I wear a lot of cotton. Paul’s favorite shirt is a guayabera. This means ironing. I don’t mind ironing, but if I don’t have a tv show to watch, it can be pretty boring. And hot.
So when blogger Jennifer told me about ” Arco Iris”, the planchaduria that advertises 12 pieces for 50 pesos, I didn’t hesitate for a minute. I gathered up our clean clothes that needed ironing and headed over there. And for those of you who don’t know what 50 pesos converts to….it is THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY-FOUR CENTS at today’s rate.
The corner ironing center has roll up doors on two sides, and believe me, they need the ventilation. There are three women in there ironing all the time, and what a professional job they do!
Last time I took in 19 pieces and paid 80 pesos ($5.97 US) – let me tell you, I am about to retire my iron. And with the economy taking such a hit down here, it’s the least I can do, right?
Just don’t start calling me Princess, you hear?
– Planchaduria Arco Iris is on the corner of Zaragoza and Rosales in Centro.
1st Mate
June 18, 2009It makes perfect sense for you to give those women some work. Just make certain what you send out all comes back.
See you in a few days!
islagringo
June 18, 2009I love oxford cloth shirts but only have 3 left. Every other shirt we both own requires ironing. B does the laundry, I do the ironing. I’m going to have to check if there is such a place here. Then I wouldn’t have to do anything! (don’t call me Princess either!)
American Mommy in Mexico
June 18, 2009I have still been having my work clothes dry cleaned in USA this year.
That corner shop is a TOTAL bargain.
Like the angle of supporting economy!
Babs
June 18, 2009Yee haa, another thankless task bites the dust! Heck, and “Princess” isn’t such a bad title – there are worse, like “Iron Mistress”, ha.
John Calypso
June 18, 2009Princess? Queen might be more appropriate 😉 Ironing – what’s that – you two are retired – get some t-shirts and enjoy life.
Adam
June 18, 2009We will have to start sending our clothes to Mazatlan for ironing. Here in MC it’s $15 pesos per piece… we spend around $500-$600 pesos a month on ironing. Could probably more than cover the freight with the difference.
Jackie
June 19, 2009I can’t remeber the last time I used an iron. Heck I am not even sure I know where it is. Most of my clothes that need ironing need to be dry cleaned thus eliminated the ironing.
Nancy
June 21, 20091st. Mate, No problems the two times I’ve used them, everything came back fine.
IslaGringo, I hope you locate a planchaduria near you. I used to “save” things that were ironed so I’d have them when I needed them, now I can wear whatever I want whenever.
AMM, No more dry cleaning for me, just cotton cotton cotton!
Babs, It’s funny how many labor saving machines I hardly use anymore. Vacuum cleaner and iron for example. And I no longer wash my own car either. Princess it is!
Calypso, We can’t wear a t-shirt here in the summer, they are just too hot. The neck chokes us and they hold in the heat. So a white guayabera for Paul and some sort of sleeveless white cotton tunic for me.
Adam, Everything is more expensive in Mexico City it seems. Why don’t you just fly out with your laundry every month? Great idea!
Jackie, Dry cleaning is a thing of the past for me.
Lisa Renata
June 24, 2009I just ran into your blog today. And I gotta say I am soooooo jelous! Yes, the good kind. I L.O.V.E. Mazatlan. My mom is from there and as a child pretty much every summer we would visit. I even lived there for a year and did not want to come back! I have not been back since 2000 and that is just sad. I miss it, miss my extended familia and friends that I kept (belive it or not, since 6th grade). My abuelita’s house is still there in Fraccionamiento Gaviotas, waiting for us to pay it a visit (she left it to my mom and tia after her passing). So please enjoy every day you are there. I can’t wait to go, I really want my little ones to walk through the soft sand and swim in the warm water. And take them to the isla del venando and have some cocktel the camarones, and some helados Bing…o.k., I better stop. So many memories.
I’ll let you know when I go.
BTW- you and also get a muchacha to come to your house and irons for you, for real cheap. We use to do that when we lived there.
Nancy
June 25, 2009Lisa,
Thanks so much for visiting! Yes, Mazatlan really grabs you and doesn’t let go…and please get in touch if you do come down, I’d love to meet you!
We thought about having someone come to the house to iron but I have a hard time with people working in the house. It just feels uncomfortable to me and I am working hard on getting through it with our housekeeper, Guadalupe.