Visit us anytime at [ Ссылка ]. Welcome to Asbestos Artifacts, where we take a look at some old asbestos products and dig a little bit into the story behind them.

Today’s asbestos artifact is a case of asbestos-lined sad irons. Vintage sad irons are a fascinating bit of homemaker history.

What are sad irons? Are asbestos sad irons dangerous?

As everyone knows, an iron is used to smooth wrinkles out of fabric. The heat of the iron loosens the molecular bonds in the fabric, and the weight of the iron pushes them all into alignment so that when the fabric cools, the wrinkle is gone.

Before electric irons, blacksmiths made irons entirely out of metal. Some were just large flat metal plates, known as “flat irons." Smaller, hand-held irons were known as ‘sad irons’ - ‘sad’ is an Old English word for "solid."

In 1870, a woman named Mary Florence Potts invented a sad iron with a removable wooden handle. She was actually only 19 years old, but Mary Pott’s sad irons with a removable handle were a huge success, and virtually revolutionized ironing.

So when and how did asbestos come into play? Join us on this vintage journey to find out.

If you were exposed to asbestos or washed the work clothes of someone in an industrial profession, or shared their household or vehicle, you should contact your doctor or other healthcare providers to discuss available testing for health issues related to asbestos exposure.

Even if you were a smoker, asbestos exposure can aggravate your condition or severely worsen your symptoms. And if you’d like to learn more about applying for compensation through asbestos trusts, we have videos and downloads on our website and Youtube channel. Or get in touch through [ Ссылка ]

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