CLOTHES IRON

A clothes iron is a small appliance that, when heated, is used to press clothes to remove creases. Domestic irons generally range in operating
temperature from between 250 °F (121 °C) to 360 °F (182 °C). It is named for the metal (iron) of which the device was historically made, and the use of it is
generally called ironing. Ironing works by loosening the ties between the long chains of molecules that exist in polymer fiber materials. With the heat and the
weight of the ironing plate, the fibers are stretched and the fabric maintains its new shape when cool. Some materials, such as cotton, require the use of water to
loosen the intermolecular bonds.

14th CENTURY AD
(1300-1400)

Medieval European groups begin

using triangular metal plates called
flatirons to press clothes. In the 1300s, a
type of clothes iron, made of a triangular
iron plate, joined to a metal handle,
appeared on the European continent
under the name of a 'flatiron'. These
widely popular devices were held by a
protective piece of fabric, and heated up
over a fire. Once sufficiently hot, they
were removed from over top of the fire,
and pressed onto the clothing or fabric to
remove the wrinkles. The heat also killed
germs and mildew, improving hygienic
conditions in the household, and the
overall living standard, though soot from
the fire often dirtied the iron, and in turn,
dirtied many of the people's clothes

AARON CHRITIAN