15th century AD:
Improvements are made to the popular flatiron,
resulting in the similar, but cleaner hot-box iron. (jan 1, 1400 – jan 1, 1500)
Description:
Despite the widespread use of the flatiron throughout Europe, this hot invention still had its drawbacks. One of the largest of these was the fact that it picked up soot from the fire as it heated up, and could transfer this to the clothing and fabric it ironed, effectively dirtying and potentially ruining the cloth. To solve this, the hot-box iron was developed, presenting a much less messy, and equally effective way to iron. The hot-box iron consisted of a hollow chamber, to be filled with hot stones, coals, sand, etc., connected to a handhold like the one found on the flatiron. As the iron could be filled with separate fuel, the need to warm it over the fire was eliminated, allowing the base to be kept clean and free of soot, and letting the clothes the iron processed to be maintained in an optimal state.
Added to timeline:
A Brief History of the Clothes Iron
Date:
