Is It Permissible to Wash and Iron Clothes on Rosh Chodesh?

Happy new month, 1. Women customarily refrain from performing work on Rosh Chodesh, as the principle of lo parku nezameihen laegel (they did not prepare their instruments for an idol) grants Rosh Chodesh the status of a yom tov day (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 417:1 and Mishna Berurah 417:3). For this reason, women avoid washing clothes on Rosh Chodesh. However, the opinion of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, in his Sefer Chazon Ovadia Chanukah (page 290), permits women to use an automatic washing machine on Rosh Chodesh since it involves no exertion at all. 2. Women are also permitted to iron clothes on Rosh Chodesh, as this action is not more severe than on Chol HaMoed, during which ironing is permitted (see Chazon Ovadia ibid., pages 290-290, and it is also brought in the sefer Rosh Chodesh page 266 in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, of blessed memory). 

Blessings, Hillel Meirs