Do you Ironrite?

[launderess]

Ironrites tend to vary widely in prices. Have seem some MIB languish, while others sell for $$$. Think the main determining factors are local demand and if the unit comes with enough "extras" to make shipping or going to pick up the thing worth it.

One lady recently sold a similar model complete with several boxes of padding and roll covers for a very nice amount.

Thing about Ironrites, and now that the website is no longer active, is shipping can be done but one must be careful about it. If one simply unbolts the legs from the unit, and keeps the unit upright or drain the motor oil if unit will be at all on it's side, then shipping can be easily done. It will be costly, but can be done.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I don't, but I can. My Model 85 sits ready downstairs, but there is nothing to iron.

The reason there are so many ironers that look little-used is that the laundry appliance dealers pulled some dirty tricks after World War II. There was this great pent up demand for washing machines after The Depression Years (the title of my memoirs) and the war. Getting production going on washing machines was not easy. Developing automatics and getting materials to make them was expensive and time consuming. Companies that had produced ironers before the war had supplied various war needs so they were up and running making ironers which did not need a lot of redesign from the pre-war machines. Ironers had not been an exact pot of gold. During the Depression, only the well-off could afford them and that was largely for use by domestic help and a lot of domestic help was satisfied to use an iron unless the household was huge. So these companies were making ironers and shipping lots of them to stores, but the customers wanted washing machines which were in short supply. Some stores decided that you could not purchase a washer without buying an ironer. People were so desperate for washers that they bought the damn ironers just to get the washer. This was all very illegal and stopped when people in an area complained, but a lot of unwanted ironers were moved this way. Contributing to the existence of lightly used ironers was the introduction of Wash and Wear fabrics within a decade of the war. These and other factors started the ironer down the same path as other older inventions that were once deemed wonderful to have but then the work and the intensity of the work changed and they were not as necessary as before.

If you just have a garmet here and there to iron, it makes much more sense to use a hand iron than to heat up the ironer. When you have lots of table linens and other stuff, setting up the ironer makes more sense. I always iron with a spray bottle of water to erase ironing mistakes which I can even do with a hand iron, let alone when a fractional horsepower motor is pulling stuff I have not arranged correctly into the heated maw of the mangle. I also use it to redampen areas that might have dried a bit too much while I slowly struggle to iron out wrinkles.

 

[gansky1]

You're right, Tom, I'm sure the development of modern fabrics killed the ironer market, as well as the clothes dryer and the decline of pride in one's personal appearance.

The house I found the ironer in had a mid-70's Kenmore washer and dryer, 90 series with DA agitator and the flip-down detergent dispenser - that was interesting to see again. The cup was still there but the solenoid and hanging bracket was awry so I doubt it still worked properly.

 

[dalangdon]

I might have mentioned this before, but my neighbors have a Maytag ironing machine that came with their house. I keep trying to get them to give it to me, but they use it to keep their cat's food and water away from their dog (which, I must concede, IS a problem.) One would think that one could find another way to handle that, and I remind them of that from time to time (they love it when I play the nagging neighbor. Really, they do!). ;-)

I do NOT like to iron, but I think it would be fun and handy for napkins and such (I'm big on napkins)

 

[launderess]

Yes, the move towards "Wash and Wear",along movement away from many natural fiber fabrics hastened the decline of ironers, but ironing (by hand or machine), as well. Also even with a dryer, many items still had to be ironed such as table and bed linens, shirts, jeans, etc, but as you say today there is a different standard. Today also at least most urban areas have lots of drycleaners/laundry services that do shirts for about $1 or $2 a piece, so many wives and most men are happy to sent their shirts out.

Paper napkins replaced linen/cotton, tablecloths are rarely seen except at special times,and even then they are likely to be polyester (as with napkins).

Also consider many women work outside the home, something that was rare in the 1950's and 1960's, thus do not have the time to devote to "housekeeping", including ironing as their mothers/grandmothers.Also many women had a daily or live in cleaner (help was cheap), so there was more than one person to spread the housework about. Well that is if Madame did any of it herself. If not, then it was all up to the "girl", but many coped quite well.

Ironers are once again popular because many people are using high thread count linens again, and or collecting/using vintage linens, all of which must be ironed. A good French hand laundry service is expensive, and "help" even more so, so a mangle is a better option.

 

[ironrite]

Beautiful!

Very, very nice machine! I do need to get another one of those. Recently have gotten back into sewing. As well as a P/T job selling the mighty Viking sewing machines.

Chatting with some of our regular customers I've mentioned Ironrites to them. Especially when they talk about ironing yards of fabric for clothing or quilting. Shame that a smaller or less expensive version of these machines aren't made today. There would be a good, but limited market for them. The perfect addition to that Designer SE machine for $6500.00!