MUMBAI, November 2: It's a paradox. Even a simple electrical appliance, such as an iron, can be deadly. A buyer or a user cannot afford to be complacent. The iron must be of standard quality, and safe to use.

Acknowledging that irons are items of mass consumption and, hence, should be safe to use, the government has already issued the Household Electrical Appliances Quality Control Order, 1993, which prohibits the manufacture, sale or distribution of an iron without a composite ISI mark. The first ISI mark (for safety) is supposed to bear SAFETY on top and IS:302-2-3 at the bottom, and the second ISI mark (for quality) is supposed to bear IS:355 on top.

To procure an ISI certificate, a manufacturer has to produce standard irons as per the specifications laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). A BIS certified iron is designed to consume minimum energy, and its performance doesn't get effected by fluctuations in voltage. It registers steady, uniform and limited rise in temperature. Besides, the iron is moisture resistant so that it doesn't rust on coming in contact with water sprinkled on clothes.

Such an iron is also safe to handle. It doesn't give off electric shocks in case a user comes in contact with its exterior. And the insulation is adequate to prevent a major accident in case of leakage. A genuine quality iron bears the name of the manufacturer, trademark or identification mark, rated voltage in volts, rated input in watts, country of manufacture, and the type of the iron.

There are various types of irons. Thermostat irons are popular because they are quite handy in ironing assorted clothes, which require different temperatures. Cotton and linen get ironed at high temperature. Low temperature is needed for nylon. Silk and wool require moderate temperature. While ironing cotton, silk, nylon, linen and wool, etc, a thermostat iron, which has been set accordingly, gets switched off automatically when the right temperature is reached, thereby taking care of overheating problems.Steam irons can be filled with water. On heating, the iron through its perforations, spreads water on the clothes. Cordless irons are more handy. But the trouble is that they need to be heated at regular intervals.

To extract maximum performance out of an iron, it's not enough to have a good quality iron. The wiring and accessories have got to be standard. Provision for earthing is a must.

Besides the user needs to faithfully follow the instructions given in the operating manual. And the iron should be serviced regularly. Even a minor fault in an iron can make it give off electric shocks. It's always advisable to stand on a wooden plank or to wear rubber footwear while ironing.Irons should be rested vertically to minimise the occurrence of accidents. Never keep an iron in a horizontal position. If a fabric gets scorched on an iron, it shouldn't be removed with a bare knife. This may damage the surface, which, in turn, will leave stains on clothes. It's advisable to clean a scorched iron with a knife wrapped in cloth. For, after all, even irons need to be cleaned sensitively.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.