In 1939 the electric iron was second only to the wireless as the most common electric product in the home.

Before electricity there were a number of alternative methods of ironing.

The traditional ‘sad’ or ‘flat’ iron was heated up on the hearth or kitchen range. The box iron contained a pre-heated ‘slug’ of metal, or live glowing lump of charcoal. Gas heated irons connected via a rubber tube to a gas mantle. Spirit or petrol heated irons were also available but were slightly more expensive.

The main problems with the early non-electric irons were that they were dirty and the temperature was often difficult to control. Much time was wasted in heating up and cooling down to achieve the required temperature.
Electric irons were first used in France in 1880.
Thermostatic heat control came in the 1930s.
The first steam irons were manufactured by Hoover in 1953.