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Extreme Ironing

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Re: Extreme Ironing

#121

Post by [deleted] »

squarefoot wrote: post #117
zo1 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also realizing that a lot of times you don't need to iron something at all. Fold it nicely, or hang it up to dry without creases and you'd be amazed at how good it looks without ironing. Short of formal work clothes, I don't have anything that needs ironing.

My idea years ago, if human shaped and sized balloons were easily available, was to put clothes on one, then inflate it until it gently keeps clothes tight, then wait for them to dry. I could never test it however.

[deleted]

Re: Extreme Ironing

#123

Post by nose »

47 wrote: post #104
duckmysick wrote: post #80

Mildly related: I'm curious what are the latest advances in consumer irons and ironing boards. Something that improved them in the last 10-15 years, even incrementally. For example SSDs became much more common and affordable over the past 15 years and their parameters also improved. Are there similar improvements in household appliances like irons? Where would one look for an industry overview?

https://helloeffie.com/ Never used it myself but i have been curious if it actually works.

A hot shower can achieve similar results: https://www.reddit.com/r/ShowerScience/comments/302aqp/showe...

Re: Extreme Ironing

#124

Post by jacobolus »

derefr wrote: post #113
rovr138 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People get used to doing certain things (e.g. ironing) and want to keep doing it the same way their parents taught them. tongue in cheek, but WHYY On the other hand, my mom has sent me things like machines that fold and do other stuff whenever she finds something… or refinds something. So I doubt she likes doing it and maybe passed that down to me.

• For a lot of people, having to learn something new as an adult, no matter how small, causes them some kind of psychic pain. • People (all animals?) seem to have a quirk about learning hygiene practices in particular, where the criteria they have for what is hygenic/unhygenic gets formed when they're children, and then becomes unalterable. People generally seem to intuitively believe that whatever hygiene practices…

Note: kids also often chafe at learning new things, if it feels like someone is telling them what to do. Source: My kids are 2.5 and 5, and I hang out with a lot of other small kids and their parents these days.

Re: Extreme Ironing

#125

Post by hardwaregeek »

rovr138 wrote: post #112

So many people have never thought what they used to iron before electricity became popular and accessible. There used to be coal irons. You open them, put some pieces of charcoal on them and use them.

There's a really great section in The Path to Power about how women in the Hill Country used to iron before electricity. They'd heat these massive irons (that they called sad irons) in the stove. The process was extremely finicky between the ash, the inevitable burns, and the unforgiving heat of the fire. Really goes to show how much washing machines and electric irons have done for quality of life.

Re: Extreme Ironing

#128

Post by zwayhowder »

cpcallen wrote: post #119
duckmysick wrote: post #80

Mildly related: I'm curious what are the latest advances in consumer irons and ironing boards. Something that improved them in the last 10-15 years, even incrementally. For example SSDs became much more common and affordable over the past 15 years and their parameters also improved. Are there similar improvements in household appliances like irons? Where would one look for an industry overview?

You can now get 'cordless' (electric) irons. Like an electric kettle, they heat up while sitting in the (decidedly non-cordless) base, but you don't have to contend with the cord while actually doing the pressing. I am a bit doubtful about whether they are much of an improvement over the usual corded kind, but the one person I know who has one insists that she greatly prefers it.

I used on in Japan years ago and had to wait about 5 years before they showed up in Australia at a reasonable price. Not worth replacing a perfectly good iron with, but if you accidently melt the cord to your current iron it's worth considering.

It is definitely easier not having to worry about the cord tangling or pulling at your clothes.

Re: Extreme Ironing

#129

Post by dragontamer »

duckmysick wrote: post #80

Mildly related: I'm curious what are the latest advances in consumer irons and ironing boards. Something that improved them in the last 10-15 years, even incrementally. For example SSDs became much more common and affordable over the past 15 years and their parameters also improved. Are there similar improvements in household appliances like irons? Where would one look for an industry overview?

> Are there similar improvements in household appliances like irons?

I bought a new washer/dryer recently. A bunch of bells and whistles, but... the "autosense the water level" feature is awesome, and likely saves water in the long run.

It seems like washers use so much less water these days, its not like the old agitator models from 2000s which filled up a tank. Instead, modern washers thoroughly wet the clothes, add a bit of extra water at the bottom, and then mix vigorously (be it a front-load or top load, the HE washers all do this technique).

This leads to lower water usage. I also ended up using much less soap per load (the first few times, I noticed the soap wasn't fully getting rinsed out, but the significantly less water usage means I also should use significantly less soap).

> Where would one look for an industry overview?

At least for generic household appliances, Consumer Reports is a non-profit survey / reviewer group. I dunno if they have much on irons themselves, but I haven't seen anything wrong with their reviews yet.

I think there's a problem when the price goes too low. For something like $20, $50, or even $200 or $1000 appliances even... its not really worthwhile to review. Instead, you often have to just buy the thing and hope for the best.

Maybe there's a specific professional group who is thinking about these tools and how to use them (chefs and cooking tools, or woodworkers + woodworking tools). But for things like irons or washers, or other household appliances... I don't think any such group exists outside of things like Consumer Reports.

Still, I get my reviews on "Tide vs Persil", and other household items. I think "Wirecutter" is a competitor and some people say they've got good reviews too.

In any case, Consumer Report's page on steam irons is here: https://www.consumerreports.org/products/steam-irons-28981/s...

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