Here at Before Our Time we often look back on skills, knowledge and equipment from before 1970 and think that perhaps we should re-introduce them to our daily lives. However, there are some things that we are grateful have moved into the history books. From time to time we will show them here.
First off our list is the flat smoothing iron that is powered by heating it on a hot plate, over a fire or by encasing a piece of hot coal or charcoal inside.
flat smoothing iron and mangle, powerhouse museum, Sydney
Oh my, ironing is such a detested chore with modern smoothing techniques, a padded ironing board and an electric steam iron. The thought of facing a pile of shirts with the implements above is just too much.
While I could never advocate that the knowledge of how to smooth clothes by old means is lost (such knowledge may be useful one day), I'm certainly glad that it is unlikely that I'll ever have to iron clothes the old way.
I wonder, however, have any of our readers ever had to iron this way? Are there places where ironing is still done like this?
13 comments:
I have a flatiron.
I use it as a paperweight.
I thought you were talking about the ones for hair... which I do own. So I'd say it's obvious I've never used the old clothes iron version.
Those suckers are heavy. My mother-in-law has one of her mother's irons. When she was a little girl, her mother got her first electric iron. My mother-in-law and her sister took it apart to see how it worked. I think you can imagine how furious their mother was!
Ha...laughing at Melinda's comment about someone taking apart the iron! Anyway...yes my Mom did have the old cast iron that was heated on the stove. She also had to hang clothes out on the clothesline outside, even in winter. I remember going out and collecting frozen clothes with her, and then trying to dry them out by the coal stove or where ever they would dry out. She also used to dampen them and roll them up and put in the refrigerator to stay damp, until she could get them ironed. Quite a process for a family of 7.
Today I have a Rowenta (expensive) iron because I still iron most all our clothes and also need a good one for sewing and quilting. I think learning how to do things like they did many years ago may come in useful some day. You just never know!
We always had an electric iron at home but at school – a private fee-paying one at that – the ironing part of our Domestic Science classes in the late fifties, as they were called then in Scotland, was done with an iron heated by sitting end on to a gas jet and on a large flat table. A separate small block was used for little things like sleeves. I did my Highers on that. I think the centre of the iron may have been hollow so the flame went up the middle but I can't be sure about that. We had 2 each – 1 heating while the other was being used. We tested how hot they were by dropping a few drops of water onto the sole plate from our fingers. If they bounced off, it was hot enough. If they sizzled and stayed on, it wasn't. Of course, they needed to be really hot for the less processed cotton and linen we were ironing as this was before the mass production of synthetic fibres which require a cool iron. Wool was pressed under a damp cloth and silk never really came into it as it was so expensive. I have always loved ironing – it's warm and clean with the most wonderful fresh clean smell from drying outside and you're turning a crumpled piece of material which was dirty and maybe even smelly back inti pristine condition again – good as new – new for old. My mother hated ironing but liked the washing-up. I hated the latter so, as a child, (before dishwashers were common) we had an arrangement which suited us both both beautifully. She did all the dishes and I did all the ironing. I used to do it in the early evening listening to a favourite programme on the radio (before we had television), during my working years, around 6.00 p.m. on a Saturday with my favourite soap (not Neighbours) and a glass of wine with the added joy that the week's laundry and chores were done and an evening of fun and a "day of rest" were ahead! Now I do it any old time it suits me gazing across at the mountains and remembering being up there! These items about the past are not a good idea for us oldies as it really gets us going and we can't stop! I still hang washing outside even when it freezes!
We had flat irons when I was young in the 50's. They were heated in front of the open fire so on ironing day they were lined up and each taken in turn to the ironing table which was white sheeting over a folded blanket on the kitchen table. After testing the 'readiness' described by Nanu, the iron was rubbed on a rag to make sure that it was clean before starting as most of the shirts, sheets and teatowels etc at that time were white. It was an exciting day when we got an electric iron - and with it came an ironing board which definitely make ironing garments easier!
I love the whole laundering process and like Nanu get a huge sense of satisfaction starting with a load of crumpled filth and end up with fresh,clean laundered clothes.
Is this a Scottish trait.
I remember my mother and grandmother using the irons on the stove. But, I have always used an electric one.
To be quite frank I would like to go back in time to meet the person who invented the flat iron and kick them in the bottom - twice. Surely prior to its invention EVERYONE just had wrinkly clothing and was happy with them.
Part 2
With me it's also a love of material and dealing with it. I can see a whole research paper on laundry methods of the past especially when one thinks of steamies, bleaching greens, wash-boards, possers, (I still have one and find it very useful on occasion) etc.. I clearly remember a man demonstrating a washing-machine in our flat in the 50's. One of our assembled friends and neighbours, who had 7 children, asked how long it took to wash a blanket and said in amazement on hearing the reply of 1 minute, "Just think – 10 blankets in 10 minutes!" Of course, it wasn't quite as quick as that as rinsing and wringing had to be added on, but still – a great improvement.
We have one too.
They make great door stops.
Emma
I have enough trouble ironing without burning myself with the fully electric, steam number. I'd have no chance if adding a hot coal was part of the equation.
When I pull out the iron at our place my kids what's that Mummy?
Have just recalled that when we lived in the Australian Bush in 1967 where there was no electricity
the farmers wives used petrol irons!! My God- they scared the living daylights out out of me and I would never use one. Bill used to crank up the generator for lights at night and I used an electric one then.
For a design assignment years ago I researched the history of the iron -- must look that out!
not to mention the weight of those old {insert swear here}'s damn near break your wrist.
Not a fan of ironing...
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