Clothes iron
A heated appliance for pressing clothes to remove wrinkles.
An iron—also called a flatiron, smoothing iron, dry iron, or steam iron—is a small household tool that, once heated, presses clothing to remove wrinkles and creases. Home irons typically heat to between 121 °C (250 °F) and 182 °C (360 °F). The device gets its name from the metal it was originally made of, and the act of using it is known as ironing, which is the last step in laundering clothes. Ironing works by loosening the bonds between long molecular chains in polymer fibers; the heat and weight of the iron’s plate stretch the fibers, and the fabric holds its new shape once it cools. Some materials, like cotton, need water to help break those intermolecular bonds.
Before electricity, irons were heated by fire or an internal flame. Early versions were solid pieces of iron with a handle, heated on a wood stove, and called smoothing irons. The first electric flatiron was invented by American Henry W. Seely and patented on June 6, 1882; it weighed nearly 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and took a long time to heat. The UK Electricity Association claimed an electric iron with a carbon arc appeared in France in 1880, but this is considered doubtful. The oldest irons were either containers filled with burning material or solid lumps of metal heated directly. In 1st century BC China, metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics. A later design was an iron box filled with hot coals, which needed a bellows to keep it burning. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many irons burned fuels like kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas, or gasoline. Some homes had pipes distributing natural gas or carbide gas to rooms for irons and lights. Despite fire risks, liquid-fuel irons were sold in rural U.S. areas through World War II. In Kerala, India, burning coconut shells were traditionally used instead of charcoal because they heated similarly; this method is still a backup during power outages. Other box irons used heated metal inserts instead of coals.
From the 17th century, sadirons (from Middle English “sad,” meaning “solid”) came into use. These were thick, triangular slabs of cast iron with a handle, heated in a fire or on a stove, also called flat irons. Laundry workers kept a set of solid irons heated from one source, swapping a cool iron for a hot one. In the industrialized world, these designs were replaced by the electric iron, which uses re
- inventor
- Henry W. Seely (electric flatiron, patented June 6, 1882)
- earliest_known_use
- 1st century BC (China, metal pans filled with hot coals)
- common_temperature_range
- 121 °C to 182 °C (250 °F to 360 °F)
- primary_material_historically
- Iron (metal)
- key_innovation
- Thermostatically controlled electric iron (1920s)
Lore & Background
Before electricity, irons were heated by combustion, either in a fire or with internal arrangements. Early designs included solid lumps of metal heated on a stove, or containers filled with burning substances. In China, metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in the 1st century BC. Later, box irons could be filled with hot coals and aerated with bellows. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, irons were heated by fuels such as kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas, or gasoline. In Kerala, India, burning coconut shells were traditionally used as an alternative to charcoal. From the 17th century, sadirons (solid cast iron slabs) were used, often in clusters so a hot one could replace a cooled one.
Reader's Guide
The clothes iron evolved from simple heated metal blocks to sophisticated electric appliances. The electric flatiron, patented by Henry W. Seely in 1882, weighed almost 15 pounds and took a long time to heat. A carbon arc iron appeared in France in 1880, but its existence is considered doubtful. The first thermostatically controlled electric iron appeared in the 1920s, allowing temperature regulation. The first commercially available electric steam iron was introduced in 1926 by Eldec, but was not a success; a later design by Max Skolnik in 1934 led to the Steam-O-Matic Corporation's popular steam iron in 1938, which paved the way for widespread use in the 1940s and 1950s. Modern irons feature thermostats, temperature dials, steam injection, and safety features like automatic shut-off. Ironing also serves a hygiene purpose, as proper ironing can prevent infections like those caused by lice.
Did You Know?
- The electric flatiron patented by Henry W. Seely in 1882 weighed almost 15 pounds (6.8 kg).
- In China, metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in the 1st century BC.
- The first thermostatically controlled electric iron appeared in the 1920s.
- One of the world's larger collections of irons, comprising 1300 historical examples, is housed in Gochsheim Castle, near Karlsruhe, Germany.
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