#Iron August 29

by Coach4aday · August 29, 2026

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August 2026 several of us are going to take on the 30-Day Plugged in Coach4aday Challenge. Each day, we will feature an item from home or office that requires being plugged into a source of electricity to operate. We will reflect on how it makes life easier. For Day 29 it is on the IRON.

Before electricity, ironing meant heating a heavy iron on a stove and repeatedly returning it to the heat as it cooled. Henry Seely patented an electric iron in 1882, but it took decades for electricity to reach enough American homes for the appliance to become commonplace.

Day 29-Clothes Iron

The electric clothes iron appeared in American households gradually during the early 20th century, but it took several decades for it to become commonplace.

Timeline

1882: Henry W. Seely of New York patented an early electric flatiron. It was heated by an electrical resistance element rather than being heated on a stove.

1890s: Several manufacturers began producing electric irons, but they were expensive and electricity was still unavailable in many American homes.

1900s–1910s: Electric irons became increasingly practical. Improvements in electrical wiring and manufacturing helped lower their cost.

1920s: The electric iron became a much more familiar household appliance as electrification expanded.

1930s:Automatic temperature controls made irons safer and easier to use.

1940s–1950s: Electric irons became common household appliances, particularly as rural electrification brought electricity to more homes.

1960s onward: Steam irons and improved thermostats further transformed ironing.