be ironed.
There were no washing machines in many homes.
There were no dryers.
There were no permanent-press fabrics designed to resist wrinkles.
There were no lightweight steam irons with temperature controls.
Much of the work had to be done manually.
The humble charcoal iron was therefore part of a much larger system of household labor.
Why Did People Need to Iron Clothes So Carefully?
Wrinkled clothing wasn’t necessarily considered acceptable for many occasions.Textiles & Nonwovens
People often took great pride in appearing neat and well dressed.
Pressed clothing
