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Ironing

Process of removing wrinkles from fabric

Ironing
Summary

Process of removing wrinkles from fabric

Ironing a shirt

Ironing is the use of an iron, usually heated, to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases from fabric. The heating is commonly done to a temperature of 180–220 C, depending on the fabric.

The first known use of heated metal to "iron" clothes is known to have occurred in China. The electric iron was invented in 1882, by Henry W. Seely. Seely patented his "electric flatiron" on June 6, 1882 (U.S. Patent no. 259,054).

Equipment

Iron

Main article: Clothes iron

The iron is the small appliance used to remove wrinkles from fabric. It is also known as a clothes iron, steam iron, flat iron, smoothing iron or iron box.

On 15 February 1858 W. Vandenburg and J. Harvey patented an ironing table that facilitated pressing sleeves and pant legs. A truly portable folding ironing board was first patented in Canada in 1875 by John B. Porter. The invention also included a removable press board used for sleeves. In 1892 Sarah Boone obtained a patent in the United States for improvements to the ironing board, allowing for better quality ironing for shirt sleeves.

Ironing board cover sizes

SizeInchesCentimeters
A43 × 12110 × 30
B49 × 15124 × 38
C49 × 18124 × 45
D53 × 18135 × 45
E53 × 19135 × 49

Tailor's ham

A tailor's ham or dressmaker's ham is a tightly stuffed pillow in the shape of a ham used as a mold when pressing curves such as sleeves or collars.

Commercial equipment

Commercial dry cleaning and full-service laundry providers usually use a large appliance called a steam press to do most of the work of ironing clothes. Alternatively, a rotary iron may be used.

A tailor's stove

Historically, larger tailors' shops included a tailor's stove, used to quickly and efficiently heat multiple irons. In many developing countries a cluster of solid irons, heated alternatively from a single heating source, are used for pressing clothes at small commercial outlets.

Chemistry

When the fabric is heated, the molecules are more easily reoriented. In the case of cotton fibres, which are derivatives of cellulose, the hydroxyl groups that crosslink the cellulose polymer chains are reformed at high temperatures and become somewhat "locked in place" upon cooling the item. In permanent press pressed clothes, chemical agents such as dimethylol ethylene urea are added as crosslinking agents.

References

References

  1. "Ironing". The Free Dictionary By Farlex.
  2. "IRONING definition".
  3. [http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx Oldandinteresting.com]
  4. [http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1800b.shtml Enchantedlearning.com]
  5. {{US patent. 19390
  6. Mario Theriault, ''Great Maritime Inventions 1833–1950'', Goose Lane, 2001, p. 31
  7. (July 26, 2020). "Two inventors who should have statues". The Hartford Courant.
  8. "Tailor's ham and Seam Roll Free Pattern". Sewing Princess.
  9. "Bra att veta vad man har på sig". Ulla Popken.
  10. "General care". [[Lanidor]].
  11. Fritz Schultze-Gebhardt, Karl-Heinz Herlinger "Fibers, 1. Survey" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wily-VCH, Weinheim, 2000. {{doi. 10.1002/14356007.a10_451
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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