Occasionally, I will see Ironrites and other ironing devices come up for sale or for free. I am wholly uninitiated in how these work, if they’re affective and I’m curious if folks use them, swear by them, etc.? Is it worth adding to the collection? Are they supposed to save time versus and iron?
Ironrites
- Thread starter delco1946
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They were effective on flatwork in another day and time when ironed fabrics were largely cotton and linen and fabric softeners were not yet available. By the post war years, manufacturers almost could not give them away so they forced customers who wanted an automatic washer to buy an ironer to get a washer. Another factor in their slide from popularity was the amount of room they took up in smaller post war homes. If you like to iron and can find an ironer, especially an Ironrite, with the complete user manual, generally found in the pocket above the wheels on either side, you can learn how to use the ironer to iron shirts, slacks, etc. I use one once a year or so to iron dish towels and napkins because Launderess said that ironed towels are more absorbent and they stack in drawers much more neatly. Bedding generally no longer requires ironing unless you really, really appreciate the feel of an ironed pillowcase.
Modern fabrics (in particular poly/cotton blends) coupled with spread of tumble dryers killed off need for ironing period, much less ironers.
The things were fine enough when one had baskets full of wash to iron, but once standards dropped and or all that work wasn't necessary ironers and presses began falling out of favor quite quickly.
I like busy work much as the next vintage appliance aficionado, but draw the line at ironing knickers, drawers, brassieres etc... by hand or machine.
Shirts and other apparel can be done on an Ironrite or other rotary irons, but takes practice and skill. By 1950's into 1960's only thing usually routinely ironed in households were men's dress shirts, they got sent out to laundry so that was that. Indeed for homes that still clung to old ways and wanted ironed bed and table linen most just sent things out. It was cheaper, work better and less bother.
Between about 1964 and 1975 USA lost over 50% of "industrial" laundries. These were places so called "steam laundries" or whatever that did family wash, shirts, linens, etc... Where did those customers go? Most turned to doing wash at home thanks to spread of automatic washers and dryers (with few household bothering with ironing of any sort), rest went to coin laundromats.
This is what helped do ironing and ironers in:
The things were fine enough when one had baskets full of wash to iron, but once standards dropped and or all that work wasn't necessary ironers and presses began falling out of favor quite quickly.
I like busy work much as the next vintage appliance aficionado, but draw the line at ironing knickers, drawers, brassieres etc... by hand or machine.
Shirts and other apparel can be done on an Ironrite or other rotary irons, but takes practice and skill. By 1950's into 1960's only thing usually routinely ironed in households were men's dress shirts, they got sent out to laundry so that was that. Indeed for homes that still clung to old ways and wanted ironed bed and table linen most just sent things out. It was cheaper, work better and less bother.
Between about 1964 and 1975 USA lost over 50% of "industrial" laundries. These were places so called "steam laundries" or whatever that did family wash, shirts, linens, etc... Where did those customers go? Most turned to doing wash at home thanks to spread of automatic washers and dryers (with few household bothering with ironing of any sort), rest went to coin laundromats.
This is what helped do ironing and ironers in:
michaelman2
Well-known member
Take a view of this video
have used an Ironrite for years on clothing items as well as flat items. The attached video is an instructional video from the 1949s. It is somewhat goofy, however it is very easy to learn techniques from the film.
A search on this forum will also provide information on these ironers as well as other brands.
have used an Ironrite for years on clothing items as well as flat items. The attached video is an instructional video from the 1949s. It is somewhat goofy, however it is very easy to learn techniques from the film.
A search on this forum will also provide information on these ironers as well as other brands.
Oh and other issue is that by 1950's or so domestic ironers only came with max roller width of about 33". This was fine for small flatwork, but larger sheets and tablecloths had to be either folded into quarters, or run multiple times folded in half to get job done.
Early ironers came with rollers up to 48" or bit larger for home use. This allowed wide tablecloths to be done without a center crease. Also larger bedsheets (king still wasn't invented yet) could be done more easily with fewer steps.
As Tom stated stationary ironers were big and bulky which was fine if one had a large home or some place to store/use the thing. But often that wasn't case. Ironrite was slightly smaller than say Frigidaire ironers, but that came at one obvious cost, roller was smaller so larger items required more steps.
Late in game Ironrite came out with an ironer that folded down for storage. GE and some others also had similar models. It was all too late as housewives largely had moved on.
There were other issues such as federal government tacking on a excise tax to ironers. Then consider by 1960's or so more and more housewives entered the workforce. That meant something had to go by the boards housekeeping wise, and usually it was all that ironing either by hand or machine. Again things like shirts were just sent out.
Ironrite went out of business in 1961, but a huge inventory of new units meant for a very long time afterwards one could find NOS Ironrite ironers.
Early ironers came with rollers up to 48" or bit larger for home use. This allowed wide tablecloths to be done without a center crease. Also larger bedsheets (king still wasn't invented yet) could be done more easily with fewer steps.
As Tom stated stationary ironers were big and bulky which was fine if one had a large home or some place to store/use the thing. But often that wasn't case. Ironrite was slightly smaller than say Frigidaire ironers, but that came at one obvious cost, roller was smaller so larger items required more steps.
Late in game Ironrite came out with an ironer that folded down for storage. GE and some others also had similar models. It was all too late as housewives largely had moved on.
There were other issues such as federal government tacking on a excise tax to ironers. Then consider by 1960's or so more and more housewives entered the workforce. That meant something had to go by the boards housekeeping wise, and usually it was all that ironing either by hand or machine. Again things like shirts were just sent out.
Ironrite went out of business in 1961, but a huge inventory of new units meant for a very long time afterwards one could find NOS Ironrite ironers.
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