Call me old-fashioned, but there is something very satisfying about ironing and seeing those wrinkles transform into smooth, neat lines.
Ironing clothes is not a popular or perhaps even a necessary task for many people these days. There are abundant modern fabric choices that do not wrinkle the way 100% cotton does. Permanent press fabrics were invented in the mid-1960s and are treated to prevent wrinkling when washed and dried properly. This was a game changer since ironing was previously required for all items of clothing and household articles.
Ironing goes back to ancient times with the first heated metal usages occurring in China. Heated plates and stones were used to smooth fabrics. Later, flat or “sad” irons (so named because sad is an old word for solid) had removable handles. One heavy iron bottom would be heating on a stove while another was being used.
Tuesday was the traditional ironing day, following Monday’s washday. Ironing was a difficult task. If irons got too hot, fabrics would scorch. Too cool and the wrinkles remained. Irons had to be kept polished, clean and regularly greased with beeswax to prevent them from sticking to the fabric.
It was a lot of hard work. The electric flatiron was invented in 1882 by Henry Seeley. It weighed nearly 15 pounds and took a long time to heat up, but it did help make the task easier.
If I had to use those old flatirons to iron every piece of clothing in my house, I’m pretty sure the charm of getting rid of wrinkles would have worn off long ago. And there is no way I would have liked or had time to iron all the sheets and towels in my household.
Household tasks like washing dishes and clothes, keeping the house clean, and preparing food was so difficult and time consuming years ago. When children visit The Little Red Schoolhouse, they are amazed at the differences between modern living and 1880s life.
No refrigerator, no air conditioning, no TV, no cars, no indoor plumbing, no electric lighting, no microwave, no Game Boy, no vacuum cleaner, no computer, no washing machine or dryer, no phones, no showers, and no gas stoves are but a few examples that present a lifestyle quite unlike anything we know.
Not that we have everything easier now; every generation has challenges. And sometimes, taking a look at simpler ways can give us a better perspective and appreciation.
So I can enjoy my weekly ironing gig, complete with a modern steam iron and a portable pressing pad, happy I have these modern appliances. I sing along to a playlist on my phone while creasing pants and smoothing rumpled sleeves.
I recently visited one of my favorite antique shops in Wisconsin. The owner creates yard art from old, recycled items. I bought a rusty bird made from an old iron with an anvil attached as a beak and rebar feet. It is quirky and cute, and the irony made me smile. It’s the perfect homage to being useful and artistic, and it completely belongs in my backyard.
And that old iron can enjoy a happy, well-deserved retirement.
- Karen Roth is a semiretired librarian/educator living in Ottawa. She can be reached at dbarichello@shawmedia.com.