I so hate to iron! I don’t really know anyone who likes to iron any more than I do! But, there are times when the clothes are just to wrinkled and I must take the iron out and actually use it. I do know how to use one, I just don’t like to.
Safety! This is very important because you should look for an iron that has an automatic shut off in case you forget to turn it off yourself. And you should also look for one that has the ability to handle a crash to the floor. Some irons are made cheap and you will get what you paid for.
You also want to consider the plug of the iron. Is it easy for a child to plug in? Most irons are unfortunately. So it is your responsibility to keep your iron out of the way of small hands.
And certainly store your iron in high place like on the shelf of your closet if you have one where small ones can’t get to it. I left my iron out once and my son, who is now 8 got a hold of it, plug it in, turned it on, and ironed my carpet. Left a nice little melted spot for me! And certainly reminded me not to be so careless.
You want to choose an iron that will get the job done! Not one that you have to wait on to get hot, but one that will stay hot! You will want to look for one that has an automatic cool down, which is good because it allows a longer life for your iron and it allows you to do a better job with your ironing. Especially with silks, this feature is really good.
You will also want to look for an iron that allows you to add water to it and a sprayer as well to use the water. This will help you to get those wrinkles out or your clothes a lot better. Also look for an iron that allows you to see the water line, that way you will know when to fill it back up again.
You will also want to look at all the features of an iron. For instance, does it have a sturdy bottom that you can stand the iron up easily? Does it have Teflon coating? Teflon is good because it will not stick to your clothes much, and the iron will last longer. Does the iron have the safety feature mention above? And I have found with the Teflon coating that should I happen to stick my iron to something say like plastic, the melted plastic will wipe right off.
Does the iron have a dial that allows for different temperature settings? Some irons come with just three adjustments, low, medium or high. This is not good in my humble opinion because I don’t have the true choice of adjusting the temperature. For me being able to choose low compared to a 1 or 2 status is not good. Sometimes low means not low enough and at least with a numbered dial I can adjust the settings according to the material I am wanting to iron. Silk is a good example for low heat. And also materials used for wedding gowns other than silk.
You will also want to look to see if the iron of choice is self-cleaning. This is a good feature because an iron should be cleaned from time to time, like an oven, and the easier for you the better. You also want to make sure that you can wipe the bottom easily without doing damage to the iron, so once again Teflon comes in handy.
You will want to choose an iron within your budget. If you can’t afford one of those $70.00 or so irons then don’t buy one. You can find a much cheaper iron that will work just as well. Remember that names brands make you pay for the name. There are some irons out there though that are less than $10.00 and you will certainly get what you pay for. I have bought the cheaper ones and I have replaced them a lot sooner.
Look for an iron that will not be heavy when using it. A heavy iron really makes you hate ironing more! There are a lot of great lightweight irons out there so look for those. Pick it up in the store and see how it feels in your hand. Rub the iron across the palm of your hand and see if it moves smoothly. If necessary rub the iron across your clothing and see how smoothly it works. Most stores have irons on display for you to do just that!
Look for a brand that is a brand that you trust! Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying go and get the most expensive one out there because the name is well known. For instance, Black and Decker™ makes a lot of different irons for different budgets. And yes they do have one that is $70.00 but they also have one that is around $20.00 that will work just as well. And Procter Slicker™ also makes a good iron. And most of the cheaper irons do come with the automatic shut off, the Teflon coating and the self-cleaning feature. You just have to shop around is all.
You just really need to look for an iron that will suit your needs, cost, feel, safety should be taken into consideration. And remember you will always want to store your iron out the reach of small hands. Iron burns hurt! And they also leave scars. You will also want to look for an ironing board that is sturdy and does not fall over easily. Some of those boards are just plum crappy and a pain in the backside! So look for a good one!
A good iron will last you a long time. I have had mine for over 5 years now. My very first iron that I got when I first got married back in 1979 to my first husband, lasted me for over 10 years. And the next one lasted only 2 years. So times certainly have changed and things are not made like they use to be. The next iron I got only lasted about 5 years.
When I divorced my husband I didn’t get the iron so I went and bought my own. The one I got, that I still use today is a Procter Slicer™ Non Stick Soleplate that has a sprayer, steam/dry, dial, water level, Teflon coating, lightweight, self-cleaning iron. I paid around $25.00 US dollars for it!
So consider all of your options when looking to buy an iron. And don’t buy anything you can’t afford. If you need to get the cheapest iron for the time being to get you buy, then do so, I have been down that road many times. Later you can look for a better one. Buy within your means.
Oh, you may want to consider having a spare iron just in case. There is nothing worse than know your iron has stopped working and now your clothes are wrinkled, you have to head out the door knowing your are going to look tacky! Or you have to go out and buy another one and you don’t have the time. Think about it!
I hope that this has helped in some kind of way.
God Bless!
© LKD 2002