We may have many items in the home that we use on a regular basis but other items are often found in boxes or out-of-the-way locations. It doesn’t mean they aren’t important, but it often means they are forgotten.
One unique tool that is often found in a box but sometimes on the shelf is this handy item. Some people are able to identify it easily by its shape but others may have no idea what it is.
I’m not going to keep you in suspense, it’s a household iron. It’s also an antique, and while it was used without electricity and without many of the modern conveniences, it would still keep clothing looking its best.
These days, irons are a piece of technology that is often relegated to the closet. They are powered by electricity, but in earlier years, coal was used to heat irons.
An iron fueled by charcoal was an important part of many households before electricity was widely available. In order to use it, you would put pieces of burning coal into a compartment in the iron and it generated the heat to keep clothing pressed and smooth.
We don’t often think about how people used the items that we typically take for granted these days. This is a historical item that gives us perspective into how things were done many years ago.
It has always been important to look your best, but the way that we kept our clothes looking good was often different. Irons have changed over the years, moving from heating them with an open flame to using a variety of methods to keep them warm, including charcoal.
The receptacle for these items was clever because it allowed you to put in the burning charcoal and use it as a heat source. It was an efficient tool that works very well.
Since the iron was hollow, it could produce a consistent heat from the coal in the chamber. In addition, it had a wooden handle that would stay cool enough so that you could hold it comfortably while you were using it.
In time, technology began to overtake this old antique iron. Electricity became available in many homes in the early 20th century, and the old charcoal iron started to move to the back of the closet.
Even though these are older items, they are still important and give us a glimpse into daily life from many years ago.