need a new iron

tkachev
tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
edited 17. Dec 2015, 15:30 in Community Chit-chat archive
Has anyone got any suggestions for an efficient iron which is also easyish on the joints? I'm lucky that my hands are not too badly affected by RA but have pain when I grip.

At the moment my small replacement iron is useless and the ironing pile is growing fast.


Elizabeth x
Never be bullied into silence.
Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no ones definition of your life

Define yourself........

Harvey Fierstein

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I don't think I can help as such but my advice is to visit a large retailer where you can pick up and 'pretend' with irons to get a 'feel' for how they might be in real-life - don't forget to factor in the weight of water if looking for a steam option. I hope you can find something that helps - over my arthritic years I have found that Tefal suit me - and cost doesn't come into it. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Slosh
    Slosh Member Posts: 3,194
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I have a lightweight dry iron which I use together with an easy iron spray. I must admit though that I only iron what I really need to.
    He did not say you will not be storm tossed, you will not be sore distressed, you will not be work weary. He said you will not be overcome.
    Julian of Norwich
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,026
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Elizabeth :)

    Irons...mmmm......

    can be heavy and hard work can't they but lots of it to be done I your house I think.

    My next door neighbour irons for her living and always uses tefal, I have two irons one is a steam generator one. The other is a normal steam one.

    The steam generator is the one I prefer by far because it is FAST!

    I used my vouchers from a well-known supermarket chain and got it free.

    The iron weighs the same as my old one, but the actual unit with the water in is heavy when full.

    I tend to agree with DD here go and handle a few if you can get there.

    Love

    Toni xxx
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I know at least one of our members has a steam press but they are pricey and probably take up a fair bit of room. Hers is attached to a wall in a spare bedroom.

    I just have a very lightweight one which I rarely use. Most things get ironed on a 'need to' basis. When I need to do some I'll leave the iron in situ all day and just do a bit here and a bit there.

    I know there are people who will take in ironing but I've no idea how much they charge.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • theresak
    theresak Member Posts: 1,998
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I use Tefal - picked up several to `try out` before settling on that.
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sorry Elizabeth I am looking for the same, I struggle to hold ours and its not heavy...we have a lady nearby that has an ironing business so tempted by that....x
    Love
    Barbara
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,026
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    barbara12 wrote:
    Sorry Elizabeth I am looking for the same, I struggle to hold ours and its not heavy...we have a lady nearby that has an ironing business so tempted by that....x

    Go for it Barbara!!

    a030.gif
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I really like the idea of the steam generator but they are pricey and I'm not sure if the price is justified. Are they a faff to get warmed up?

    I just find the whole business of ironing a nightmare as I do have
    3 lots of school uniform/PE kits to do. I'm not bothered about my clothes and OH often gets his T-shirts and jeans returned un-ironed.

    I have read many reviews and now know the points to look out for are; weight when filled, ease of filling, ease/frequency of descaling, pointy ends so you can iron round buttons, long cord (3metres is best) and how well they iron clothing. Also some handles are uncomfortable to grip and sometimes you cannot reach the function buttons or you can knock them accidently.

    Finally price is a consideration.

    So far a Braun is my favourite and only costs £35 which is okay when you compare it to the price of other makes. I think this will be the one I buy.

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,026
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    No way in a million years I'd have spent so much on an iron Elizabeth either - I used my Tesco points :)

    I kept on using them for days out etc and forgetting to use them and then they'd go out of date :santa:

    Braun is a reliable make and the main thing has to be if it 'feels right'.

    a030.gif

    I knew you'd have loads to d iron :xmas_rolleyes:

    Love

    Toni xxx
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    That's a lot of vouchers Toni!

    The iron is doing a good job so far. I was shocked at how heavy it was at first (should have taken DD's advice) but once ironing it floats along.

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I try to hang things like shirts/blouses to dry where possible to reduce or sometimes remove the need for ironing. The other thing I've found useful is having a metallicised ironing board cover. I can iron at lower temperatures and the steam seems to work better - perhaps because it gets reflected back rather than soaking in. I also have a large ironing board(found in the attic of the flat I lived in as a newly wed) which gets more of the item on the board at a time - very useful when I was having to do trousers for a 6'3" OH - and so reduces the amount of repositioning needed.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Daffy makes a good point (as usual). I had to get rid of my beloved banana-shaped ironing board because it became too heavy for me to manoeuvre. I now have a Minky stowaway (also heavy but far easier to put up and take down) but its surface is considerably smaller. That prolongs matters. :frown: DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    OH bought me a giant of an ironing board from Costco but it has become a dumping ground so I'm still squashed into a small ironing space.

    I did have a metallicy cover but I'm not sure where it has gone since I got this new board.

    This one is very heavy so it stays up permanently but will be put away for Christmas (I hope)! Luckily we have a large kitchen.

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    A big board is more of a job to move around, but I've always been able to have close by where I use it so minimising the problem. What is more of a problem with mine is that it's missing the bottom crossbar cum foot on one leg and so has to be propped at an angle against a door frame to use and I have to be careful not to push or pull too hard as it'll fall over. Getting it fixed is moving quite quickly up the priority list now as my creaky hands make accommodating such foibles more difficult. I did look into replacing it but balked at the cost, especially as I don't generate that much ironing.

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