Maytag Rotary Ironer

These days, you may be used to pulling out an ironing board and a handheld iron to iron clothes to look sharp for an upcoming job interview you have or a friend’s wedding. However, hand ironing in the 1950s to 1960s was a time consuming process especially without polyester, a wrinkle-free fabric found in most modern clothing, or steam irons helped to reduce the drudgery (hard menial or dull work) of ironing. A solution to this time-consuming work was a rotary (aka mangle) ironer; these were electric ironers that utilized a heated cast-iron shoe and a rotating padded roll to press clothes. This particular rotary was made by the Maytag Corporation around the 1950s, and included buttons to heat the padded roll and turn on the motor. The planes on the side of the mangle fold down to give more room for larger items such as sheets and bedding. In addition, the iron can be closed with a lid going over the ironer.

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