Introduction.

Ironing is a task that must be completed, but very few want to do it. It can be complicated, time consuming, and a single mistake can mean the entire garment needs to be ironed again. The next time you iron; remember how lucky you are with this brief overview of ironing.

What is ironing?

Ironing is using a hot object to remove wrinkles from clothing. The reason for ironing is simply to make clothes look neater, newer and fresher. It can also be done to kill fleas/lice etc, but more often than not, it is simply the visual appearance of the clothing.

The reason why ironing works is actually quite scientific, and here comes the scientific part: the molecules in the clothes actually change when heat and weight are applied, causing them to align and stretch. As the cloth cools, the molecules stay in the same position.

The history of ironing

Long before your modern steam iron, people were heating up “iron” weights in their kitchens and using them to iron clothes. Before that, people have tried to remove lines, wrinkles, folds from clothes with wood, heated stones. The first electric iron was created in 1882 by Mr. Seeley, who called it an “electric iron”. Other names for an iron include a clothes iron, flat iron, or straightening iron.

Today’s irons have evolved to use steam and special coatings to make it much easier: the iron will glide and the steam will superheat the clothing to make ironing cotton and other fabrics much easier.

the ironing board

An ironing board is an iron’s best friend – modern boards feature fabrics and materials that are used for both sides of your clothes at once, saving time. Remember to make sure the board has these characteristics, as some cheaper boards will be nothing more than a sheet of wood covered with a material. These will not give you any of the benefits of the new designs.