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.

The large majority of households will be fed with a domestic water supply which is defined as “hard water”. This is just a definition which is applied to signify water which has a fairly high concentration of minerals in it. Magnesium and calcium are the two most important minerals. According to the World Health Organisation, there are no health problems associated with hard water supplies – but it can affect the effective operation and lifespan of a variety of different domestic appliances.

Hard water supply can lead to a build up of mineral deposits, sometimes known as “scale”, in heating systems, water pipes and a variety of small household appliances. Household equipment which uses hot or boiling water, steam irons, kettles, washing machines, coffee makers, dishwashers, etc. – are especially prone to this. This is a result of the fact that heating hard water releases many of the minerals which then reform as scale. Central heating systems and hot water boilers may also be affected.

There are a number of different variables which influence how much scale is generated. The temperature of the water is one of the strongest influencing factors on this process. More scale is produced at higher temperatures. Running dishwashers and washing machines at a lower temperature setting will reduce the amount of scale produced and help to ensure that these appliances continue to operate efficiently and have an extended working life. Using soaps and detergents which have an anti-scaling agent included will also help.

Of course, some appliances such as kettles and irons need to be used at high temperature. Some kettles are available with filters these days, which can prevent some of the minerals getting into the sensitive heating elements. Many irons now come with special anti-scaling traps which collect the scale deposits and allow it to be cleaned by simply flushing it under running water. Other alternatives include cleaning or flushing through using special anti-scale chemicals.

Whilst there is no danger to health as a result of hard water, some people may dislike the taste it results in for either hot drinks or boiled and steamed food. On the other hand, there are those who swear that hard water makes better tasting tea than soft water. It’s a matter of personal taste at the end of the day. If the flavour of your food and drinks isn’t satisfactory, you can always use a water filter. These range from very cheap (but effective) jug filters, to under sink or even whole house filters. These are cheaper than you may think and are really quite simple to install.

It’s worth making the effort to combat the effects of hard water, albeit it may seem like something of an inconvenience. As well as improving the operating efficiency of your domestic appliances, it will save you money in the long run by extending their lifespan,

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

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.

For most people, ironing is considered to be a necessary evil. It’s a thankless – and seemingly never ending – task. Watching TV or listening to music can reduce the boredom a little – but it’s still a less than appealing household chore which few enjoy. Any method of minimising the amount of time devoted to ironing would be welcome in the majority of households.

Of course, you could send your clothes to the dry cleaners – or even employ a maid. There are even professional ironers who will pick up your freshly washed clothes and return them crisply pressed should you wish. However, these are all rather expensive options.

Mercifully, modern technology offers a solution to the problem of spending long hours ironing – in the shape of a different style of iron. Steam generator irons may, at first glance, look pretty similar to standard steam irons – but they have a totally different construction – which offers several important benefits.

Steam generator irons, unlike traditional steam irons, contain no water in the iron itself. They have a large base unit which doubles as both heater and water reservoir and they produce a lot more steam – at a higher pressure – than a standard iron.

High pressure steam is fed into the iron from the base unit which penetrates deep into the garment being ironed.This makes it easier and faster to iron. As no water is contained in the iron it is considerably lighter than a standard iron which makes it easier to handle. Finished garments have a higher quality and the amount of time required to iron is cut in half (on average).

When choosing a steam generator iron, be sure to go for one which has a high enough steam pressure. Somewhere between 4.5 and 5.0 bar is good. You will often see the steam output quoted in grams of steam per minute (gpm). A value between 70 and 120 gpm is desirable.

The water tank size is another important consideration. You don’t want to have to keep stopping to refill the reservoir with water. Some irons feature a removable water reservoir to ease filling – others have the facility to top up even when the iron is in use, and this avoids any waiting for the iron to heat up again.

Other factors that should be taken into consideration include the material of the soleplate, the ease of use, the inclusion of some type of anti-scale system and the length of the connecting hose between the iron and the base unit.

Steam generator irons do cost a little more than standard irons. However, considering that they can cut the time you spend ironing in half – whilst simultaneously giving a better quality end result – they really do represent great value for money.

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