Ironing Can Be Easy from 1948

Ironing is relaxing. I hate to start a blog post with a controversial statement, but as a sewist and lover of vintage linens, I have spent many the happy hour pressing open seams (occasionally perfectly matched) and starching and ironing aprons and napkins and tablecloths. My love of ironing is what made this 1948 booklet, Ironing Can Be Easy, from the Proctor Electric Co. of Philadelphia, PA, as irresistible to me as a fresh suet block is to a downy woodpecker. Who doesn’t want to know how to iron, easier, faster and better? I am all in on the Marie Kondo method of folding clothing, but surely I should review the best ways to fold garments as presented in this booklet. There’s so much good content and so many good photographs.

A little modern ironing history

Giving credit where it’s due, ironing originated in China about 1 B.C., when metal pans filled with hot coals were used to banish wrinkles.

Flat irons, also called sad irons, were made starting in the Middle Ages, although ironing was done in fancy houses, not your average cottage. Coming into more common use in the 1800s, sad irons were heated on the stove and then handled with a cloth or thick glove so you didn’t scorch your hand when touching the burning hot metal handle. Establishments would have multiple sad irons in rotation so they could pull a hot one off the stove when the one they were using went cold. The whole burning your hand thing was solved in 1872 by a 19-year-old woman. Mary Florence Potts patented a removable wooden handle as well as a lighter iron that was easier to handle. Needless to say, it caught on. Sad irons are common in antique shops, and are used as decor, bookends and door stops. All that weight is still good for something after all these years.

Interesting side note: Ironing with a sad iron was not just to improve the appearance of clothes. It was also used to kill lice and bacteria on garments in the days before regular laundering was proper protocol.

Two other kinds of irons were also used around the same time. The box iron had a large base that could be filled with hot coals. And there were fuel irons, which had tanks at the back to hold kerosene, whale oil, gasoline or whale oil. Per the McMinn County Living History museum: “Fuel irons would have a small tank attached to the back which would be ignited. The heat was transferred to the soleplate, quickly heating the iron. Some fuel irons had temperature control dials. One had to be careful using gasoline irons indoors, as they caused fumes to accumulate in an unventilated room.” They also occasionally exploded.

The first electric iron was patented by Henry W. Seeley in 1882. I, for one, am relieved that science and technology continued to move forward. I am a big fan of science and technology. There are entirely too many wires hanging around this thing for my comfort.

Thermostats were added to electric irons in the 1920s. A Chicagoan, Max Skolnik, patented an electric iron with steam and a dampening feature in 1934. Licensed to Steam-0-Matic of New York for production in 1938, it helped build the popularity of the electric iron.

Zipping ahead to 1948

Keeping house is an art and a science, although it is not always regarded as such now. Ironing Can Be Easy was prepared based on studies and methods developed at the New York State College of Home Economics at Cornell University and also ironing methodology studies by the Home Economics Staff of Washington State College. Scholarly thought went into how this every day task could be handled more efficiently. It is that scholarly tone that makes this booklet so delightful. As you read a minute ago, irons and ironing were undergoing change in the 30s and 40s. You couldn’t watch a Youtube video to keep up, so booklets like this were essential.

Clothes dryers were not common, most clothing was hung out on the clothesline. Steam irons were also uncommon in the 1940s, so clothes needed to be dampened or sprinkled before they could be ironed. Here’s how to do that:

So, to recap. You washed the clothes, you hung them on the line, you brought them in and you sprinkled them and maybe put them in the fridge before you ironed them. There was even a specific suggested method for layering your dampened clothes and linens in the linen basket.

The introduction to sprinkling was followed by pages and pages of step by step photos showing how to dampen and fold different items. More science, you love to see it.

You think this sprinkling task was eons ago? Guess again. The 7 up bottle with sprinkler top is an heirloom from my mom, used from the early 1950s used until she passed away in the 90s and it came to live with me.

Once you’ve sprinkled and prepped, it’s time to set up for ironing. According to Ironing Can Be Easy, the scientifically proven best method for ironing is to do it from a sitting position. This was news to me. I stand when I iron. I also use my ironing board as a standing desk. There is no sitting at my vintage ironing board. However, I generally don’t plan to iron for a number of hours as a homemaker did back in the 40s and 50s.

Ironing Can Be Easy goes on to detail how to assemble your ironing set up, including bringing over the phone if the cord is long enough. The Proctor Never-Lift iron, which is promoted in this booklet, has a little leg that flips out, saving you the 2 1/2 tons of lifting weight. One raises an eyebrow at the 2 1/2 tons, but since the method used to calculate that is spelled out, we will accept it as truth.

The back cover of Ironing Can Be Easy, featuring Jinx and Tex from the Home Service Club television show advertises a 20 minute film with Mary Proctor showing Jinx how to iron everything with that Never-Lift iron. Screenings can be arranged for women’s clubs, of course. Once again, no Instagram, no Youtube, have projector will travel.

The name Mary Proctor, spawned a side quest. Was she a real person or an actress? More time than should be admitted was spent trying to pin that down. It’s remotely possible she could have been a great granddaughter of Proctor Electric Co. founder J.K Proctor, but I couldn’t dig up an image  or any verification.

So good there’s more…

I love Ironing Can Be Easy so much that I couldn’t stop. There are two more posts upcoming, one on how to iron a man’s shirt and one on stain removal. Vintage stain removal techniques are worth their weight in gold. You’ll want to bookmark the stain removal post because there are some dandy hints. Keep your eyes on the blog for both posts.

Resources used for this post

A Short History of Ironing, Te Ūaka The Lyttleton Museum

Ironing Through the Ages, McMinn County Living Heritage Museum