My new iron bit the dust after only 2 years :evil:
I would grumble over it's auto shut off feature every time I would have to unplug and replug it into the wall...
So I get out my old iron...and I left it plugged in and on :shock: over night forgetting that it did not have this feature...and left it plugged in and on for most of yesterday, too!!
I just wanted to remind all of you to be aware of this... we tend to get "conditioned" to the new bells and whistles and that can make our "back ups" very dangerous appliances to bring back out in emergencies...
I am off to buy another iron, one that I can cuss out when the auto shut off feature kicks in :D :D :wink: :wink: :wink:

LOL!!! my new iron has a auto shut-off too, drives me nuts, but now I have gotten used to not shutting the iron off all the way. In fact mine does not have a on/off switch. I just try to remember to dial it all the way down but I hate having to unplug it, so I don't.

hehehee I don't have an iron with all the bells and whistles but I remember I left mine on in the kitchen and left the house for the day. OH BOY Luckly the cat and dog didn't get into mischief, so now I unplug not matter what.

I was always so good about unplugging mine too, until I bought the new one...

I just came home with yet another iron to argue with LMBO but atleast I won't be getting on the plane for a 2 week vacation, wondering, Did I leave the that *%#^ iron plugged in/on????

Although, I do turn off all of my breakers, except for the fridge, when I leave for extended time frames... and then I have to go through the house looking for flashing lights on all the the electronics :shock: and remember that it takes a couple of hours to get hot water :roll:

I have never been good at unplugging one, so i have to have one with automatic shut off!!

When DH refinished my sewing room, he put a receptacle with a switch about halfway up the wall where I plug in my iron. When I want to turn my iron on or off, all I have to do is flip the switch.

I've discovered that all I have to do to 'turn' my auto off iron back on is to MOVE it. It just takes about 30 seconds to reheat. Don't have to uplug/replug.

I have an iron WITH an auto-off feature and the other day it apparently didn't - shut off, I mean. DH came in to my sewing room to iron his shirt and he yelled for me to come check out the "hot smell" in my room. The iron was smokin' hot a day after I had used it.

I thought about a mnemonic device: Hang a sign from a string in the doorway that reads: Turn iron off! or something like that.

I'm paranoid - my iron supposedly shuts itself off - but I still unplug it when I leave the room - I'm worried about the cat climbing on the ironing board and knocking it off - I also put the iron on the floor when I leave.

Mine doesn't have auto shut off , and during a recent discussion here on the board I also learned mine doesn't really shut off all the way unless it is unplugged :roll: So now I make sure it is always unplugged when I am not using it :oops:

So how is that new iron ? Giving it a good work out ?

My new iron works great!!! :D But reading these answers reminded me about a coffee pot I had one time...supposed to shut off after 2 hours but it started to fail, too....
I think I will go with the hang a sign around my neck while I have my iron plugged in!!! I guess it isn't good to rely on anything electric to shut itself off... :?

oh my .... scary......i need a new iron someday when i can afford one, but i think i'll get one with auto shut off.

That's scary!!!
I've smoked a few irons...so I always unplug it.
( It burned a quilt I had just put the last block on ) :evil:
Don't want to say someday...I should have unplugged it.
Please don't relie on the auto shut off.

hey, what a great idea! I too, have both kinds of irons, and yup, I have come back a day later, and found the 'always on', one, still dialed on.
Great tip for us, 'forgetfuls" :D

Amma!!! Nooooo leaveeee da iron on!!! LOL you're too precious to us to become scorched ya know!!!

Having very "helpful" youngins around means I ALWAYS unplug my iron. Especially since I sew upstairs and have to iron downstairs. I don't dare leave that baby plugged in!!

Think about the Olisso iron that you leave flat and it pops up.
You could burn the house down if you went back to a regualr iron.

I live alone and do not have animals to play with my iron, I do put it completely away when my grands or other kids are visiting...to tempting for them to want to help :roll:

I always unplug mine. I heard that 40% of your electric bill is plugged in but not in use appliances (I kinda doubt it's that high) so I try to unplug most when they're not in use.

I was also raised by a worrying jewish aunt, so I can't run appliances (laundry, dishwasher) when I'm not home... I'm not sure exactly why, since I'm usually not near enough in the home to see if they explode, I just know that I CAN'T physically walk out of the house with things on... I've tried :shock:

i have my iron cord slung over one of those pulleys. there's a weight on the cord that pulls the cord down and out of the way. when i finish ironing and put it way over to the end of the board, the weight pulls the cord all the way down and reminds me to unplug. i can't turn it off because i bounced it too many times. reminder to self: irons do NOT bounce :roll:

I do not have trouble with my iron, only with my curling iron! I always forget to turn it off. I once blew a bunch of breakers on a river cruise ship because I plugged it in wrong. It is a wonder I was not put off the ship and became a German in the city of Passau!
Dix

Funny you should bring up irons...just had to replace mine today, too! I had one of the auto off but it sprang a leak. Spots all over the ironing board cover so I got another B & D auto shut off. I have my iron plugged into a surge protector and then into the wall. I shut the surge protector off every evening after ironing or finishing the sewing.

I sure didn't spend as much today as I did on the last one. I only had it for a year and a half. Crazy things just don't last long enough!!

Hugs,
Sharon

me either, but, it's bc my parents house burned down, when they left the gas dryer on, and went to Disney World. The neighbor called me after she called the fire dept. and I was the one who had to interrupt their vacation :cry: The timer on the machine did not work to stop it, and it kept running and got hotter and hotter.

Mine is an auto shut off, but all you have to do is move it and it heats back up. I'm always afraid the cats will bump it and I'll have a fire. I just unplug it after I am done with it. It just makes me feel safer.

well folks i also learned my lesson to my daughter got remarried in nov.an i made what she wore for her wedding an sewed my grand son a pair of pants an me being the person i am I had to iron his pants so there was no rinkles in his pants.well we went next door for wedding an myson came back to house after it was over an I made a mistake an left my old iron an i was sewing at kitchen table an now i have a perminant hot spot on my dinner table. it' the shape of the iron. :? :?

My iron gets switched on & off from a power strip. It is not a turn itself off model as I got sick of that kind always being off when I wanted it. Also on this power bar is a stand ott light, so when the iron is on, the light is on. Two good reasons for this, - it gives me better light at the board, & it lets me know not to forget to turn it off when not needed.

My iron is an auto shut off too. I always unplug it when I have finished for the day. It does not have an off / on switch and when you dial it all the way down a red light stays lit and that makes me think it may not be all the way off. I am petrified that it may overheat and start a fire. You read these stories about coffee pots, toasters etc starting fires when not in use, so why not irons.

I do this very same thing. My iron does have an auto-shut-off but I don't trust it! The glowing light reminds me I'm not finished shutting down for the day until it's off. Good for my often absent mind! :lol:

I also have the same type of iron as you described, and a friend HAD the same kind. She left hers plugged in and it caught on fire. Now I never leave mine plugged. Better safe than sorry.

I bought a plug recepital to set on my table and I plug Iron,ott lamp, coffee warmer. when I stop sewing I just push the switch off. I too hated to unplug from the wall.

I really like the idea of the power strip!!! I have wanted to get one for my machines in case I forget to unplug them too...

I keep my auto-off feature plugged into a surge protector strip. When I am done for the day, I click the switch off on the strip.

Sunbeam have an auto shut off that you just iron and it will turn on again

I am forgetful at this stage of life (actually I always have been!). So I have a bracelet (magnetic) that I put on when I plug in my iron. I take it off and put it back when I unplug. Later if I suddenly see I have the bracelet on (always the same bracelet) I know I didn't unplug my iron. Works for me!

HI, ON THE SUBJECT OF NOT UNPLUGING IRON, HERE IS WHAT HAPPEN TO A FRIEND, She forgot to unplug her for (I don't know how long) and it was on the bookcase headboard,and it sort of melted and burned her headboard,before she smelled it. Lucky she was still home. Never leave them plugged in. Even if there is a auto-off iron.

I didn't check all the answers here, so I may be repeating someone. My set up involves a power strip. When the power strip is on, the iron is on, but so is the lamp. When I leave the room, if the lamp is on, so is the iron, so I always know that when Ileave, if the light is out so is the iron. This method has not failed me yet.

Maria

I searched for an iron that gave me an hour before it shut off! I was thrilled! The directions say to unplug it when done. I thought "No way!" but I got myself into the habit of doing it & now it's automatic so no matter which iron I use, it is unplugged! Now I'm glad! :lol:

That's a great idea! Maybe I'll have a 'talk' with my DH & see if he can add something like that? I found an iron that gives me an hour b4 it turns off! That's fab, most of them are 10-15min! Just push a button to turn it back on but the light stays on for an hour even if the control is off. So I made myself unplug it. somebody mentioned a Sunbeam that turns back on if you just iron? I like that, do you know who carries Sunbeam? :lol:

My iron is plugged into a power strip with a light on it. My sewing room is in the basement and I invariably get to the top of the stairs when I have I tiny bit of doubt that I shut the strip off. But all I have to do is look to see if the light on the power strip is off and don't have to run back down the stairs to check.

I'm a really fire scaredy cat (and since our house burned, I have good reason) ...I unplug all appliances when not in use and I wouldn't dream of washing/drying clothes or dishes when we aren't home. ....so unplug it is for me even if my cheap old iron did have that auto shut off.