Clothes iron

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.

[2] Two of the oldest sorts of iron were either containers filled with a burning substance, or solid lumps of metal which could be heated directly.

Metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in China in the 1st century BC.

[3] A later design consisted of an iron box which could be filled with hot coals, which had to be periodically aerated by attaching a bellows.

Despite the risk of fire, liquid-fuel irons were sold in U.S. rural areas up through World War II.

In Kerala, India, burning coconut shells were traditionally used as an alternative to charcoal due to their comparable heating capacity.

The invention of the resistively heated electric iron is credited to Henry W. Seeley of New York City in 1882.