Since the 17th century irons have made their way up to be an important household appliance. They haven’t changed much since they were invented and wearing pressed clothing has become an accepted part of western culture.

But ironing doesn’t just have an impact on your clothing; it effects the environment as well. Using the iron daily uses a lot of unnecessary power and adds to our already over-used resources.

You should only iron clothes you really need to, like work shirts and skirts. If you iron underwear, sheets and even napkins you should stop now. It may look nice and pressed but it is not a ‘must iron’ garment and pollutes the environment. If you want to get serious about cutting down our carbon emissions then having an ironed bed sheet is not going to help.

For clothing that needs to be ironed, ensure that you fold them when you take them out of the dryer or off the line. This will make ironing easier and quicker, resulting in less scrunched clothing (and carbon).

Iron shirts when they are still a bit damp. This will make the ironing task quicker, reduces the drying time and means you don’t have to steam iron.

You should also de-calcify your iron by putting a white vinegar and water mixture into the steam cavity. Turn your iron on hot and let it steam, after this pour the solution away.