The Invention and Interesting History of the Clothes Iron

The tradition of ironing clothes dates back many years. In the 8th and 9th centuries, people rubbed smooth, round stones over clothes to make them soft and crease-free. Due to repeated rubbing, the stone would heat up and remove wrinkles from the fabric. Before Henry Seely invented the electric iron in 1882, people ironed clothes by heating heavy metal blocks over a stove or gas burner.
The heavy iron similar to those used today was made in the 18th century. It was simply a block of iron fitted with a handle. Being heavy, it stayed hot for a long time after being heated. It was called a "flatiron" or "sad iron." Later, an iron with a hollow chamber was developed, which was kept warm by filling it with burning coals. Such irons could be seen in villages without electricity. In 1882, Henry Seely of America invented an iron heated by a carbon arc, which became known as the "American Beauty." Seely's iron weighed around 7 kg and took a long time to heat up. Later, the General Electric Company introduced the type of electric iron used today. Modern irons feature a circular regulator knob to adjust the temperature according to the fabric type.