THG Formulations

There’s not much doubt that an ironing board is a dull and mundane item of household equipment to which very few people give much consideration. Nevertheless, every home will have one. It is an essential household item and – if you pick the wrong type – you could well finish up with poorly ironed clothes, take longer to get through your ironing than you need to and even strain your back.

Most people today use steam irons – or even steam generator irons, which are becoming ever more popular. In this case you definitely want to get an ironing board which has a mesh construction. This allows the steam to pass through the fabric of the garment being ironed, through the cover of the ironing board and through the top of the board itself. It helps to prevent the ironing board cover becoming soggy due to condensation after a few garments have been ironed.

The cover of the ironing board should present a smooth surface to facilitate ironing. It should be secure and not prone to slipping. An elasticated cover, possibly with one or two cross-ties at the centre, is generally a good design which won’t move about as you iron. A metalised cover will reflect some of the heat and this will help to smooth the underside of the garment whilst the top surface is being ironed.

The shape and size of the board will depend upon what you generally iron. A smaller board may be easier to manipulate and store – but it will generally require more repositioning of the item being ironed. A good taper on the pointed end will be useful for getting into corners – the shoulders of shirts and blouses for example – and will also be good for collars.

Height adjustable scissor action legs are pretty standard these days. Make sure the range of height adjustment is suitable for you and set the board at a height which doesn’t cause you any pain or discomfort in your back, neck or shoulders. If you prefer to iron sitting down (many people do) then it’s a good idea to choose a board which has curved legs. That way your knees won’t bump against the legs when you’re seated. A broad T-piece type of foot, or splayed feet with a connecting bar, will provide a good solid platform for you to iron on.

The iron support, usually positioned at the end of the board, should be strong enough to take the weight of your iron. For conventional steam irons a wire frame type of arrangement is usually okay. Steam generator irons tend to weigh a bit more as the base unit usually contains a greater volume of water. A heat resistant plate on a slightly extended board surface may be better in this case. Alternatively, many steam generator irons are supplied with hoses which are long enough to allow the iron’s base unit to be positioned on the floor.

Slash your ironing time in half with a steam generator iron – you’ll wonder how you managed without one.

In order to keep your carpets looking fresh and clean, it’s important to vacuum them on a regular basis. However, even with regular vacuuming, your carpets will start to look dull and worn over time. The reason for this is that vacuuming will only remove loose dirt from the upper layers of the carpet. Ground in dirt which is trapped deep in the carpet will not normally be removed even by the most efficient vacuum cleaner. Spills, if not quickly attended to, can often become slightly sticky when they dry and act as a trap for dirt and dust.

Regular and frequent vacuuming is one of the best ways to avoid dirt becoming trapped deep in your carpet in the first place. Vacuuming heavily used areas such as halls and the area near doors twice a week – possibly three time a week if you have pets and young children – should be effective in preventing dust and dirt being trapped in the carpet.

Even with regular vacuuming, some ingress of dirt and dust into the deeper layers of your carpet is unavoidable.Accidental spills, heavy traffic, wet and muddy shoes will grind dirt and dust into the carpet and it will start to look shabby and worn out. Given that it’s not possible to remove this ingrained dirt by using a vacuum cleaner, some alternative cleaning method is necessary.

The most effective way of removing this trapped dirt is by the periodic use of a specialised carpet washer. This loosens any trapped dirt using water and a cleaning agent and then removes it. A deep cleanse using a carpet washer once every six months or so – perhaps more frequently if you have children and pets – will make a big difference to the appearance of your carpet and will also help to extend its life.

As with standard vacuum cleaners, carpet washers tend to come in a variety of different styles and, as with standard vacuum cleaners, upright and cylinder models are the most common. You can hire carpet washers in larger supermarkets and DIY stores. If you wish, you can even hire a professional carpet cleaning firm to come to your house and clean your carpets for you. You can also buy your own carpet washer, and the price of these cleaners is relatively low these days, so that may be an attractive option for many. If you do elect to buy your own cleaner then you will be able to use it to deal with any accidental spills and stains before they have a chance to become ground in and established.

Whether you choose to hire or buy, regular washing of your carpets will extend their life and pay for the hire or purchase price of the machine. Your carpets will look much cleaner, there will be less odour in your home and the overall environment will generally be more hygienic – especially important if small children and pets are sharing the same floor space.

Learn all about the benefits which a carpet washer can provide you with. Also learn how you can reduce the amount of time you spend on housework with a Tefal steam generator iron – you’ll wonder how you ever got by without one.

On the face of it, steam generator irons and traditional steam irons appear to be pretty similar. However, steam generator irons have a different construction and a different mode of operation. They use a larger base unit as both water tank and boiler – unlike a traditional steam iron there is no water in the body of the iron itself. Steam generated in the base unit is supplied to the body of the iron via a hollow tube.

Steam generator irons do tend to cost a little more than traditional steam irons – but they offer several advantages to the user. It’s worthwhile taking a little time to consider the important points before you decide which one to buy. The key things to look at when comparing steam generator irons are steam pressure, the capacity of the water reservoir, the soleplate, how easy it is to clean and the overall ease of use.

STEAM PRESSURE: The steam causes heat and moisture to penetrate the fabric of the garment being ironed. This makes it more flexible and facilitates the removal of creases and wrinkles. The greater the pressure of the steam, the deeper it penetrates the garment being pressed and the better the finished result will be.

Steam generator irons typically have their output stated in terms of grams of steam per minute. The greater the number, the greater the amount of steam that is produced and the easier it will be to glide the iron over the fabric. Typical values will vary from 70 to 140 grams per minutes (g/min).

Sometimes you may see the steam pressure expressed in bar. Once again, the higher the number is, the more steam that will be produced, the deeper it will penetrate the fabric and the better the results will be.

CAPACITY OF THE WATER RESERVOIR: As a rule, steam generator irons tend to have a well sized water tank. This means that you will be able to iron for quite some time before you need to refill it. The exact time will vary according to the type of fabric that you are ironing – but a 1.4 litre tank should be fine for at least two hours of ironing.

If you do a lot of ironing then you might like to consider getting one of the bigger tanks available. If your ironing board is one of the smaller ones, then you may wish to ensure that the connecting tube between the iron and the reservoir is of a length which allows the base unit to be located on the floor instead of at the end of the ironing board.

Consider also how easy filling the reservoir is. A lot of the better steam generator irons come with water reservoirs which are detachable, and this makes topping up a lot easier. It’s certainly better than fussing about with jugs of water. Other irons have the option of topping up the reservoir whilst the iron is being used – avoiding the need to disconnect it and then having to wait for it to heat up again after being refilled.

THE SOLEPLATE: The soleplate of the iron should glide smoothly over the surface of a range of different fabrics – whilst still generating enough friction to remove any wrinkles and creases. It should be durable, tough, scratch resistant and easy to clean. Soleplates with ceramic coatings are widely used these days and are a good option.

EASE OF CLEANING: The vast majority of modern irons, whether stem generators or conventional steam irons, use normal tap water. This will usually contain a number of different minerals – including both magnesium and calcium. These can cause deposits of scale which will reduce the working efficiency of your iron unless they are cleaned and removed.

If you have a hard water supply in your area, then an iron with some type of anti-scale system is essential. Some irons flush the scale out with water. Others have a detachable anti-scale cartridge for ease of cleaning.

EASE OF USE: As previously discussed, you may find it best if your steam generator iron has a long enough hose connection so that you can position this on the floor rather than at the end of the board.

The majority of people will appreciate the added convenience of a removable water reservoir.

Other features, which may appeal to a greater or lesser extent to different people, might include automatically retracting power cords, easy clean soleplates, fast heat up etc.

IN SUMMARY: Select an iron which has a high enough steam pressure for your needs. Get a big enough water tank so that you don’t need to keep stopping to refill it. Choose an iron with a well designed soleplate made of a suitable material and be certain that some type of anti-scale system is included in the design of your new steam generator iron.

Cut out the drudgery of long ironing sessions with a Tefal steam generator iron – you’ll be astonished at how much time you can save.