A modern housewife, including a light iron with a thermostat and a steamer, does not even think that an object so familiar to her has a very long history - almost as long as clothes. Since ancient times, people have sought to look beautiful and wear things as long as possible, and therefore they came up with a variety of ways to process fabrics. Especially inventive were the inhabitants of the eastern countries. The article will discuss how the Chinese ironed clothes in the old days.

Why even iron your clothes?

Modern clothing manufacturers are constantly coming up with new materials, including those that do not need to be ironed at all. However, for the most part, things need ironing, and it's not just about appearance.

A hot iron or steam generator disinfects the fabric and makes it softer. This is true even now, but what can we say about those times when there was neither microfiber, nor even lavsan fibers?

In ancient times, people sewed clothes only from natural materials:

wool;
flax;
cotton
silks:
nettles;
bamboo.

Any housewife who has dealt with such materials at least once in her life knows that the products become stiff after washing. In addition, water, of course, will cope with some part of the bacteria, but it cannot do anything with body lice. And the diseases that this insect carries were a real scourge of ancient civilizations.

Important! In countries with a cold climate, there was another way to deal with body lice - clothes were dried over a fire or frozen.

How did ancient people iron?

In China, long before our era, a developed civilization developed. It is difficult even to enumerate what exactly the ancient inhabitants of this country gave to the world. Many of their inventions are still in use today. Porcelain, gunpowder, paper and much more appeared in ancient China. Therefore, it will hardly surprise anyone if, when asked how the Chinese ironed their clothes, he will hear the answer - of course, with an iron.

Yes, the first iron was indeed invented in ancient China. However, up to this point, people used what they had at hand for ironing:

bones of large animals;
large stones;
pieces of hard wood;
metal objects.

Bones and stones

Bones and stones were pre-treated - their surface had to be as smooth as possible. Of course, in order to perfectly polish the cobblestone, it took a very long time.

Important! This method of ironing had several significant drawbacks:
ironing fabrics with an object without a handle was extremely inconvenient;
the process took a very long time;
it was possible to get rid of wrinkles and soften the material, but it was not always possible to get rid of bacteria.

Metal

Ironing became somewhat easier when metal objects appeared in everyday life. The metal has several undoubted advantages:

from them you can cast an object of any shape;
this item can have a perfectly flat bottom;
metal can be heated.

Before the first iron was invented, people tried to iron using a hot brazier or just a metal sheet. It was much more effective than stone. However, there was one problem - the metal sheet quickly warms up, but quickly cools down. How to maintain the desired temperature? This question was answered by an unknown inventor from Ancient China.

What was the first iron?

The first iron was invented in the fourth century BC. In shape, it very little resembled the sharp-nosed aggregate we are used to. However, the principle of operation of the device with which the Chinese ironed clothes in the old days, up to the middle of the last century, is similar.

The immediate predecessor of the iron was the frying pan. Almost the same as the one you have on the stove, only heavier and made of ordinary iron. An unknown Chinese master one day realized that if a frying pan is filled with something hot, it will keep warm much longer than empty.

It only remained to figure out how to move it over the fabric, but this was already a matter of technology - at first the round iron was pushed with sticks, then a handle was invented.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Chinese iron

The ancient ironing process looked like this:

Warmed up coal or sand.
Filled up the pan.
They put it on fabric.
Gradually moved.

Compared to ironing with stones or mammoth bones, this method was certainly more effective:

the fabric softened and smoothed much better;
clothes are disinfected.

However, if you compare this method with the modern one, the disadvantages will immediately become obvious:

the iron was too heavy - it should have weighed no less than 10 kg;
it was easy to burn through clothes, or even start a fire;
the sand had to be constantly heated.
the shape did not allow to smooth out small folds.

Despite the shortcomings, people used such units for a very long time. The shape changed, the size decreased, but even now, somewhere in the grandmother's shed or in an antique shop, you can find a heavy iron, inside of which coals are poured. And you can still use it, because there is simply nothing to break in such a device.

Important! Irons of a modern form appeared in the Baroque era, when it was already necessary to smooth out all kinds of folds and frills.

Charcoal iron as a universal item

Charcoal iron was not only ironed. Already in later times it was used in a variety of ways:

cracked nuts;
hammered nails;
put as oppression in a barrel of cabbage;
turned into a mousetrap.

Important! If in the first three cases the iron was used simply as a heavy object, then the mousetrap could only be made from coal, which had a lid and a cavity inside.

How did they iron clothes in the old days in other countries?

The Chinese were not the only ones who cared about how to keep the look and quality of clothes after washing. The ancient Greeks had a similar device. Ancient Rome had its own way - clothes were tapped with a hammer. In this way, the fabric was smoothed, but there was not even a question of disinfection.

In Eastern Europe, including in Russia, a different method was used. For smoothing linen, there were such items:

Valk;
rubel.

Valk and rubel - the difference in action

Valk, or roller, was a round or square stick. It was successfully replaced by a rolling pin. A product was wound on it.

The clothes were rolled with a rubel, which also had a second name - a pickle.

It was a corrugated board, wood or metal. On one side, scars were cut, the other remained smooth, but sometimes it was decorated with carvings.

Important! Even in the middle of the last century, clothes were washed and ironed in this way not only in villages, but also in cities. True, the board was already made of stainless steel.

This method had a great advantage - the linen was perfectly bleached.

Shirts were mostly made of linen, so this old way of ironing clothes was quite good. After “rolling”, even poorly washed things became perfectly clean, and it was from here that the saying “not by washing, so by rolling” came from. If we talk about the shortcomings, then the main ones were:

the work was very hard;
linen was not perfectly ironed.

Other ways to iron clothes

Old ways of ironing can be used in our time. Of course, it would hardly occur to anyone to iron a dress with a frying pan with coals - well, except that the hostess is seriously passionate about historical reconstruction and believes that if ancient technologies are used, then in full.

But other ancient and modern methods are extremely simple. Can be used:

pan;
mattress;
vinegar;
wet towel;
hair straightener.

Pot

At its core, ironing with a pan is no different from the ancient Chinese method. Only coals do not need to be laid - you can be satisfied with hot water or just heat a stainless steel pan.

Important! Aluminum cookware is not suitable for this method - it can leave dark marks.

Mattress

Smoothing with a mattress is the perfect way for a lazybones:

A board is placed under the mattress (or nothing is placed if the bed is flat).
The piece of clothing to be ironed is laid flat.
From above all this is closed by a mattress.
You are laid on top of the mattress.
Overnight, the thing will smooth out.

Important! Of course, if you need to iron the frills, this method will not work.

Vinegar

Food vinegar is truly a versatile remedy. He will also cope with wrinkled fabrics:

Make a solution of 1 part 3% vinegar to 3 parts water.
Spread the item on the table.
Spray it with the solution.
Dry the item outdoors.

Laundry for the last ten years, for many modern people, is limited to loading and unloading laundry, but how did our grandmothers cope in the old days in the absence of not only hot tap water, but also washing powder with laundry soap?

Schoolchildren still know what a washboard is (“my grandmother has one in the village”), but few have seen it in action. But it appeared only at the beginning of the 19th century and was more used in cramped urban conditions, devoid of space and the close proximity of a lake, river or stream.

The predecessors of such a ribbed board were objects, the mere appearance of which plunges the uninitiated into a stupor. But - in order.

WHAT WAS WASHED

A hundred years ago, housewives did not have to ask the price of detergents - there was no need. For washing, soap solutions were used, which were obtained at home. It was lye and soap root. Lye, which gave its name to a whole class of chemical compounds, alkalis, was obtained from a solution of ash, supplied daily by the Russian furnace free of charge. The lye was also called “beech, butch”, and the washing process itself was called “buchenye”.

HOW AND WHERE WASHED

It was possible to wash with it in the following way - they put a bag with sifted ash in a tub of linen, poured it with water and threw red-hot “beech stones” there to make the water boil. But it was possible to get lye in the form of a solution. To do this, the ash was mixed with water, insisted for several days and received a soapy solution to the touch - so concentrated that it had to be further diluted with water. Otherwise, clothes when washed with such a strong lye could wear out faster. Another source of laundry detergent, the soapwort plant (or soap root) was crushed, soaked, filtered, and washed with the resulting solution, trying to use it all up, as it quickly deteriorated. Never washed in a bath, it was considered a sin. Washing clothes could be in the house or near the bath, which means next to the pond. For washing, cast iron, clay pots, troughs, mortars, pestles, and rollers were used.

The hostess soaked the laundry, pouring it with lye, in a bucket, that is, putting a bucket of water in itself, cast iron, and put it in the oven. But one should not imagine a woman courageously pushing heavy cast iron into the mouth of the furnace - she was assisted in this by a tong and a roller. If the grip is familiar to everyone, then the purpose of the rink should be explained - this is a special dumbbell-shaped wooden stand, along which the handle of the grip rolled a heavy container into the hot inside of the furnace. The result of the fluttering of linen is snow-white tablecloths and shirts made of homespun cloth.

They could wash differently, for example, using a tub and their own legs, as is clearly seen in the photograph taken by the Finnish researcher K. Inha in 1894 in North Karelia. But this method is good only in the warm season, and in other periods special mortars could be used for washing. They were kept on the shore, mounted on wooden footbridges or on ice. Among the Karelians, such mortars for beating were called huwhmar, among the Veps humbar. "The stupa itself was cut from a single piece of wood, a relatively small container where linen was placed, and a base in the form of a board on which the woman stood with her feet. With a special pestle or two sticks, the hostess pushed the linen in a mortar, washing away the dirt. Immediately, wrapping the linen on a pestle or a stick, the woman rinsed it, lowering it into running water. In winter, you could do without a mortar: it was replaced by a depression in the ice near the hole - the linen was crushed in it and immediately rinsed.

VALEK served as another tool for washing. With this small wooden spatula, the washed linen was “rolled” or “riveted” on a stone or on a board on the shore. If neither the stupa, nor the trough, nor the tub usually differed in beauty, then the rolls could be decorated with intricate ornaments. This was due to the fact that they were often presented to girls by boys as a gift, and then, in addition to the usual carving, the initials of the beloved and the date of donation could appear on the surface of the roll. These rolls resembled stylized female figures: the thickening at the end of the handle served as the head, the working part of the roll served as the body, and the crosshair at the base served as arms.

It was a pity for the girl to even work with a beautiful carved roll, painted with bright paint ... In the National Museum there is a roll, which shows that the owner took care of it and did not let it work. Any responsible housewife knows: washing is still half the battle, you still have to iron what caring hands have bleached.

WHAT AND HOW IRONED CLOTHES IN THE OLD

What appliances did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have in their households to iron their laundry? In the old days, not so much ironed as "rolled" linen. How? get acquainted:

RUBEL AND ROLLING RINGING RING

The rubel was a rectangular board with a handle: transverse rounded notches were cut out on the underside, and the upper, front side was often decorated with carvings. In order to stroke, the hostess folded clothes, a tablecloth, a towel along, trying to give it the same width as that of the rolling pin. And they wrapped the rolling pin with them, forming a tight bundle. The rubel was placed on top and rolled forward from the edge of the table, softening and smoothing the linen fabric - rolled. And it was a mechanical way of ironing. In the North, “digging” was a favorite carving technique, when the surface of an object was covered with a jagged pattern, but ornaments could simply be cut out with thin contour lines. And again, you can often see initials and dates on the rubles - sure signs that this is a gift. The rink of linen required certain physical efforts from the woman, but one should not think that the arrival of a metal iron in village houses made the ironing process easier.

FIRST IRONS

There were two main types of irons - tailors and laundries, although both were in use in the houses. The tailor's iron was essentially a sharp-nosed piece of cast iron with a handle. He was heated on fire and carefully taken with a potholder by the handle so as not to burn himself. Such irons were of various sizes - from very small ones, for ironing small wrinkles on clothes, to giants that only a man could lift. Tailors, as a rule, were men, and they had to work with very dense heavy fabrics (I once had to sew such a cloth - I had to do it, blushing and puffing from the effort, and at the risk of breaking the needle). And the ironing tools were appropriate. Laundry irons were heated in a different way: they were hollow inside and had a movable valve in the wide part of the body - a heavy cast-iron core heated on fire was inserted there.

Another type of iron used in everyday life is charcoal or wind irons. The upper part of the body of such an iron leaned back, and coals were laid inside. The cooling coals of the hostess were inflated or heated by swinging the iron from side to side. Therefore, it was also important not to burn when ironing! The coal iron could be equipped with a pipe and looked more like an antediluvian steamer. Imagining a hostess rocking a weighty cast-iron structure, you are convinced that our "grandmothers" had remarkable dexterity, and strength too. Naturally, the modern plastic-Teflon handsome man is many times lighter than his cast iron predecessor. In order not to be unfounded, I armed myself with a steelyard and weighed several antique irons in the storage of the National Museum. The lightest weighed 2.5 kilograms, medium-sized irons were within 4 kg - an impressive figure for several hours of ironing. Well, the heaviest one - a cast tailoring giant - made the steelyard grunt plaintively and show 12 kilograms.

If it comes to the old way of life, and modern women begin to try it on themselves, then most often they agree. “Anything, but I can’t imagine how to live without a washing machine!” And no wonder...

Washing, rinsing, ironing clothes have always been purely women's work, and a lot of physical strength and health was required. The family was large, it was necessary to wash clothes for everyone.

“Nine out of ten housewives in the old days would unanimously call washing clothes the most troublesome and thankless housework. As the people said, the woman didn’t cook (cooking) at all, but fuss with dirty shirts and trousers. A husband is a husband for that, in order to one day come home completely dirty: in the morning, it would seem, he put on the cleanest row (clothes), and by the evening she was already “cut the fire” (very dirty). In such cases, our great-grandmothers were certainly rescued by a mallet - an indispensable thing in the household: they could beat a sloppy hubby for science, and best of all, taking a deep breath and grabbing the "made" ports, run to the river to tap them to their former purity. No wonder laundresses in the old days were called "washers". And the very word “laundress” means that the linen during washing is not just slightly shaken, somehow rinsed, but it is a rod (pressed, crushed, beaten with a roll), making significant physical effort, ”says the website of the Yegorievsk Historical and Art Museum.

In the old days, water was poured into an oak barrel. And to make it boil, they put red-hot stones in it. Instead of powder, lye (steamed ash) was most often used.

Then the roller went into action.

Linen was knocked out with a roll, literally knocked out the dirt from the linen. Wet linen was laid on the footbridge and beaten with a roll. Then they soaked it again with an alkaline solution and beat it again; so several times.
Yes! Valek was considered a good gift for a girl! This is where the tradition of giving frying pans came from

“The most elegant were the gift rolls that the guys presented to the girls. ... In many places in Russia, the husband had to be present at the birth of his wife and scream with her, writhing in "pain." An interesting variant of this custom was recorded in Polissya: “A wife, exhausted by contractions, asks her husband to give her a roll. But instead of placing it under her back, she beats her husband with it. To the question of her husband, taken by surprise, if she had gone crazy for an hour, she replies: “Does it hurt you? It hurts me, let it be the same for you.” (Kabakova G. I. Anthropology of the female body in the Slavic tradition. M. Ladomir. 2001.-S. 130, 127, 67.)

Then they rinsed the laundry, on the river, of course.

This is how our grandmothers recently rinsed on the river in the winter. In 1980, for example. We went to the river with neighbors in winter, you can’t drag water.

Well, it's all done. Now there is nothing left - to stroke.

We used a rubel and a wheelchair. Rubel - from the word "cut", notches were cut down with an ax.

The fabric was wound on a gurney, the free end of the fabric was pressed against the end of the table and the ribbed surface of the rubel was rolled with force along the gurney. So several times until the fabric is smoothed out.

Fitness nervously smokes on the sidelines)

The rubel was also used as a musical instrument. Drove along the ribbed surface with a wooden spoon)
The rubel for our mothers was replaced by a washboard.

Then came cast iron irons. They put hot coals in the stove. They were very heavy. Also, they could be burned out.

History of the iron in pictures, riddles, poems and tasks. Informative video about the history of the iron and a presentation for activities with children.

The history of the iron in pictures, riddles, poems and tasks for children and adults

Who Invented the Iron? And when did we have irons? What are irons? In this article, interesting for children and adults, you will find:

What items were the ancestors of the iron,

What are the irons

Who and where invented the iron,

Iron riddles,

What is an iron and what do they do with it,

Where did the word "iron" come from?

Informative videos about iron,

Educational tasks for children.

It is very important to show children that all the objects that surround us appeared for a reason! Each modern object is the result of the creativity of many people. And this means that the creativity of generations continues, and each item can be made even more convenient for a person! Or apply it in a new way. After all, we all want to educate creative people, and not just consumers, and for this the child needs to be shown the life path of searching for creative people who have been creating and inventing new things from century to century. Let's take a journey into the history of the iron together with the children, learn a lot from it. And - who knows - maybe - we will come up with our own iron of the future? I wish you all interesting discoveries and good mood!

A little advice before starting the journey into the history of the iron: If you have small children in your family, then before telling them about the iron, examine with them their underwear and clothes after washing - what are the folds on the clothes, how wrinkled and ugly they are. It is very important that the baby see with his own eyes why this item is needed - an iron. And then show how beautiful his clothes became after ironing. And only after that talk about who invented this wonderful item.

Who and how invented the iron?

Unfortunately, the name of the inventor of the history iron is unknown - it was a very long time ago. But we know how it was invented. People, even in very distant times, came up with different ways of ironing, so that things after washing were beautiful and not wrinkled. And what are the ways that things can not be wrinkled? Do you know such methods? For example, one of the simple ways, which you are probably familiar with and which was used by ancient people and is still used by many housewives - Stretch wet fabric while drying. Then things after drying will be wrinkled. Do you do that? If you do, show the child and teach him to help you hang up the laundry - it is useful both for the development of motor skills and for the development of the child's involvement in family affairs :).

There was another ancient method that is still used today - to put a thing under a flat stone. This is a method that has survived to this day and is embodied in modern ironing presses. Guess what kind of thing is being ironed in the ironing press shown in the photo on the left? Of course, trousers! And what can be ironed on the ironing press shown in the photo on the right?

So, the ancestor of modern irons were flat stones. They were heated. A thing was placed on a flat stone surface and pressed down with another stone from above. This was the first "iron". What was inconvenient such an iron?

Interesting idea: You can try with your child in the summer in the sun to put a small damp piece of cloth on a flat stone, for example, a kitchen napkin. And put another flat stone on top. And wait for the patch to dry. What happened? Is it convenient to iron with such an “iron”? Not? Why? Why is he not comfortable?

People began to come up with new, more convenient ways to iron clothes and clothes. In Russia, instead of irons, there was a special item- it was called "rubel" (from the word "chopped"). The entire surface of the rubel is uneven - consider it in the photo below. The rubel was made of wood. Rubel is our Russian old wooden "iron", more precisely, his great-grandfather. The rubel was also called "rib" because it has "ribs" on the surface. In the North, the rubel was also called a "rolling stick". Guessed why? Because they rolled him over clothes wound around a rolling pin.

Clothes or linen were wound on this rolling pin. They took a ruble in their hands. And the hostess began to roll the ruble on the table. The rubel has a grooved side. She was rolled on linen. They rolled for a very, very long time and with very great effort. The linen became much whiter, softer, that's why they said "not by washing, so by rolling."

The clothes were made of coarse linen, so it took a long time to soften and smooth with a ruble. It is very difficult and requires a lot of effort. When the rubel goes over the fabric, a loud knocking sound is heard, that is, this occupation was not only difficult, but also very loud. Which is also inconvenient!

Find an extra item in the picture that was not used in the old days for ironing clothes. That's right, the third extra is a roll. It was used for laundry. So they said: "Heap on." Have you heard such a word? That's where it came from! They beat them with a roll - they knocked out linen during washing, but they did not use it when ironing linen and clothes. And for ironing, only a rubel and a rolling pin were needed.

How the clothes were ironed with the help of a rubel and a rolling pin, what sound was heard, what other irons were and how they were used, you will see in this wonderful video filmed at the Iron Museum in Pereslavl Zalessky.

And they were also used in the old days to smooth the fabric and ... “frying pans” with hot coals! This method was used in ancient times in China. At that time, hot coals were poured inside a cast-iron brazier (similar to a modern frying pan). And they began to “stroke” with this “frying pan” instead of an iron. Of course, it was very dangerous to iron with such a device! Sparks and small coals flew out of the brazier and left marks or even holes on clothes! They also ironed clothes in the Middle Ages - with a “frying pan” - a brazier.

Therefore, people began to figure out how to simplify the ironing of linen and clothes. And they came up with! But inventing a convenient iron took several centuries! Very long time!

First irons

The word "iron" is ancient Turkic. And it consists of two small words. Which ones do you think? Try with your child to figure out what the ancient word "ut" and the ancient word "south" mean? And only when guessing, read the answer. You must have been close to the truth. Ut is fire. And "yuk" means to put down. To stroke it was necessary to “put a fire in the iron”, that is, heat it up.

At first irons were all-metal or "solid". Even the handle was made of metal. A solid cast iron was heated on the stove and then ironed. The iron was very, very heavy and cooled down very quickly. Why was it called "solid"? Because it was solid - all metal. He warmed up for half an hour. And it was possible to pick it up only with a potholder, so as not to get burned. After all, the metal handle heated up very quickly and was very hot! And in order to continue ironing, it was necessary to heat up the iron again, because it quickly cooled down! Yes, and often such an iron stained clothes. It was very inconvenient.

Then people came up with other irons - they did not heat up the iron, but “put fire” inside the iron, that is, put various substances in its metal case that heated the iron. The role of fire was: coal, gas and alcohol.

The first irons worked on coals and were very heavy! Such irons were called heat or wind or coal irons.

Surely, you saw coals when you were with children in the village or on a camping trip - show them what coal is. It is very important for a child not to hear, but to see, touch and try everything.

How did you iron with such an iron? To iron the clothes, you had to heat up the iron. To do this, they took hot coal, poured it inside the iron. For falling asleep coal in the iron was an opening lid. The iron from the coal was heated, and it was possible to iron linen and clothes with it.

Interesting idea: when you are on a hike or in the countryside, do a little experiment with your children. Put coals in a metal tea box and see if it gets hot. Does it heat up quickly? Will it cool down quickly? Can she iron things?

The charcoal iron was very inconvenient. There were holes in the iron that had to be blown into from time to time! To ignite the coals again. And so it was necessary to swing the iron from side to side so that the coals flared up. And given that the weight of the iron was like the weight of a modern dumbbell, you can understand how inconvenient it was then to iron clothes. But you can imagine how strong people were then! Ironing clothes was a real physical education for them! The iron had another drawback. There was smoke, and the hostess was dying from the smell of carbon monoxide. Such irons were different for left-handers and right-handers. Why do you think?

Later, he came up with a new, more convenient type of iron.

This iron with replaceable "cartridges", that is, with replaceable cast-iron liners. The liners were heated - heated in the oven, and after heating they inserted the liner into the iron. The iron got hot enough to iron clothes. And when the liner cools down, it was possible to replace it with a new well-heated one.

It seems to be better, but it was still very, very far from a comfortable iron. Then people began to figure out how to improve this iron. And decided to do it paired. From the word "couple". That is, one handle has one iron, but two “soles” of the iron. The soles of the iron, that is, its lower part, with which we iron, were replaceable. While one sole was stroked, the other was heated. And then there was no need to wait again for the iron to heat up on the fire.

Remember with your children what other items have a sole? (At boots, boots, sandals). How is the sole of an iron similar to the sole of a shoe and how do they differ?

In 1636 - this is known for certain, there were already iron irons in Russia. This is evidenced by a reminder in the book of expenses of the queen.

Later, gas irons appeared. A metal tube was inserted into the body of such an iron (just as an electric cord is now inserted). This tube was attached to a gas cylinder. The gas entered the iron, ignited and heated the iron. Such irons often exploded and were very dangerous.

There were also alcohol irons - alcohol was poured into them. Alcohol was poured inside into a small vessel attached to an iron and set on fire. The iron was light, warmed up quickly, but was very expensive for the price.

I wonder where old cast iron irons are used now? Are they only in museums? No, antique cast iron irons have recently taken on a new role. An interesting fact is that in the 80s of the 20th century, cast-iron irons were used to create an original musical instrument - the “iron”. I'm not kidding! I must admit right away that I play the piano, I have never played the iron. But I found something interesting about him. That's what it is. Let's look at the photo with this tool.

iron This is the kitchen table. Carnations are hammered into the countertop, cast-iron irons are hung on them with guitar strings. There is even a 50-minute album in 12 parts of works on the iron. That's how far the invention has come! They say that this instrument sounds unforgettable. Listen in this video - how the iron from cast iron irons sounds. Indeed, very unusual sounds! And also look at how it is played - the ways of playing this instrument are also very unusual and will make you smile.

Well, we got acquainted with the ancient irons and even with the iron from them and move on.

The story did not end with cast-iron irons, it continued. Hooray! Finally we come to the legendary year 1892. This is a stellar year in the history of irons and in the lives of all women - housewives ironing clothes. That's when I came up with electric iron. He looked completely different. No coals, no gas, no alcohol were needed. Electricity came to help man. Look with the children and find the differences between the modern electric iron and the first electric irons.

In the very first electric irons, there was no heat regulation (show your child where on a modern iron we regulate the temperature of its heating). Therefore, the iron overheated very quickly, and it had to be constantly turned on and then turned off. And turn it on again.

That's how many irons people came up with! They say that soon all irons will be not electric, but ultrasonic. And they will be completely safe - they will not be burned. Let's see :), our children will definitely find this new era.

You will learn more about the history of the iron from the video “An Ordinary Story. Iron"

Part 1

Part 2

Riddles and poems about the iron in pictures and tasks for children.

And now let's take a closer look at our home iron with the kids. And riddles will help us in this. They will help develop the imaginative thinking of children, as they contain very poetic, vivid and expressive comparisons and metaphors.

Iron riddles: riddle 1

Assignments to the riddle: What kind of river is in this riddle? (sheet, clothes that are being ironed). Why is the iron in the riddle compared to a steel boat? How does he look like her? (the iron also moves smoothly, as if floating on a river, irons used to be made of metal).

"She swims - the wave will disappear." What wave will disappear when the iron passes through the fabric? (wrinkles on clothes will disappear, it will become smooth as a river).

"Linen river,
The boat is steel.
She will float
The wave is gone."

Iron riddles: riddle 2

Assignments to the riddle: Why is the iron compared to a steamer in the riddle? On which river does the iron float? What kind of smoothness is behind him? When is the surface of the sea? Why is an ironed sheet compared in a riddle with the surface of the sea - how are they similar? (They are even, no wrinkles, no wrinkles, no waves)

"In the linen country
On the river sheet
The steamboat is sailing
Back, then forward
And behind him such a smooth surface,
Not a wrinkle to be seen."

Teach your children about the basics of safety when using an iron.

Iron riddles: riddle 3

Assignments to the riddle: Why does this riddle say that the iron cannot be stopped - and it must always go back and forth: “Stop - grief! Pierce the sea! What happens if you forget the iron and leave it on on clothes? (Clothes will burn, there will be a hole in this place, there may be a fire)

"Now back, then forward
Walks, wanders the ship.
Stop - grief!
Pierce the sea!

Iron riddles: riddle 4

Assignments to the riddle: Why does this riddle say about the iron like this: "touch it - it bites." How does an iron bite? Why doesn't mom let you touch the hot iron? Is it possible to touch a hot iron when adults are not in the room, because they will not see (the question is provocative and asked on purpose - many children say that “you can, just a little” 🙂). Where you can and where you can not put a hot iron, so as not to get burned (the iron is placed on the ironing board so that people passing by do not accidentally burn themselves on it). A hot iron is placed only on a special stand, you can’t put it on things in the room - you can ruin them.

"Strokes everything it touches,
And if you touch it, it bites."

What happens if you play with an iron? (You can get burned, the iron can catch fire, if the cord is damaged, you can get injured. Therefore, only adults work with the iron, always handle it very carefully and carefully).

"Everyone knows that iron
A kind but serious friend.
The one who is familiar with the iron,
Doesn't play with iron.
And shirts and pants
He strokes for you, kids,
But remember friends
You can't play with him!"

An iron and other electrical appliances are our helpers. They are very useful and convenient, but they can cause electric shock or cause a fire, so you need to know how to handle them. What other electrical appliances do we have at home and require careful handling? (electric stove, electric kettle, washing machine, microwave, oven, TV). Children should not turn these electrical appliances on and off from the electrical outlet and use them without adult supervision. These appliances must also not be touched with wet or damp hands (this may result in electric shock). Leaving home and leaving for the weekend, adults always turn off electrical appliances from the outlet.

Iron riddles: riddle 5.

Assignments to the riddle: What kind of water is mentioned in the following riddle? Why does mom pour water into the iron when ironing?

triangular and hot
All wrinkles will quickly hide,
Runs back and forth
Water bubbles inside. (S. Podgorskaya)

What are irons made of now? (Take a look at the iron at home with your child - what parts does it have? Why do you need a soleplate? Why are there holes in it? Why do you need a handle? Where is the temperature regulator? Where is the water poured and why? Why do we need a plug and cord? Why are modern irons called electric "Because they work only on electricity. If there is no electricity, then it will not be possible to iron clothes with such an iron).

Smooth on clothes
It smoothes wrinkles
Ironing jackets and linen
My school dress
Ironing the arrows at the trousers
Electric ...( iron).

Here comes the end of our a journey into the history of the iron. And new irons will be invented by our children and grandchildren. Try to compose with them the iron of the future - the most fantastic and most convenient. What size will it be? Maybe he can even fly to you at your call as Sivka - Burka? Or the iron of the future will also include other functions or choose the temperature of the fabric itself. Dream together with pleasure. Who knows, maybe in 100 years there will be such irons! After all, people have already come up with such unusual devices as a home ironing machine in the photo below. And this machine already exists!

The history of the iron: a presentation for activities with children

Presentation "History of the iron" to show to children and a printout made from the pictures from this article, you can download for free in our Vkontakte group “Child Development from Birth to School” - see the “Documents” section of our group on the right under the community videos. You can print pictures of the presentation and use them as a visual material to tell about the history of the iron or make a whole photo book, including both photos from the site and your own photos of irons. In the presentation, all pictures are given in high resolution and quality.

I invite you to continue your journey! More about the history of things you can find interesting stories in pictures, games and tasks on the Native Path:

A lot of interesting educational material for children is waiting for you in the section

I would be grateful for a comment if you liked the article. And if you are going to the iron museum with your children - write in the comments, I will tell you how to get there and how to prepare for the visit :). There are big problems with the tourist service in Pereslavl, so you need to go to the iron museum according to the principle “I carry everything with me” :).

Until we meet again on the "Native Path".

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Now even a child can handle washing - loading the washing machine, pressing a couple of buttons and hanging almost dry laundry is not difficult. But what did they do when not only hot water, but also soap was not really there?

Let me take you on a little tour of the past.

Some still know what a washboard is (“my grandmother has one in the village”), but few have seen it in action. But it appeared only at the beginning of the 19th century and was more used in cramped urban conditions, devoid of space and the close proximity of a lake, river or stream.
The predecessors of such a ribbed board were objects, the mere appearance of which plunges the uninitiated into a stupor. But - in order.

What was washed

A hundred years ago, housewives did not have to ask the price of detergents - there was no need. For washing, soap solutions were used, which were obtained at home. It was lye and soap root.

Lye, which gave its name to a whole class of chemical compounds, alkalis, was obtained from a solution of ash, supplied daily by the Russian furnace free of charge. The lye was also called “beech, butch”, and the washing process itself was called “buchenye”.

How and where was it washed

To do this, the ash was mixed with water, insisted for several days and received a soapy solution to the touch - so concentrated that it had to be further diluted with water. Otherwise, clothes when washed with such a strong lye could wear out faster.

Another source of laundry detergent, the soapwort plant (or soap root) was crushed, soaked, filtered, and washed with the resulting solution, trying to use it all up, as it quickly deteriorated.

Never washed in a bath, it was considered a sin. Washing clothes could be in the house or near the bath, which means next to the pond. For washing, cast irons, clay pots, troughs, mortars, pestles, rollers were used ...

If the grip is familiar to everyone, then the purpose of the rink should be explained - this is a special dumbbell-shaped wooden stand, along which the handle of the grip rolled a heavy container into the hot inside of the furnace. The result of the fluttering of linen is snow-white tablecloths and shirts made of homespun cloth.

This was due to the fact that they were often presented to girls by boys as a gift, and then, in addition to the usual carving, the initials of the beloved and the date of the gift could appear on the surface of the roll. These rolls resembled stylized female figures: the thickening at the end of the handle served as the head, the working part of the roll served as the body, and the crosshair at the base served as arms.

Any responsible housewife knows: washing is still half the battle, you still have to iron what caring hands have bleached.

How and how they ironed clothes in the old days

What appliances did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have in their households to iron their laundry?
in the old days, not so much ironed as "rolled" linen. How? get acquainted:

Rubel and rolling pin

The rubel was a rectangular board with a handle: transverse rounded notches were cut out on the underside, and the upper, front side was often decorated with carvings.

In order to stroke, the hostess folded clothes, a tablecloth, a towel along, trying to give it the same width as that of the rolling pin. And they wrapped the rolling pin with them, forming a tight bundle. The rubel was placed on top and rolled forward from the edge of the table, softening and smoothing the linen fabric - rolled. And it was a mechanical way of ironing.

In the North, “digging” was a favorite carving technique, when the surface of an object was covered with a jagged pattern, but ornaments could simply be cut out with thin contour lines. And again, you can often see initials and dates on the rubles - sure signs that this is a gift.

The rink of linen required certain physical efforts from the woman, but one should not think that the arrival of a metal iron in village houses made the ironing process easier.

First irons

Firstly, such an iron in village life was an expensive and rare thing, and therefore often served as an indicator of well-being (like a samovar, for example). Secondly, the ironing technology was even more labor-intensive compared to rolling the linen with a rubel.

There were two main types of irons - tailors and laundries, although both were in use in the houses. The tailor's iron was essentially a sharp-nosed piece of cast iron with a handle.

He was heated on fire and carefully taken with a potholder by the handle so as not to burn himself. Such irons were of various sizes - from very small ones, for ironing small wrinkles on clothes, to giants that only a man could lift.

Tailors, as a rule, were men, and they had to work with very dense heavy fabrics (I once had to sew such a cloth - I had to do it, blushing and puffing from the effort, and at the risk of breaking the needle). And the ironing tools were appropriate.

Laundry irons were heated in a different way: they were hollow inside and had a movable valve in the wide part of the body - a heavy cast-iron core heated on fire was inserted there.

Another type of iron used in everyday life is charcoal or wind irons. The upper part of the body of such an iron leaned back, and coals were laid inside.

The cooling coals of the hostess were inflated or heated by swinging the iron from side to side. Therefore, it was also important not to burn when ironing! The coal iron could be equipped with a pipe and looked more like an antediluvian steamer.

Imagining a hostess rocking a weighty cast-iron structure, you are convinced that our "grandmothers" had remarkable dexterity, and strength too. Naturally, the modern plastic-Teflon handsome man is many times lighter than his cast iron predecessor.

The lightest weighed 2.5 kilograms, medium-sized irons were within 4 kg - an impressive figure for several hours of ironing. Well, the heaviest one - a cast tailor's giant - made the steelyard grunt plaintively and show 12 kilograms ...

Do you know how and with what our ancestors ironed washed linen? How much time, effort and money was spent on this? Did the invention of the cast iron bring welcome relief? What was the danger of ironing clothes? In this article, I will tell you about it!

There are no irons now! Wireless, with steam humidifiers, with sensors and indicators, with ten modes for each type of fabric. Ironing boards are not far behind, and give us a lot of conveniences: they can be adjusted to any height and even built into furniture. What about the appearance of both? I would have been ironing clothes all day!.. Ask your grandmothers and great-grandmothers if it was just as easy for them to cope with the household? No, it's hard, they will answer.

Before the advent of the modern iron, ironing clothes took all day and all the strength. After the housewives went through all the torments of hand washing with lye (which caused considerable damage to the skin of their hands and nails), the next day they had to accomplish another feat - to stroke the washed. And compared to him, the exploits of Hercules are just a walk in the park. So let's get acquainted with the old way of ironing clothes.

Until the 17th century

The first cast-iron irons came to Russia along with the Poles and Lithuanians during the Time of Troubles (1598-1613). And before that, the linen, consider, was not ironed - it was kneaded until it became soft.

The process of “rolling out” the linen was carried out with the help of a rubel and an ordinary rolling pin. A rubel is a rectangular elongated hardwood board with a handle at the end. On one side there were transverse notches, and the other was decorated with carvings or ornaments.

The linen was folded several times in a narrow strip and wound on a rolling pin. The winding had to be very tight and without folds. Then the hostess rolled this bundle on the table, pressing it with a rubel with force. The notches on the rubel kneaded the fabric, and the last dirt came out of it. The linen rolled out in this way became soft and snow-white.

True, in order to bring the fabric to such a state, it was necessary to make many, many efforts. Rolling out is not for the weak and pampered young ladies!

With the advent of the iron

Life has not become easier. Firstly, it was expensive, not everyone had it, and therefore it was a sign of prosperity. Secondly, it was made of cast iron, and it weighed from 2.5 to 5 and even 12 kg!

There were three types of irons: tailor's, laundry and coal. The first ones were cast, they were heated in an oven, taken with a towel and ironed in the same way as now. With the difference that the iron weighed several kilograms, and it constantly had to be heated in the oven. This moment, of course, gave the case an element of risk: you could seriously burn yourself or drop the iron on your leg.

Laundry irons had a cast-iron core that was taken out, heated in ovens, and put back in. This option was already a little safer, but also time consuming.

Coal irons, although they saved the housewives from the hassle of often running to the stove, were still dangerous. With an iron scoop, red-hot coals were poured into its inner cavity. They heated the soleplate of the iron, but they had to be replaced frequently. Imagine: the hostess had to turn over the heavy and hot iron, dump the coals out of it into the oven and fill in new ones. In words, it sounds simple, but try it, do this operation several times! In addition, burning coals emit carbon monoxide, from which you could burn yourself.

So you don’t even know what was easier: roll the linen on the table with a ruble or wield a cast-iron iron, almost like a sledgehammer. One thing is clear, in order to wash and iron clothes in the old days, the hostess had to be not a fragile woman, but a weightlifter!

What appliances did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have in their households to iron their laundry? In the old days, not so much ironed as "rolled" linen. How? Meet:
RUBEL

The rubel was a rectangular board with a handle: transverse rounded notches were cut out on the underside, and the upper, front side was often decorated with carvings.
In order to stroke, the hostess folded clothes, tablecloth, towel lengthwise, trying to give it the same width as the rolling pin. And they wrapped them around a rolling pin, forming a tight bundle. The rubel was placed on top and rolled forward from the edge of the table, softening and smoothing the linen fabric - rolled. And it was a mechanical way of ironing.
The rink of linen required certain physical efforts from the woman. The adept laundresses knew that well-rolled linen had a great, fresh look, even if the wash was not entirely brilliant. Therefore, having sinned sometimes in washing, they achieved the desired impression in a different way, they knew how to "take not by washing, but by rolling."

In the photo: rubels, XIX century. - exhibits of the Balakhna Museum Historical and Artistic Complex.

It is difficult to answer this question. There is an opinion that the first iron appeared when they began to make clothes from fabric, although archaeologists are firmly convinced that ancient people also ironed their skins with a special polished bone of a killed mammoth.
In the 4th century BC, in ancient Greece, methods were invented for pleating clothes from linen using a hot metal rod that resembled a rolling pin. It is also known that the first irons appeared in China, as early as the 8th century, to iron silk. They were small metal stoves or braziers filled with hot coals inside.

History of the iron in Russia is shorter than the world. In Russia there was a special invention, it was called rubel. This rubel did not even look like an iron, a thick wooden block with a handle and a corrugated edge. They stroked them like this: they wound the linen on a rolling pin and rolled it with a ribbed wooden rubel. The thick, unyielding canvas was smoothed out, stretching along the longitudinal and transverse threads. This process was very tiring, but the unironed linen, from which clothes were sewn in the old days, was rough, like matting, therefore, it had to be rolled. With the help of a rubel, it could not only be smoothed out, but also made softer.

The first mention of the Russian iron was found in 1636 in the book of expenses of the royal court: “The blacksmith Ivashka Trofimov was given five altyns so that he could close up an iron iron for the royal chamber.”
Iron, cast iron and bronze irons came into our life in the era of Peter the Great. They were cast or forged, at the will of the master giving them the shape of a lion, whale, ship, decorating with curlicues, but more often - without decorating anything. An all-metal iron existed until 1967, along with its shortcomings - a hot handle and the ability to cool quickly.

Hot iron plates for ironing folds and fabrics appeared in Europe as early as the 16th century. Women used the so-called woofs - iron mugs, glass balls with hot water.

Later, when ruffles, bows, folds appear in fashion, the first iron irons appear, designed to care for them. In the 18th century, tiny irons for fashionistas appeared, with which they smoothed gloves, lace and hats. Such irons were decorated with porcelain handles and painted with enamel. I must say that they were very, very expensive then. They were richly decorated with ornaments, and during the visits of guests, the iron was paraded as a decoration along with a samovar. The presence of such an attribute in the house spoke of the wealth and well-being of the owner.

According to historians, the first iron in Russia appeared in the 17th century - it was forged and heated on a stove.
In the XVIII century in our country, irons began to be made at the Demidov factories. Then the first iron with an insert was invented, which was heated and placed inside the hollow body of the iron. Liners There were several and inserted them one by one. This allowed for continuous ironing. The charcoal iron was also a success. First, it was heated on coals, then the lid was opened and coals were poured into the body. Such an iron weighed a lot.
Separately, irons were made for smoothing sleeves and collars. They were handy little irons.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Americans made a breakthrough - they came up with a gas iron. But, unfortunately, in Russia there were no such irons and could not be.

At the beginning of the century, there was no gas in our country. In addition, gas irons often exploded.

Soon the Europeans invented the alcohol iron. Inside the iron was a cone into which it was necessary to pour alcohol. Alcohol irons did not smell, did not produce smoke, and did not form soot. Were safe. But in Russia, the attitude to alcohol has always been special. The liquid never reached the irons.

Electrification solved many problems. The electric iron appeared on June 6, 1882, it was created by the American Henry Seeley. In the world's first electric iron, the heating element was an electric arc between carbon electrodes, to which a direct current was supplied. The spiral heating the sole solved many problems.
There were thermostats. To facilitate the work, the irons were supplied with humidifiers of various designs. It seemed that he should have made a revolution, like a light bulb, all other antediluvian irons should have disappeared, but for some reason the revolution dragged on for almost a hundred years.
In Russia, the first electric iron was produced only in 1949.
A modern iron irons in any mode, sprays the fabric itself, and turns itself off.
...To iron with a modern iron, no special skill is needed. Clean, comfortable, safe.

Edgar Degas. Girls ironing clothes in the laundry

Any hostess will confirm that washing clothes is not as tiring as ironing it. After washing - hand or machine - linen needs to be ironed.
We will talk about the evolution of the iron today.Just as the history of a steamboat is inconceivable without a mention of a raft, so the history of an iron would be incomplete without a brief account of its ancestors.
Archaeologists recognize the oldest of them as a flat, heavy stone. On its relatively flat surface, clothes that were still slightly damp were spread, pressed down with another stone from above, and left to dry completely. As a result, some of the folds disappeared.
The ancient Romans ironed their tunics and togas with a metal hammer: wrinkles were simply knocked out of clothes with repeated blows. In Russia, ironing was used for quite a long time with the help of two tools: a small stick with an even circular cross section, called a "roll", "rocking chair" or simply a "rolling pin", and a corrugated board, which had many names - "rubel", "rebrak", "pralnik". ".

In Russia, a rubel was used to combat wrinkles

The dried linen was wound on a "rocking chair" and rolled around the table with a "ruble".

Rolling pin and wooden "iron" for ironing

This principle is still used in some ironing machines.

ironing machine

Ironing means heating

The fact that linen is easier to smooth out if you use warm metal has been known to mankind almost as long as the mechanical methods of ironing. So, back in the IV century. BC e. in Greece, they invented a method of ironing chitons and tunics using a heated metal rod. In the Middle Ages, a different device began to be used. It looked almost the same as an ordinary frying pan: hot coals were placed inside a cast-iron brazier with a handle and they began to drive the “frying pan” over clothes. It is clear that this "iron" was not distinguished by convenience and safety: it was awkward to work with it, sparks and small coals flew out of the brazier every now and then, leaving opal and holes on the clothes.

Brazier with coals

Nevertheless, it was still a long time to wait before the discovery of the saving properties of electricity, so it only remained to improve the same principle: heating the metal by means of coals inside or fire outside.

"Our iron caught fire..."

Once upon a time, the famous Soviet chansonnier Leonid Utyosov sang merry verses, in which there were words about the “burning iron”. Indeed, in the middle of the last century one could meet the so-called "charcoal" or "wind" irons. They looked like small stoves: red-hot birch coals were laid inside the body. For better traction, holes were made on the sides, sometimes the iron was even supplied with a pipe. To rekindle the cooled coals, they blew into the holes, or waved the iron from side to side. Since charcoal irons were heavy, ironing turned into a real strength exercise. Later, instead of coals, they began to put a red-hot cast-iron blank into the iron.

Coal irons smoked in houses until the middle of the last century

Iron with cast iron

Art Nouveau iron 1870

Iron with porcelain handle 1873

glass iron

In Russia, such irons have been known since the 17th century, and in the West, most likely, even earlier. The first written evidence of the presence of irons in Russian everyday life is dated February 10, 1636. In the book of expenses of the royal court, it is noted: “The blacksmith Ivashka Trofimov was given 5 altyns, and for that money he sealed up an iron iron in the queen’s chamber.” In the XVIII century, the industrial production of "wind" irons was already established: they were produced by Demidov and other foundries.

Solid cast irons

Another old type of iron is cast iron, heated over an open fire or in a hot oven. They appeared in the 18th century and were still produced in our country even in the 60s. XX century: despite the fact that the electric iron was invented a long time ago, many homes did not have sockets.

On the canvas of Henry Morland, we see a laundress ironing clothes with a cast-iron iron.

The cast-iron iron warmed up for a very long time - at least half an hour, and it was impossible to take it hot without potholders. Therefore, such irons were soon improved: they began to be made in pairs - with one removable handle on two cast-iron bases. While one was ironed, the second base was heated, so that the ironing process was noticeably accelerated.

Stove for heating irons

Stands for irons

Iron stand 1740

Large cast-iron irons weighed up to 10 kg and were intended for ironing coarse fabrics.

To iron thin fabrics and small details of clothing - cuffs, collars, lace - they used small irons, the size of half a palm.

For hard-to-reach places - in the area of the sleeve, shoulder, armpits, etc.

Puffs and draperies on dresses and curtains were ironed with special tools.

Now there are no such devices; in order to iron a historical dress, one has to rip the drapery apart.

For draperies and puffs. The sharp end is for the very beginning of assemblies.

Scallops, pleats, folds. Looking at historical linen and
shirts, involuntarily you will think - how were they made and then ironed?

There were such special devices, sometimes they were combined with an iron.

hat irons

For gloves

On the way to the electric iron

At the end of the 19th century, gas irons began to be produced. The principle of their work was the same as that of gas stoves: the iron was heated by burning gas. A metal tube was inserted into the body of such an iron, connected at the other end to a gas cylinder, and a pump was located on the cover of the iron. With the help of a pump, the gas was driven into the inside of the iron, where, burning, it heated the ironing sole. It is easy to imagine how dangerous such irons were: through their fault, gas leaks often occurred - with all the ensuing consequences: explosions, fires and casualties.

Gas irons worked on the same principle as a gas stove

At the beginning of the 20th century, a safer than gas, alcohol iron became increasingly popular. His advertisements could be found in 1913 magazines. It was arranged according to the principle of a kerosene llama: the surface of the iron was heated with alcohol, which was poured inside and set on fire. The advantage of such an iron was that it warmed up quickly, did not weigh very much, it could be used as a travel option. It just cost such an iron, which is called “like a cast-iron bridge,” or to be precise, like a small herd of sheep or a good cow ...

An alcohol iron was too expensive for many. It cost a fortune

It's done! Electric spiral in action

June 6, 1882 can be considered the birthday of the electric iron. It was on this day that the American Henry Seeley patented the electric iron he invented.

The principle of operation of the first electric irons, the inventor Henry Seeley, had to be explained, as they say, “on the fingers” - with the help of pictures

In the world's first electric iron, the heating element was an electric arc between carbon electrodes, to which a direct current was supplied.

One of the world's first electric irons

The early models of electric irons, like gas ones, were unsafe (due to design imperfections, they were very shocking) and capricious in everyday life, so 10 years later, in 1892, the General Electric and Crompton companies modernized the electric iron, starting to use it in its design heating coil.

Iron with a heating coil has become safe for humans

Such a spiral, hidden inside the body of the iron in front of its sole, was reliably isolated from the body. Irons stopped shocking their owners, and it became safe to use them.

The new design of irons turned out to be so successful that it is still used in new models of irons to this day: it has changed little over the twentieth century. Throughout the past century, the efforts of manufacturers have been directed only at a slight improvement in individual elements of the device.

glass iron

After the invention of the electric iron, there was no need for complex and unreliable designs. The spiral heating the sole solved many problems. There were thermostats that allow you to iron any fabric. To make work easier, irons are supplied with humidifiers. Moreover, their designs were very different. Two ladies received a patent in Germany for an iron, to the nose of which an additional platform with a glass filled with water was attached. There was a hole in the bottom of the glass, which was closed by a cork with a long handle. As soon as you press your finger on the handle, the cork opens and water gets on the fabric. Someone B. Kratz acted much easier: he attached a rubber pear with small holes to the handle of the iron. The pear was filled with water and, when required, they simply squeezed it with their hands and the water splashed, as if from a watering can.

Souvenir irons

But the history of the iron is far from over. After all, before gaining a modern look and becoming an ultra-modern device - light, ergonomic, efficient and safe, the iron has come a long way in development. And at all times this “ironing tool” has been a faithful companion of a person, making life much more comfortable. And what the iron will be in the future - time will tell.

The achievement of recent decades has been computer-controlled ironing equipment and an air-steam ironing table with aspiration mode (air intake)

Iron with steam generator

Steamer

Ironing system

Ironing press

The predecessors of such a ribbed board were objects, the mere appearance of which plunges the uninitiated into a stupor. But - in order.

WHAT WAS WASHED

HOW AND WHERE WASHED

WHAT AND HOW IRONED CLOTHES IN THE OLD

What appliances did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have in their households to iron their laundry? In the old days, not so much ironed as "rolled" linen. How? get acquainted:

RUBEL AND ROLLING RINGING RING

FIRST IRONS

History of the iron in pictures, riddles, poems and tasks. Informative video about the history of the iron and a presentation for activities with children.

The history of the iron in pictures, riddles, poems and tasks for children and adults

Who Invented the Iron? And when did we have irons? What are irons? In this article, interesting for children and adults, you will find:

What items were the ancestors of the iron,

What are the irons

Who and where invented the iron,

Iron riddles,

What is an iron and what do they do with it,

Where did the word "iron" come from?

Informative videos about iron,

Educational tasks for children.

Who and how invented the iron?

Therefore, people began to figure out how to simplify the ironing of linen and clothes. And they came up with! But inventing a convenient iron took several centuries! Very long time!

First irons

The first irons worked on coals and were very heavy! Such irons were called heat or wind or coal irons.

Surely, you saw coals when you were with children in the village or on a camping trip - show them what coal is. It is very important for a child not to hear, but to see, touch and try everything.

Later, he came up with a new, more convenient type of iron.

Remember with your children what other items have a sole? (At boots, boots, sandals). How is the sole of an iron similar to the sole of a shoe and how do they differ?

In 1636 - this is known for certain, there were already iron irons in Russia. This is evidenced by a reminder in the book of expenses of the queen.

Well, we got acquainted with the ancient irons and even with the iron from them and move on.

You will learn more about the history of the iron from the video “An Ordinary Story. Iron"

Part 1

Part 2

Riddles and poems about the iron in pictures and tasks for children.

Iron riddles: riddle 1

"She swims - the wave will disappear." What wave will disappear when the iron passes through the fabric? (wrinkles on clothes will disappear, it will become smooth as a river).

"Linen river,
The boat is steel.
She will float
The wave is gone."

Iron riddles: riddle 2

"In the linen country
On the river sheet
The steamboat is sailing
Back, then forward
And behind him such a smooth surface,
Not a wrinkle to be seen."

Teach your children about the basics of safety when using an iron.

Iron riddles: riddle 3

"Now back, then forward
Walks, wanders the ship.
Stop - grief!
Pierce the sea!

Iron riddles: riddle 4

"Strokes everything it touches,
And if you touch it, it bites."

"Everyone knows that iron
A kind but serious friend.
The one who is familiar with the iron,
Doesn't play with iron.
And shirts and pants
He strokes for you, kids,
But remember friends
You can't play with him!"

Iron riddles: riddle 5.

Assignments to the riddle: What kind of water is mentioned in the following riddle? Why does mom pour water into the iron when ironing?

triangular and hot
All wrinkles will quickly hide,
Runs back and forth
Water bubbles inside. (S. Podgorskaya)

Smooth on clothes
It smoothes wrinkles
Ironing jackets and linen
My school dress
Ironing the arrows at the trousers
Electric ...( iron).

The history of the iron: a presentation for activities with children

I invite you to continue your journey! More about the history of things you can find interesting stories in pictures, games and tasks on the Native Path:

A lot of interesting educational material for children is waiting for you in the section

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Until the 17th century

True, in order to bring the fabric to such a state, it was necessary to make many, many efforts. Rolling out is not for the weak and pampered young ladies!

With the advent of the iron

Life has not become easier. Firstly, it was expensive, not everyone had it, and therefore it was a sign of prosperity. Secondly, it was made of cast iron, and it weighed from 2.5 to 5 and even 12 kg!

Laundry irons had a cast-iron core that was taken out, heated in ovens, and put back in. This option was already a little safer, but also time consuming.

Ironing is a unique process that allows you to turn wrinkled fabric into beautiful and neat clothes. How did our ancestors iron their clothes? And it’s a no brainer that the iron was invented relatively recently. Before that, mankind used completely different ways of ironing linen and clothes.

1) Stone. The first and perhaps the most primitive item for ironing clothes was a large flat stone. Clothes were spread on a hard surface and pressed down with another stone.

Once a batch of trousers intended for sale was packed into the hold and folded lengthwise. The Americans, seeing trousers with "arrows", mistook them for a new trend in European fashion. Later, “arrows” began to be made on trousers, and the new fashion spread throughout the world.

2) Rubel and roller. Another ancient way of ironing. Linen was wound on a flat stick and rolled on a corrugated board using a tabletop. This technology, by the way, was used in many ironing machines until recently.

3) Brazier with coals. The coals were placed inside a special case and closed with a lid. Later, the steam iron replaced the coals, but it did not last long. The spread of electricity gave the world the first iron with an electric spiral, presented in 1881 at an exhibition in Paris.

Have you read the answer to the question How did you iron clothes in the old days? and if you liked the material, then write it down in your bookmarks - » How did they iron clothes in the old days?? .

Mold appears on clothes after they have been lying somewhere in a damp, poorly ventilated place for a long time. It is impossible to remove mold from clothes with ordinary means, and ordinary washing of clothes will not help either. The following method is best for removing mold. Moldy clothing should be thoroughly dried in the sun or somewhere dry. After that, pour crushed chalk on the fungus, cover with a napkin on top and iron it several times with an iron. You can also soak and store clothes in the wardrobe. It is necessary according to certain rules. First of all, make sure that the clothes are not pressed tightly - this leads to wrinkling and deformation of the sleeves, collars and other elements. Trousers Should be stored on special hangers, and clothes that you wear often should be placed closer to the wardrobe doors. Teach yourself to do a general cleaning in the wardrobe at least twice a year - clothes should be taken out into the fresh air, and the wardrobe should be ventilated. Check if there is When choosing clothes for fitness, you need to consider the direction of your chosen activity. But there are also general recommendations that should be taken into account regardless of your sports preferences. First of all, they relate to underwear. For fitness classes, you will need a special bra - a bodice that supports the chest. It is especially worth taking care of the purchase of such underwear for nursing mothers and owners of magnificent forms, as well as for those who have chosen an intense type of training - aerobics, step, hip-hop. A special sports bra can look When choosing clothes according to your figure, do not forget the main rule - trying to hide flaws, do not forget to emphasize dignity at the same time. When choosing clothes, it is worth considering some nuances. Horizontal stripes and patterns will emphasize fullness. A diagonal cage, vertically elongated patterns, a vertical stripe will help to visually make the figure more slender. it is necessary to complete the next task of her company, in which she works as a clothing consultant. Until the evening, she needs to pick up several sets of clothes for famous people. In addition to clothes, Lilly still has to choose the right makeup for the image. To do this, she goes to a multi-storey boutique, where there are many shops with a wide variety of clothes. Lilly needs to gradually go around all the shops, going into the fitting rooms and making harmonious sets of clothes,

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VALEK served as another tool for washing. With this small wooden spatula, the washed linen was “rolled” or “riveted” on a stone or on a board on the shore. If neither mortar nor trough...

Any responsible housewife knows: washing is still half the battle, you still have to iron what caring hands have bleached.

How and how they ironed clothes in the old days

What appliances did our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have in their households to iron their laundry?
in the old days, not so much ironed as "rolled" linen. How? get acquainted:

Rubel and rolling pin

The rubel was a rectangular board with a handle: transverse rounded notches were cut out on the underside, and the upper, front side was often decorated with carvings.

The rink of linen required certain physical efforts from the woman, but one should not think that the arrival of a metal iron in village houses made the ironing process easier.

First irons

There were two main types of irons - tailors and laundries, although both were in use in the houses. The tailor's iron was essentially a sharp-nosed piece of cast iron with a handle.

Laundry irons were heated in a different way: they were hollow inside and had a movable valve in the wide part of the body - a heavy cast-iron core heated on fire was inserted there.

Another type of iron used in everyday life is charcoal or wind irons. The upper part of the body of such an iron leaned back, and coals were laid inside.

Imagining a hostess rocking a weighty cast-iron structure, you are convinced that our “grandmothers” had remarkable dexterity, and strength too. Naturally, the modern plastic-Teflon handsome man is many times lighter than his cast iron predecessor.

Agatha Christie said, "The best time to plan a book is when you're cooking." It's hard to disagree: even a modern woman has to spend so much time on routine homework that sometimes you want someone ... to make a victim of a detective story. And this is in the presence of cleaners / detergents and household appliances that facilitate the work of a housewife! But it was much harder for our great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers, although even in the distant past, a woman had devices to facilitate household work. This material is dedicated to "old gadgets" and no less old "life hacks".

1. What could be worse than washing, or a horse with a roller to help

“Again, things have accumulated in the laundry basket ...”, a modern woman states the fact doomedly. Whining from the good life? But even 10 minutes to distribute dirty things for “loading” by color and recommended washing mode, and then another half an hour to “unload” and hang 20 pairs of socks and other linen trifles is precious time and effort, already tired of “multi-vector » woman's household chores. And how much time did our great-grandmothers spend doing laundry?

Valek - "bat" for linen

“The woman didn’t cook at all, but fussing with dirty shirts and trousers ...”, they used to say in Russia .. Despite the use of “old household chemicals” (for example, lye - a caustic solution of ash for soaking clothes), washing was incredibly time-consuming a process that required a minimum of endurance from a woman. The word "washerwoman", by the way, is from the verb "right"("pound, reap, crush, shove, wring out, squeeze out").

The main "gadget" of our great-grandmothers was the so-called "pralny(i.e. "washing") outrigger"(one of the dialect variants is “laundress”) - a wooden flat bar for “rolling” and “beating” linen. Valek “squeezed out”, “knocked out” “waste products” from the fabric. This procedure, familiar to women of past centuries, was very energy-consuming and required a fair amount of physical strength. Fun fact: in the 19th century, women of easy virtue were forced to work in laundries as punishment.

Barrel: a step away from an activator-type washing machine

It is strange that this device has not gained wide popularity: the design for washing in the form of a barrel on a horizontal axis is almost one step away from the activator-type washing machine.

In soapy water, the laundry spun and was washed obviously better than the “beating” method. The only, but significant, disadvantage of the device is the need to manually set such a “drum” in motion.

The most intelligent and resourceful used animals as helpers: a donkey, for example, walked in circles with a barrel in which a soapy solution cleaned clothes without damaging the fabric. In the middle of the 19th century, a Californian gold digger came up with a device for washing a large batch of linen, which was set in motion by ten harnessed mules. True, the number of shirts that could be washed at a time (about a dozen or a half dozen) is not impressive: there are two shirts for each mule - this is somehow not serious.

The way of sailors: laziness = progress

What do long-distance sailors do without women? Wash your own clothes! And since no decent man will strain beyond the minimum need, the "sailor's" way of washing is very simple and reliable. There is no wife - there is water: dirty clothes (in some sources they add “soaped”, but something of the author’s site takes doubts about this stage) were thrown overboard on a rope and waited until the sea linen “fluffed up” in the abyss was cleaned of household pollution.

The rivermen were even more fortunate: after such a “wash” in fresh water, no additional manipulations were required. There was such a thing (mostly in dialects) as "dry"- this is washing without detergents, as well as a piece of clothing (most often a shirt) that does not require thorough washing.

2. Rubel: Ironing is the business of beefy women

About the heavy cast-iron iron with coals inside is told and retold. But before the advent of the iron, the ironing method was much more exotic - mechanical. The washed and dried thing was carefully wound on a special rolling pin, and then, put on a bundle rubel(he is also a “roller”, only ironing), "rolled" it on a flat hard surface with the strongest possible pressure. The ribbed surface of the rubel (a rectangular board with rounded notches on the working surface and a handle) kneaded the fabric that was hard after washing and smoothed out the “wrinkles”.

The rubel was often decorated with intricate designs and given as a gift. So, an enviable groom could well give a rubel to a marriageable beauty (cutting out the girl’s initials in addition to the pattern), and at the same time check the future mistress for “suitability”. "Decorative-utilitarian" variations of the rubel were often deliberately made to look like a female silhouette: the thickened end of the handle resembled the head, and the working part - the torso.

3. Whorl - a mixer of energetic great-grandmothers

With the help of this uncomplicated "gadget" it was possible to perfectly mix the products and even whip various mixtures. Name "whorl"- from the verb "to stir up", i.e. "interfere". A stick with 4-5 "horns" at the end - a prototype of a whisk and a mixer - did not require special skills to use: the whorl was vertically immersed in a container, and then the upper part was intensively twisted, squeezed between the palms. With a certain skill, the proteins could be beaten no worse than with a mixer.

By the way, it was very easy to make a whorl - nature itself gave the idea. A fragment of a thin pine or spruce trunk with a whorled arrangement (i.e., at the same height) of branches extending in different directions is an almost finished whorl. Lateral branches were shortened to 3-5 centimeters, the handle was polished so as not to injure the palms. And you can stir up pies!

4. Golik-derkach - "scrape" floors

Before the birth of the savior of grandmothers, Mr. Proper, they used to clean the floors "golik", or "derkach"- an old broom made of branches without leaves. Since in the old days the floors were unpainted (well, if they were at all!), the dirt gradually ate into the wood, and simply sweeping the litter was not enough. In such cases, the old golik was used as emery to clean the floor from stubborn dirt. The most easy way is to roll on the floor with your foot, having previously thrown gruss (coarse sand or fine gravel) under the golik-derkach.

5. Pumpkin family - supplier of dishware "brushes"

Nobody likes to wash containers with a narrow neck (jars, jugs, bottles, vases): even a special brush does not cope with 5+. But the great-grandmothers knew the “life hack” and did not “steam”: they put pumpkin / zucchini / cucumber leaves, etc. in a dirty container (that is, they used plants whose leaves are hard, with prickly “villi”), poured water and intensively shaken up. The author of the site would hardly have believed in the effectiveness of such cleaning if, in front of his eyes, a 5-liter plastic bottle with walls darkened from water from a summer column had not been cleaned with zucchini leaves in 10 seconds.

So, not all old "gadgets" and "life hacks" are useless and harsh. But the article will try to convince housewives of the loyalty of the modern world.

Until the 17th century

True, in order to bring the fabric to such a state, it was necessary to make many, many efforts. Rolling out is not for the weak and pampered young ladies!

With the advent of the iron

Life has not become easier. Firstly, it was expensive, not everyone had it, and therefore it was a sign of prosperity. Secondly, it was made of cast iron, and it weighed from 2.5 to 5 and even 12 kg!

Laundry irons had a cast-iron core that was taken out, heated in ovens, and put back in. This option was already a little safer, but also time consuming.