While I was looking for an image of a woman’s hands ironing I was struck by how many paintings of women ironing exist, going back a good 100 years. So here’s a bit of art to elevate the act of ironing.
I’m moving this post up to present time (originally published 17 March 2008) because there is a new related question and I wanted to include these comments.
One of the commenters decided not to purchase a new Rowenta iron for the reasons stated in her comment. And she’d like to know what other brands of home irons you all are using and recommend.
So readers, over to you. What do you use for an iron? I’m still using my old Rowenta.
Question from bebe
Is there a specific type or brand of iron you recommend?
Debra’s Answer
The only recommendation I have for irons from a toxicity viewpoint is to stay away from nonstick finishes. Get an iron with a shiny finish and you’ll have no problems.
That said, I personally have a Rowenta iron, which costs more, but it’s a lot heavier, which means it’s easier to iron, because YOU don’t have to press as hard. I’ve had it for years–longer than my husband, so that’s more than 20 years–and it’s still working great.
Because I’m in San Francisco for three months, I just bought a cheap $20 Black & Decker steam iron at Target because I didn’t want to risk losing or breaking my Rowenta in transit. It has a shiny bottom too, but is not as heavy.
Vinyl gloves? Yuk. If you need to use gloves, wouldn’t polyethylene gloves work well? A box of 500 is affordable on Amazon.
Actually even a box of 100 is pretty affordable.
I just added eight brands of polyethylene gloves to my online affiliate store. See TOXIC-FREE A-Z: Polyethylene Gloves.
It’s important to know that Rowenta has two countries of origin; China and Germany. I had two made in China which I did not realize; both leaked terribly. Then I found one made in Germany and it’s a dream come true. No leaking. Make sure to check the box/container for country of manufacture.
I had a Rowena iron for 50 years. When it failed I purchased another Rowena which was made in Germany. They have the same iron made in China. The Rowena came with detailed, demanding pages of how to care for the iron. I thought I didn’t want all that so I returned it and bought a Black & Decker. ThenI I noticed on the box a warning about Styrene which can cause cancer. I’m a cancer survivor. I called Black & Decker who told me to wash my hands after each use! My options seem to be: buy another Rowena & be burdened with the care instructions; use vinyl gloves with the Black & Decker. Is there another option?