What To Do With An Old Clothes Iron

Your clothes iron has malfunctioned. Whether it is leaking or not generating enough heat, you know it is time to get a new one. Repairing is an option but as with many small electrical appliances nowadays, it is neither easy nor economical to get it in good working condition again. Many steam irons also do not last long after repair as the problem will re-appear after a short while.

Hence, what to do with an old clothes iron then? If it no longer works, it is also pretty useless to keep it, right? After all, it does take up space which you might need for your new iron. Below are some suggestions on what you can do with it.

Recycle

Recycling your old iron doesn’t mean throwing it into the recycling bin. Bear in mind that most recycling bins are not meant for disposal of electrical appliances. Instead call your nearest repair shop and check with them if they are willing to accept your item. Some of these shops will repair and resell them or simply sell off the parts.

If this option is not available to you, you can also try calling the local waste management or recycling companies to enquire about disposal of small electrical appliances. This information is always useful as apart from irons, we may also need to dispose off other small household appliances in the future such as kettles, toasters, and vacuum cleaners.

Lastly, if you really want to go down the recycling route, you can try your luck with the manufacturer or retailer that you bought it from. Some might accept back their old products especially if you are trading it in for their newer model.

Things You Can Do With An Old Clothes Iron

If you can’t recycle your iron for whatever reason, then it is time to think creatively of other uses. Rather than leaving it to collect dust in the house, you can consider the following options:

Toy

Since the iron isn’t working anymore, consider letting your kids have it as a toy if it is small and lightweight. An old iron is perfect for play pretend or as a decor item for a playhouse. However, make sure that the size is suitable for play as you certainly don’t want your kid to drop a heavy iron and hurt their feet. Remove the cord as well to prevent injury before giving the iron to them to play with.

If your kids like to take apart things around the home, a broken appliance could also be a great item for them to tinker with. But watch them carefully and guide them to avoid safety hazards. Also consider whether it is age-appropriate before letting your kids treat the iron as a toy.

Doorstop

Since a steam iron tends to be heavy, it will work well as a doorstop. Of course, it will not look like one and may seem weird sitting on the floor near your door. But it is practical and will serve its purpose. As long as you are not too fussy over your room decor or just want to avoid dumping another item, your old iron can double as a doorstop indeed.

Paperweight

Just like a doorstop, you need something heavy as a paperweight. So, an old clothes iron will work as well. You can minimize the strangeness of having an iron on your desk by decorating the appliance. For example, you can make it look like a cute mouse. Of course, you will have to rely on your creativity to transform the look of the iron. Alternatively, get someone who is good at art and crafts to decorate the iron for you so that it will end up as a nice-looking paperweight on your work desk.

Hanging Items

If you know how to secure your iron onto the wall, you can use its handle to hang your items such as belts by draping over it. Or place a hook over the handle and you can use it to hang keys and other small items.

An old iron can also be used to hang decor items. Tie a ribbon over the handle and use it to hang a bell, card or figurine. Then, place the iron on the mantelpiece or decorative shelf. It is all about creativity when it comes to decorating and even an old clothes iron can be re-purposed in this way.

Press

Think of things that you have to press around the house whereby the large surface area of the iron’s soleplate will come in handy. Perhaps you need to flatten certain items and it is easier to apply pressure by using an iron.

I have even come across someone who uses her old iron to press garlic! She likes to prepare a large amount of garlic each time rather than bit by bit for each meal. So, she lays a large amount of garlic on a chopping board and uses an iron to press all of them at once. It saves time compared to using a garlic press!

Re-purpose

If you can’t recycle an item, then the only other way is to re-purpose if you are not keen to contribute to the landfill. Thus, what to do with an old clothes iron simply boils down to some creativity. You can also try asking people around you what they have done to their old appliances. They might just be able to offer you ideas that you have never thought of!