As I perused the store shelves for a new electric clothes iron, it struck me that I seem to be doing this much too frequently. How many irons have I owned since I realized the merit of being neatly pressed? Over the past dozen years or so, it seems I can't keep one for any longer than two years. They either burn out or fall to their death conveniently after their warrantee expires. Of all the appliances I use, the iron is the constant fatality followed closely by the blow dryer, but that’s another story.
When the previous iron went caput, I sent hubby out to do the shopping and he came back with a bigass machine that was a workout. It was heavy as the dickens with a surface that was too big for going between buttons or around pockets of a shirt without a struggle, but perfect for pressing flat items like sheets and draperies, which I might add, I don’t iron. It was an appliance for a man’s hand, big and awkward and top heavy when sitting on the ironing board while I repositioned the clothing item I worked on and is the reason it fell off after a light jiggle to the board. My ironing board has a metal resting surface at the end of the board but this big iron was too large for it to sit in the hole so it had to stand on the ironing surface while I fussed with the piece of clothing. I’m sure you’ll attest to the fact that ironing boards are not the most stable of contraptions and mine rocked and rolled as if on the high seas. When it went over the side, I screamed “crap” and watched it fall, resisting the urge to grab it on the way down, knowing full well where that would lead. After hubby brought it home and following a sufficient amount of time as not to hurt his feelings, I gently explained to him these words of wisdom, “When you go out shopping for say diamonds, bring home the biggest you can afford, but as for appliances, try matching them to my delicate physique”.
So I’m at the store and looking at the ten models on the shelf, they all seemed to offer a little something different but the only function necessary for me, besides steam, is the automatic shutoff. There is nothing more anxiety inducing than coming home after work to find an iron has been left on, hot as Hades all day. The last one had a neat warning buzzer to tell me it was left unattended after a five minute lapse and then would go into sleep mode and stay cool until moved. Being a bit absent minded I forget to turn things off so I’ve trained myself, before heading out the door to check the stove burners and any appliance I’ve used. I get my worry wartedness from my dad and although at times it can be the death of fun, I wouldn’t want it any other way, leaving nothing to chance in a vigil to keep us all safe.
So I have another new iron, picked by the serious decision making technique of, eeny meeny miny moe, grab a poodle by a toe. I left the sixty-nine dollar one out of the choices, considering their life span; middle price range was just fine. I don't need anything fancy, it doesn’t need to make sandwiches or do the laundry; a simple shot of steam and an automatic shutoff is fine. I used it this morning and had a so-so experience. I couldn't see how much water I poured in the tank through the opaque plastic. There was a line drawn that said Max Fill but I couldn't make out the water level to know if I was below or above it. I’m not sure how this got past the design table but it’s a definite flaw.
The stream function button was on the right side of the two buttons on top of the handle, one for spray and the other for a burst of stream. My last one had the steam burst button on the left which worked well, my thumb lined up perfectly but now it's awkward. I iron with my right hand and this one seems geared for a lefty, imagine that, after all these years something would work for me, but too lated now because I’ve adapted to use my right hand. The smaller size is working well, but is half the weight of the last beast so I have to hold it down firmer to get that perfect press. Funny, I now think I’d prefer the big one back....maybe I didn’t give it enough love so it jumped off the ironing board in a bereaved state of neglect from all the cursing as I struggled with it.
I'll get used to this new inanimate object; maybe I’ll talk to it real nice so it lasts longer. The iron and I spend a lot of time together. We get together daily; I’m not one of those domestics that press the laundry as it comes from the dryer so it’s ready to wear. It’s barely folded or hung on a hanger without much regard until I need it. I iron whatever I plan to wear each day, and I have a lot of linen shirts that need that extra attention or I’ll look like I slept in the car. Actually by the time I get to work I look as wrinkled as before the iron hit it so I’m not sure why I fuss. Linen is lovely fabric but it's needy and demanding.
Iron designs are changing faster than seasons. It’s hard to believe they need to be upgraded so often, made sleeker, streamlined and flashy when really, it’s all about the steam. Instead of making them high-tech and modern looking, why not invest money on appliances that use less wattage or heat faster? Perhaps, making them last would be nice, get rid of the vulnerable molded plastic and bring back metal for longevity. I like an iron with a bit of weight or else I‘m muscling it down to aid in the press, plastic is almost lighter than air. Maybe I need to find one that really works for me, then stock pile that model, buy several to cover the next decade or so...... Thank goodness I have more luck with cars.
I don't ever recall my mother getting a new iron. The one she used from my childhood was sold in a yard sale after she passed; perhaps I should have grabbed it up to press another 30 years of service out of it. Now-a-days everything is made so cheaply, doesn't last and is basically throw away.
Have you ever watched the movie “Manufactured Landscapes”? It’ll blow your mind to see the size of factories in countries like China. In one that produced clothes irons, the 23,000 employees worked in a building one kilometer long. The camera pans over the area, row after row after row after row of workers at stations, each adding parts to irons. It was jaw dropping. One factory produced thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of irons daily so there must be a need. If only they could make them to last the factories could be downsized to church basements.
Hubby did a calculation. There are 7 billion people in the world. On the assumption that 2 billion people (5 to a family = 400 million families), can afford a replacement iron every two years, that means 200 million irons are bought annually.
That means that globally factories have to produce. 547,945 irons a day.
22, 831 irons per hour
381 irons per minute
Geez, maybe humans need to rethink worrying about wrinkles.
When the previous iron went caput, I sent hubby out to do the shopping and he came back with a bigass machine that was a workout. It was heavy as the dickens with a surface that was too big for going between buttons or around pockets of a shirt without a struggle, but perfect for pressing flat items like sheets and draperies, which I might add, I don’t iron. It was an appliance for a man’s hand, big and awkward and top heavy when sitting on the ironing board while I repositioned the clothing item I worked on and is the reason it fell off after a light jiggle to the board. My ironing board has a metal resting surface at the end of the board but this big iron was too large for it to sit in the hole so it had to stand on the ironing surface while I fussed with the piece of clothing. I’m sure you’ll attest to the fact that ironing boards are not the most stable of contraptions and mine rocked and rolled as if on the high seas. When it went over the side, I screamed “crap” and watched it fall, resisting the urge to grab it on the way down, knowing full well where that would lead. After hubby brought it home and following a sufficient amount of time as not to hurt his feelings, I gently explained to him these words of wisdom, “When you go out shopping for say diamonds, bring home the biggest you can afford, but as for appliances, try matching them to my delicate physique”.
So I’m at the store and looking at the ten models on the shelf, they all seemed to offer a little something different but the only function necessary for me, besides steam, is the automatic shutoff. There is nothing more anxiety inducing than coming home after work to find an iron has been left on, hot as Hades all day. The last one had a neat warning buzzer to tell me it was left unattended after a five minute lapse and then would go into sleep mode and stay cool until moved. Being a bit absent minded I forget to turn things off so I’ve trained myself, before heading out the door to check the stove burners and any appliance I’ve used. I get my worry wartedness from my dad and although at times it can be the death of fun, I wouldn’t want it any other way, leaving nothing to chance in a vigil to keep us all safe.
So I have another new iron, picked by the serious decision making technique of, eeny meeny miny moe, grab a poodle by a toe. I left the sixty-nine dollar one out of the choices, considering their life span; middle price range was just fine. I don't need anything fancy, it doesn’t need to make sandwiches or do the laundry; a simple shot of steam and an automatic shutoff is fine. I used it this morning and had a so-so experience. I couldn't see how much water I poured in the tank through the opaque plastic. There was a line drawn that said Max Fill but I couldn't make out the water level to know if I was below or above it. I’m not sure how this got past the design table but it’s a definite flaw.
The stream function button was on the right side of the two buttons on top of the handle, one for spray and the other for a burst of stream. My last one had the steam burst button on the left which worked well, my thumb lined up perfectly but now it's awkward. I iron with my right hand and this one seems geared for a lefty, imagine that, after all these years something would work for me, but too lated now because I’ve adapted to use my right hand. The smaller size is working well, but is half the weight of the last beast so I have to hold it down firmer to get that perfect press. Funny, I now think I’d prefer the big one back....maybe I didn’t give it enough love so it jumped off the ironing board in a bereaved state of neglect from all the cursing as I struggled with it.
I'll get used to this new inanimate object; maybe I’ll talk to it real nice so it lasts longer. The iron and I spend a lot of time together. We get together daily; I’m not one of those domestics that press the laundry as it comes from the dryer so it’s ready to wear. It’s barely folded or hung on a hanger without much regard until I need it. I iron whatever I plan to wear each day, and I have a lot of linen shirts that need that extra attention or I’ll look like I slept in the car. Actually by the time I get to work I look as wrinkled as before the iron hit it so I’m not sure why I fuss. Linen is lovely fabric but it's needy and demanding.
Iron designs are changing faster than seasons. It’s hard to believe they need to be upgraded so often, made sleeker, streamlined and flashy when really, it’s all about the steam. Instead of making them high-tech and modern looking, why not invest money on appliances that use less wattage or heat faster? Perhaps, making them last would be nice, get rid of the vulnerable molded plastic and bring back metal for longevity. I like an iron with a bit of weight or else I‘m muscling it down to aid in the press, plastic is almost lighter than air. Maybe I need to find one that really works for me, then stock pile that model, buy several to cover the next decade or so...... Thank goodness I have more luck with cars.
I don't ever recall my mother getting a new iron. The one she used from my childhood was sold in a yard sale after she passed; perhaps I should have grabbed it up to press another 30 years of service out of it. Now-a-days everything is made so cheaply, doesn't last and is basically throw away.
Have you ever watched the movie “Manufactured Landscapes”? It’ll blow your mind to see the size of factories in countries like China. In one that produced clothes irons, the 23,000 employees worked in a building one kilometer long. The camera pans over the area, row after row after row after row of workers at stations, each adding parts to irons. It was jaw dropping. One factory produced thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of irons daily so there must be a need. If only they could make them to last the factories could be downsized to church basements.
Hubby did a calculation. There are 7 billion people in the world. On the assumption that 2 billion people (5 to a family = 400 million families), can afford a replacement iron every two years, that means 200 million irons are bought annually.
That means that globally factories have to produce. 547,945 irons a day.
22, 831 irons per hour
381 irons per minute
Geez, maybe humans need to rethink worrying about wrinkles.
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