clothes iron
Enable an AI agent to recognise a clothes iron, assess its readiness and condition, and determine whether and how it may be used on a particular textile.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a clothes iron, assess its readiness and condition, and determine whether and how it may be used on a particular textile.
A clothes iron is a portable textile-pressing appliance that delivers controlled heat, and commonly steam, through a smooth soleplate under operator-applied contact pressure so that moisture and temperature temporarily plasticize fibers and creases can be removed or set.
It can be Identify the iron's configuration and match it to operating instructions and compatible supplies.; Assess whether its heat and moisture capabilities suit a specified textile treatment.; Select supported settings and monitor evidence of heating, readiness and cooling.; Apply supported dry ironing, steam or spray actions within documented constraints.; Inspect and perform documented soleplate or water-system maintenance.; Determine whether to rest, disconnect, store or withdraw the iron from use based on observed condition..
Distinguishing features
Has a heated soleplate intended for direct contact and movement across supported textile, distinguishing it from a steam-only garment steamer.
Normally applies pressure through a user-held body rather than closing opposing platens, distinguishing it from a garment press.
Finishes fabric through a soleplate rather than feeding it through heated rollers, distinguishing it from a rotary iron.
Is intended for smoothing or pressing textiles rather than joining materials or transferring a decorative image; a heated flat surface alone is insufficient identification.
Scope
+ Identity and configuration of the iron, including dry, steam and externally supplied variants
+ Soleplate geometry, surface condition and suitability for contact with textiles
+ Heat generation, temperature selection and evidence of thermal state
+ Water storage, steam delivery and spray functions where fitted
+ Handling, resting, protective functions and readiness for use
+ Maintenance needs and observed faults affecting ironing
- Garment construction, fibre composition and care requirements owned by textile or garment models
- Ironing-board construction, stability and padding
- Internal operation of a separate steam-generator station
- Building electrical installations and power-source infrastructure
- Standalone garment steamers, pressing machines and heated rollers
- Laundry washing, drying and stain-removal processes
Characteristics
- Iron configuration
- dry iron | self-contained steam iron | externally supplied steam iron | other documented configuration | unknown Determines which heat, water and connection capabilities apply.
- Heat source and supply requirements
- documented heat source; for electrical models, rated voltage in V, frequency in Hz and power in W where specified Establishes compatibility with the intended source of heat or power.
- Selected heat setting
- observed dial label, fabric label, care-symbol dots, numeric setting or automatic mode Records the requested operating condition without treating a label as measured temperature.
- Soleplate temperature
- °C, with measurement location, time and method Supports assessment of contact suitability and residual heat.
- Thermal readiness
- heating | indicated ready | cooling | measured condition recorded | unknown Separates an indicator's claim from direct evidence of temperature.
- Soleplate contact condition
- observed residue, scratches, corrosion, coating damage, distortion or no visible defect; inspection time Affects glide, snagging, marking and transfer of contamination to fabric.
- Available moisture functions
- none | continuous steam | steam burst | water spray | documented combination | unknown Defines which moisture-assisted actions the iron supports.
- Water-system state
- not applicable | empty | level observed | leaking | obstructed | unknown Affects availability and reliability of steam or spray.
- Supply and base connections
- links to power source, detachable cord, heating base or external steam station, with compatibility evidence Identifies dependencies needed to operate the particular iron.
- Protective-function evidence
- per function: documented presence, observed indication, test evidence and unresolved status Avoids assuming that features such as automatic shutoff exist or are working.
- Current placement and support
- soleplate contacting textile | on documented resting surface | on compatible base | other observed placement | unknown Connects heat state to current contact and handling conditions.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 30 questions.
Iron identity and configuration Establishes what kind of clothes iron is present and which operating arrangement it requires.
Similar-looking irons can have different heat sources, supply dependencies and steam capabilities.
Textile-contact identity
Identifies the device through its intended fabric-contact mechanism.
Heated soleplate role
Record evidence that the device is intended to finish textiles through direct heated-soleplate contact.
- What intended use and contact mechanism identify this device as a clothes iron? definition
- Does it function as a hand-guided iron, or does its operating mechanism place it in a steamer, press or roller model? boundary
Configuration and dependencies
Captures variant identity and the equipment needed to supply heat or steam.
Documented operating arrangement
Record identifying marks, applicable instructions and links to required cords, bases or steam stations.
- Which markings or instructions establish the model and its dry, self-contained steam or externally supplied configuration? provenance
- Which external supplies or components are required, and what establishes their compatibility? boundary
Soleplate and textile contact Describes the contact surface and its suitability for the intended textile operation.
An iron's working surface determines where it can reach and whether contact may snag, mark or contaminate fabric.
Contact surface geometry
Records the soleplate features relevant to controlled movement across fabric.
Soleplate reach and surface
Record soleplate dimensions, tip form, steam openings and documented surface material or coating.
- What soleplate dimensions and tip shape determine access around seams, buttons and narrow fabric areas? measurement
- What evidence identifies the contact-surface material or coating rather than inferring it from appearance? provenance
Contact suitability
Connects observed soleplate condition and available settings to a particular textile task.
Fabric contact decision
Record visible contact-surface defects and the textile requirements governing the proposed use.
- What residue, roughness, coating damage or distortion is visible on the soleplate? measurement
- Do the textile's recorded care requirements and the iron's documented capabilities permit the proposed contact treatment? action
Heat control and readiness Separates heat-source compatibility, selected settings and evidence of actual thermal condition.
A selected fabric label, readiness light and measured soleplate temperature provide different evidence for use decisions.
Heat input and selection
Records how the iron receives heat and how its intended operating condition is selected.
Supported heating control
Record supply requirements, control markings and documented interpretations of selectable or automatic modes.
- What heat-source or electrical ratings must the available supply satisfy? provenance
- Which setting or automatic mode is selected, and what do the applicable instructions say it controls? definition
Thermal state evidence
Records heating, cycling and cooling observations without equating control position with soleplate temperature.
Readiness and residual heat
Record indicator meanings, available temperature measurements and evidence needed before contact or storage.
- What do current indicators establish about heating or readiness, according to this model's instructions? provenance
- If temperature was measured, where, when and by what method was the soleplate assessed? measurement
- What evidence supports beginning the intended treatment or handling the iron after cooling? action
Water and steam behaviour Captures optional water handling and the observed delivery of steam or spray.
Steam irons introduce water compatibility, filling and delivery conditions that do not apply to every clothes iron.
Water supply and filling
Identifies where water is held or supplied and the applicable filling constraints.
Water system applicability
Record whether a water system exists, its supply arrangement and the instructions governing its contents and filling.
- Does this iron hold water internally, receive steam externally or have no moisture system? definition
- What water types, additives, fill limits and filling procedure are specified for this model? provenance
Moisture delivery condition
Distinguishes supported moisture functions from their currently observed performance.
Steam and spray readiness
Record enabled modes, their operating prerequisites and observations of delivery, dripping or deposits.
- Which steam or spray functions are supported, and what documented settings or orientations do they require? action
- What steam, spray, dripping, leakage or expelled residue has been observed, and under which settings? measurement
Handling, protection and upkeep Records whether the iron can be handled, rested, maintained and returned to use in its observed condition.
A hot contact surface, moving supply connections and optional protective functions make placement and maintenance central to readiness.
Handling and resting
Captures grip condition, supply routing, resting arrangements and protective-function evidence.
Controlled use and rest
Record handle and connection condition, intended resting positions and the documented scope of protective functions.
- Are the handle, cord or hose and intended heel rest or base visibly fit for the proposed movement and placement? measurement
- Which resting positions and protective functions are documented, and what evidence establishes their current status? provenance
- Given its thermal state and support, what handling or resting action is currently permitted? action
Maintenance and return to use
Connects observed ironing faults to applicable cleaning, inspection or service instructions.
Condition-led maintenance
Record maintenance history, unresolved faults and the evidence needed to consider the iron ready again.
- Which documented cleaning, descaling or service procedure applies to the observed soleplate or steam-system condition? action
- What maintenance was performed, and what subsequent observations establish whether marking, leaking or heating faults remain? provenance
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Dry iron (no steam system)
- Steam iron with integral water tank
- Steam-generator / steam-station iron (separate boiler)
- Travel or dual-voltage iron
- Cordless iron
- Professional gravity-feed steam iron (laundry and tailoring)
- Mini or craft iron for seams, appliqué and quilting
- Non-electric charcoal, box or sadiron still used where mains power is unreliable
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q182176 - Item commonly labelled electric iron / clothes iron.
- Harmonized System (WCO) - 8516.40 - Electric smoothing irons, under heading 8516 (electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters; electric space-heating apparatus and soil-heating apparatus; electro-thermic hair-dressing apparatus and hand dryers; electric smoothing irons; other electro-thermic appliances of a kind used for domestic purposes).
- Combined Nomenclature (EU) - 8516 40 - EU eight-digit split of HS 8516.40 for electric smoothing irons.
- US HTS - 8516.40.00 - United States Harmonized Tariff Schedule statistical suffix for electric smoothing irons.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- IEC 60335-2-3 - International Electrotechnical Commission: particular safety requirements for electric irons, including steam and steam-generator types.
- EN 60335-2-3 - CENELEC: European adoption of IEC 60335-2-3, used for CE marking of household irons.
- UL 60335-2-3 (historically UL 1005) - UL: North American safety certification for electric irons.
- GB 4706.2 - Standardization Administration of China: particular requirements for electric irons, aligned with IEC 60335-2-3.
- ISO 3758 - International Organization for Standardization: textile care-labelling symbols, including the iron and its temperature dots.
- ASTM D5489 - ASTM International: US care-symbol guide that includes ironing symbols used with the FTC Care Labeling Rule.
- 16 CFR Part 423 - US Federal Trade Commission: Care Labeling Rule, which requires ironing instructions on many garments sold in the United States.
- Directive 2014/68/EU (Pressure Equipment Directive) - European Union: applies to pressurized boilers in steam-generator irons above the directive's pressure/volume thresholds.
- Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) and Directive 2012/19/EU (WEEE) - European Union: substance restrictions and end-of-life take-back for electric irons as household electrical equipment.
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 - United Kingdom: UKCA safety framework applying IEC/EN 60335-2-3 to irons placed on the GB market.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Household finishing of washed shirts, trousers, linens and school uniforms by sliding a heated soleplate over fabric on an ironing board.
- Tailoring and dressmaking: pressing seams open or to one side, setting creases and shaping darts, often with a steam iron or gravity-feed iron and a tailor's ham or sleeve board.
- Commercial laundry, hotel housekeeping and uniform rooms: high-volume touch-up with steam stations or gravity-feed irons.
- Apparel wet-finishing and quality rooms: hand-iron touch-up of garments that have already been through a press or tunnel finisher.
- Travel: compact dual-voltage irons used in hotels where a full-size iron is unavailable or untrusted.
- Quilting, appliqué and haberdashery: mini irons for small seams and fusible interfacing.
- Theatre, film and retail visual merchandising: last-minute crease removal on costumes and display stock, sometimes alternating with garment steamers.
- In some markets without reliable electricity, charcoal or box irons are still heated on a stove or with glowing coals and used on household laundry.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Electrical power input - 700-1200 (travel); 1600-2400 (household steam); 2200-3200 (steam generator) - W
- Soleplate temperature (nylon to linen settings) - 70-230 (ISO 3758 dots: ~110 / ~150 / ~200) - °C
- Continuous steam rate - 15-50 (integral-tank steam iron); 100-180 (steam generator) - g/min
- Steam-shot / burst rate - 100-260 - g/min
- Water-tank volume - 0.15-0.40 (integral tank); 1.0-2.0 (generator base) - L
- Steam pressure (generator / boiler types) - 3.5-8 - bar
- Appliance mass (hand unit) - 0.6-1.8 (household); gravity-feed irons similar, base station extra 3-5 - kg
- Supply voltage (by market) - 100 (Japan); 120 (North America); 220-240 (most other markets) - V
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Thermostat, thermal-fuse or control failure leaves the soleplate at full power, scorching fabric and starting fires if the iron is left face-down.
- Unattended iron standing on a garment or ironing-board cover is a common domestic ignition source.
- Cracked body, damaged flex, or water reaching live parts causes electric shock, especially on steam models.
- Limescale blocks steam vents, causing spit, leaks, staining and loss of steam; in boilers it can also impair pressure control.
- Steam burns from bursts, vertical steaming and leaking hoses, including scalds to hands and to people nearby.
- Soleplate coating wear, scratching or delamination snags fibres, leaves residue and can transfer marks onto pale fabrics.
- Tip-over or drop of a hot iron causes contact burns, especially to children; auto-shutoff failure removes the usual mitigation.
- Over-pressure, blocked valves or failed seals on steam-generator boilers (a pressure-equipment hazard, not just a household-appliance one).
- Using too high a temperature for the fibre (e.g. nylon or acetate on a cotton/linen setting) melts or glazes the cloth.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Retail split: Western Europe sells many steam-generator stations; North America still leans toward integral-tank steam irons on 120 V.
- Mains: 100 V in Japan, 120 V in North America, 220-240 V elsewhere; travel irons are therefore often dual-voltage, and a 230 V iron on 120 V will not reach rated temperature.
- Naming: 'iron box' is common in South Asian and some African English; 'press' is everyday Indian English; 'flatiron' survives in North American and historical use; tailors distinguish 'pressing' (lift-and-lower, little slide) from 'ironing' (sliding).
- Non-electric charcoal and box irons remain in ordinary use in parts of West Africa, South Asia and other grids with frequent outages, while they are antiques elsewhere.
- Care labels: ISO 3758 iron dots are global; US garments often add the words Low/Medium/High under the FTC care-label rule.
- Plug and cord practice follows national wiring rules (e.g. BS 1363 fused plugs in the UK, polarized or GFCI-oriented use in North America).
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Garment steamer (clothes steamer) - A steamer dewrinkles hanging textiles with steam and little or no soleplate pressure; an iron requires contact heat and pressure against a board or buck.
- Rotary ironer / mangle / flatwork ironer - A large heated roller or chest (covered by IEC 60335-2-44 for ironers, not 2-3) that operators feed linen into; not a hand-held soleplate tool.
- Heat press / transfer press - Parallel heated platens used to apply transfers, vinyl or sublimation at a set time and pressure; not a sliding garment-smoothing iron.
- Hair flat iron (straightener) - Same 'flat iron' name in some English, but the tool is for hair between two coated plates, not for textiles on a board.
- Soldering iron - A pointed or chisel-tipped tool that melts solder on metal joints; it has no fabric soleplate and is not a smoothing appliance.
- Trouser press / valet press - A cabinet or clamp that holds trousers under heat; it is not hand-guided and does not replace a soleplate iron for general garments.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of clothes iron this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- IEC 60335-2-3: Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 2-3: Particular requirements for electric irons - Defines the electric iron as a household appliance with a heated soleplate for ironing, and sets the safety requirements that distinguish dry irons, steam irons and steam-generator irons, including temperature control, steam systems and thermal cut-outs.
- ISO 3758: Textiles - Care labelling code using symbols - Standardizes the ironing care symbol and the one-, two- and three-dot temperature bands used on garment labels worldwide, which map onto practical soleplate settings.
- Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, heading 8516.40 Electric smoothing irons - The World Customs Organization heading that names and classifies electric smoothing irons as a distinct product for trade statistics and tariffs.
- Clothes iron - Overview of types (dry, steam, steam generator, travel, cordless, historical charcoal and box irons), typical construction, and how the appliance is used in households and trades.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend this entry to include externally heated historical irons as well as electrically heated irons?
- For steam-generator products, where should the catalogue place the boundary between the handheld iron and the complete station?
- Which manufacturer instructions establish setting meanings, steam prerequisites, permitted water and maintenance procedures for the variants represented?
- What measurement methods and acceptance criteria adequately establish soleplate temperature, temperature variation and readiness for a specified textile task?
- Which observable faults require withdrawal from use, and what evidence is sufficient to establish readiness after maintenance or repair?