June 6 – The Electric Iron Is Born!

nPostednJune 6, 2013

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nTwonthousand years ago, women in Korea and China were pressing wrinklesnout of cloth with flat-bottomed metal pans full of hot water. n

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nAnfew centuries later, Vikings were pressing wrinkles out of linen withnsmoothers made from glass. n

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Fromnthe 17^th Century, sadirons were used. These were thicknslabs of cast iron, heated up on a stove or other device. They werenlifted from the stove and pressed onto cloth using wooden or bamboonhandles. Sometimes people had many small irons heating at once; asnsoon as the iron in use began to cool down, the ironer would switchnit for a hot iron.

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Boxnirons were developed later. Inside the metal box of one of thesenirons, people put hot coals or (in India) burning coconut shells. n

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nInnthe late nineteenth century, many people used liquid irons that werenheated by fuels such as whale oil, natural gas, or even gasoline!nThese clothing irons were a fire risk—but I would think would alsonrisk making clothing stinky and stained!

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Finally,non this date in 1882, a man named Henry W. Seeley applied for anpatent for an electric iron. Yeah! Our cloths and clothing werensaved!

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n(Notnthat I personally ever use an iron!)

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nOfncourse, Seeley’s iron wasn’t the last improvement in clothing irons.nPeople went on to invent an iron with a thermostat and later a steamniron. And permanent press fabric!

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nAlsonon this date:

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