Ironing boards are usually made out of a metal screen with a layer of fabric covering. This is for heat dissipation as well as to allow steam to pass without pooling. If irons were designed to have a detergent reservoir, scrubber as well as a water reservoir then most clothes washing could be done at the ironing board.

This sort of iron would have cycles much like a laundry machine. The first cycle would have a soak that would just eject water which would accumulate inside the ironing board reservoir. Then would come a scrub where small electric brushes would work detergent into the fabric. This would all be followed by a rinse much like the soak cycle. After every item is washed there would be the final combination press, dry and fold cycle which would basically be the hot iron passing over the clothing in the typical manner.

While this is more labourious than conventional washing machines it is ideal for those who for various reasons do not have access to them.
-- rcarty, Jan 13 2013

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