For most people who iron, the task isn’t the most enjoyable or exciting, and many will end up potentially rushing the job to then partake in a more favourable activity. I always say that rushing ironing is almost a criminal activity as not only will you risk ruining your clothes, but you could endanger yourself and those around you if the proper safety precautions are not being considered.
It is pivotal that you take your ironing safety seriously as, at the end of the day, you are dealing with a powerful electronic device. However, by following my safety tips in this guide you will not only prevent the risk of ruining your best clothes, but you will prevent any major accidents related to you and the people around you.
Why Do We Have to Be Extra Cautious With an Iron?
An iron is an electronic machine, and using the wrong techniques when it comes to ironing can cause serious harm or damage. Irons are without a doubt an essential item for all households, which is why you often hear about horror stories regarding homes being set on fire, people being burned, or other serious injuries – because they are so frequently used.
Here are the Best Ironing Safety Rules, Tips, and Advice:
In this section we will be looking at some of the best safety tips for ironing that you should 100% consider and take on board. Learning these advisories will not only positively impact your ironing, but it will prevent the risk of an accident.
1. Never Iron in a Rush:
If you lead a busy lifestyle and are on the go 24/7 then you may think ironing can be done quickly and time efficiently so that you can move on to the next thing within your busy schedule.
Rushing the ironing process is a bad idea, and can lead to an abundance of negative repercussions. Avoid ironing on a day where you know that you have a lot of things to do, ironing needs to be performed when the user has a lot of time spare to do the job correctly, and safely.
The likely accidents that occur when rushing your work would be burning yourself, electrocuting yourself, and even leaving it plugged in, or still switched, which can cause a fire.
2. Never Leave the Iron Cord Hanging
Leaving your iron cord hanging from the ironing board is a big no-no, and can be incredibly dangerous. It is so easy for somebody to trip or become tangled in the wire, potentially causing serious damage.
This is why it is so important to wrap up the cord and put your iron away in a safe and secure place after usage. Another solution would be to either do the ironing when children are absent, or perhaps purchase a cordless iron.
3. Avoid Multitasking
When ironing, you should divert your full attention to the task in hand, not getting distracted by other things or multitasking. For example, if you were watching your favourite series’ latest episode late at night whilst ironing to “kill to birds with one stone”, then simply do one or the other as you will probably get distracted by the TV and burn yourself! Listening to music or podcasts would be considered OK to do whilst ironing as you are not being distracted by something visually, but still be careful.
4. Iron on a Stable Surface
If you do not own an ironing board then finding the most suitable surface to iron on can be fairly difficult. Using a bed or carpet as the surface for ironing on is never a good idea, both of these surfaces are not heat resistant and can cause burns or even fires.
Some additional advice would be to consider an ironing board, and if you still do not want to invest in one, then look into creating your own ironing board. There are several methods of doing this and it can be a pretty fun activity too.
5. Detect the Faults
If you discover your iron is damaged from either being shipped over to you, your own fault, or even that the water tank is leaking, then stop ironing immediately and do not continue until you have resolved whatever issue your iron has.
Depending on how big the fault or issue with your iron is, you will probably want to ask for professional help rather than trying to fix the problem on your own. Unless, of course, you are an expert in this field! If not, then attempting to fix these issues yourself will likely result in you harming yourself in the process.
6. Get a Quality Plug for Your Iron
By acquiring a good quality UK plug for your device you are alliviating the risk of injuring yourself by being electric shocked. The best thing you can do is purchase either a good and well reviewed steam iron or if not, perhaps get a UK plug for your iron.
7. Purchase Iron with an Auto-Shutoff Feature
Irons that have an auto-shutoff feature will reduce the danger of most accidents. Whenever your iron is inactive for a long period of time, or even falls on the floor, the auto-shutoff feature will be activated! This feature automatically shuts your iron off and begins the cooling down process, which is a life saver (in some cases) quite literally.
Let’s say that you have had a long day at work and start to doze off when you are in the middle of your ironing and your iron falls on the carpet. If your iron did not have this feature then it could be incredibly detrimental as it will not cool down and turn off when it hits the carpet, rather than causing burning or even a fire. So, by purchasing a steam generator iron with these features is certainly a good idea.
8. Never Try Ironing the Clothes You’re Wearing
I know this one sounds rather obvious, but you’d be surprised! Many people, especially those in a rush, perhaps late for a meeting or whatever the situation might be, will attempt a last minute ironing session, whilst wearing those clothes!
This could end up being really, really bad as you risk seriously harming yourself by burning your skin with the iron.
Conclusion
Ironing may not be your favourite thing to do, however, it must be done with care and time. Taking these advisories on board will keep you as safe as possible whilst ironing, protecting not only yourself, but those around you. It is important that everyone is aware of these safety rules so share this post with as many people as possible.
I am a content strategist and the administrator of this website. Professionally, I am an assistant Electronics professor at the University of Chester. I love to read about my profession and have a lot of interest in various home electronics appliances. Freely contact us if you have any queries regarding steam irons and other electronic devices.
