I unplug my irons all the time when I'm done using them. And that's part of the reason I'm having cord issues with both of my irons now! It's the extra wear/tear on the plug/cord connection. But I'll still unplug. Just got used to doing that when my dogs had access to wherever I happened to be ironing. Don't care if there's an auto shut-off. Never know what the 4 legged creatures might get spooked by, jump up and knock it over. Not taking chances here.