Lakeland that said about 30% of adults ages 18–34 didn’t own an iron. That isn’t a worldwide count or a fresh 2026 statistic, but apparently my coworkers aren’t alone.

There are other options now, too. Handheld steamers. Wrinkle-release sprays. Getting clothes out of the dryer while they’re still warm.

Some people have a whole system.

Others appear to have made peace with the wrinkles. 🤣

But it got me thinking about something beyond laundry.

How many things did we grow up considering a basic part of life that another generation doesn’t consider necessary?

For me, pressing my clothes was part of how I wanted to present myself. I liked that finished look. I still do.

But somebody younger might look at my ironing board and see one more chore, one more thing taking up space, and one more step between getting dressed and getting out the door.

Same household appliance. Two very different opinions.

Does not owning an iron tell us something about a person’s character? I wouldn’t go that far.

Does it tell us that habits, priorities, and expectations have changed? I think we have a conversation there.

And young people aren’t all the same, either. Somewhere, somebody in their twenties is pressing a shirt while somebody my age is saying, “That’s why I own a dryer.” 🤣

I’m keeping my iron, though.

You can tell me times have changed. You can show me a faster method. But there is still something satisfying about taking a wrinkled piece of clothing and giving it a good press.

Now, let’s talk about it.

Do you own an iron?
Do you actually use it?
Are you a steamer person?
Or are you wearing those wrinkles with confidence?

Tell the truth. Your ironing board may be holding laundry right now. 🤓🤣

Real Talk with Lady Flava 🌻