Yeah, I know, ironing is boring. This idea eliminates the need for an iron completely and makes the process more entertaining. The design is simple enough so that anyone could steal it and run with it. I stole it from Mother Nature. <link>
‘Tumble dry’ doesn’t work so well on those fancy-schmancy 80% polyester shirts/blouses. To rid yourself of the impending chore, remove said garment from the washer and slip it onto your newfangled ‘ironing board’, buttoned.
The ‘board’ fills with hot water and conforms to the shape of the garment. A tug will be necessary here and there to ensure a wrinkle-free result. After mere moments (now there’s an accurate measurement), said garment has creases only at the seams. It is dry and wearable.-- Shz, Sep 29 2003 Based on... http://www.botany.h...Walls00/PCW00-4.htm [Shz, Oct 05 2004] Closest thing I found on the HB http://www.halfbake..._20ironing_20boards [Shz, Oct 05 2004] why does my board's bum look big in this?-- po, Sep 29 2003 I really like the water balloon concept for ease of setup, but I do wonder how hot water will dry this in any reasonable time. Perhaps use hot air instead, and make your balloon pourous.-- Worldgineer, Sep 29 2003 [po] //why does my board's bum look big in this?//
For the same reason it looks big when you sit on a photocopier. - It flattens out. :)
[world], hot anything will dry thin material quickly.
[jutta], I searched for patents. ‘Ironing’ is a tough category to find a niche in, but I think I found one.-- Shz, Sep 29 2003 I don't sit on the photocopier :) I'm the mug who refills the toner + paper.-- po, Sep 29 2003 //hot anything will dry thin material quickly// I disagree. The "hot" water can't be over boiling temperature, so you're limited in how quickly the material can dry. I've placed a fairly thin wet shirt on a scalding hot rock in the sun before, and it still took quite a while to dry. When you take into account that you're drying one piece of clothing at a time, even waiting a few minutes is too long.-- Worldgineer, Sep 29 2003 I considered that [World]. I do laundry once/wk. There’s never > 5 dress-shirts in the laundry. The dryer takes 53 minutes and wrinkles the shirts. This is faster.-- Shz, Sep 29 2003 (considers insisting on engineering calculations to determine actual length of drying time) I'll trust you on this one.-- Worldgineer, Sep 29 2003 Even if it took all night, all you have to do take the wrinkly shirt that you intend to wear the next day, dunk it in water, put it on the thing, and it will by dry and smooth by morning.-- AO, Sep 29 2003 That would make it an almost daily chore. And yuck - They wouldn’t really be clean.-- Shz, Sep 29 2003 Nice idea name.-- FarmerJohn, Sep 30 2003 random, halfbakery