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How to Change the Oil in Ironrite Mangle Irons

Karen Waggoner

In the 1940's and 50's, a businessman required from five to seven clean shirts every week: at least one for every day and Sundays too. These cotton shirts looked best when starched and ironed crisply.The laborious chore of ironing the shirts fell on the homemaker with her ironing board and iron. The marvelous mechanical ironer reduced both time and labor involved, and while it excelled at all flat ironing, the mangle ironer could produce a perfect-looking shirt in minutes with minimal effort. The problem was that learning to use the machine was complicated and time-consuming.

Mechanical ironing devices were considered miraculous in the 1940s and 50s.
  1. Clean the housing of the ironer with a soft cloth and an all-purpose spray cleaner to remove dust and soil. Disposable cleaning cloths or soft paper towels are convenient for this purpose.

  2. Locate the oil drain on the machine using the manufacturer's manual, if possible. The drain is usually located on the lower right side above the table. Open the drain and catch the used oil either in a plastic container or with disposable cloths. Soak up any remaining oil before continuing.

  3. Add no more than six ounces of lightweight gear oil, SAE 50, to the gearbox. Such oil can be purchased in an auto supply store or discount store. 3-in-1 all purpose oil is suggested as a suitable substitute for the original oil

  4. Clean the machine housing again, removing any trace of the new or old oil. Keep the ironer surfaces clean in order to prevent soiling of laundry.