Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Developed in the late 19th Century, "self-heating" irons fuelled by alcohol, kerosene, or gasoline represented a major leap forward in clothes pressing technology over traditional sadirons and box irons. This model, patented in 1936 and sold by retailer Montgomery Ward, allowed the user to stand it upright when not in use, reducing the risk of burning clothes or the ironing board.

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0:00 Introduction
0:55 Sadirons and Box Irons
2:01 Definition of "Gasoline"
2:55 Self-Heating Irons
4:00 Operating Procedure
5:32 Disassembly
7:28 Outro

SOURCES

historymyths.wordpress.com/2016/08/07/revisited-myth-95-theyre-called-sadirons-because-ironing-was-such-a-hated-chore-that-any-woman-would-be-sad-to-iron
terry-marsh.com/irons
possumjimandelizabeth.com/xhtml/collect_irons.html
mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Akron_Lamp_Company
worthpoint.com/worthopedia/montgomery-wards-match-lighting-1797395495
roundtopareahistoricalsociety.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/3/26135841/laundry_irons_in_the_round_top_area_historical_society_collection.pdf
patents.google.com/patent/US2065492A/en?oq=US2065492
terry-marsh.com/coleman-irons
animasmuseum.org/online_exhibits/pumping_iron/pumping_iron6.html