Electrical appliances

[OurLass]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are moving onto the water in a few weeks or so and I was wondering about the practicality of using electrical appliances on a tow path mooring ( no hook up). I only iron when absolutely necessary and my husband says he could shave using the soleplate as it's so shiny , but I was wondering if you can use an iron or do I need a 12v one? Same question regarding a vacuum cleaner - 12v or dustpan and brush?

 

Many thanks,

Lyn.

[Keeping Up]

Mid-way between a hoover and a dustpan, the old-fashioned carpet sweeper is good on a boat (if you've got carpets).

[Grace and Favour]

We are rapidly adopting an 'iron only of absolutely imperative that it be ironed' policy

 

and have no carpets (wood floors) so that a microfibre mop does most of the cleaning

 

though - if desperate, an iron/vacuum cleaner may be used . . . (but haven't yet! )

[Stevethetrain]

I'm a single guy and have to ask, iron? whats an iron and what is it used for?

[alan_fincher]

I'm a single guy and have to ask, iron? whats an iron and what is it used for?

Frankly one on it's own has no real use, but acquire enough of them, and I'm told they can be adapted as ballast.

[Grace and Favour]

I'm a single guy and have to ask, iron? whats an iron and what is it used for?

 

 

Golf, apparently

[paulcatchpole]

I'm a single guy and have to ask, iron? whats an iron and what is it used for?

 

Irony, of course.

 

PC

[ditchcrawler]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are moving onto the water in a few weeks or so and I was wondering about the practicality of using electrical appliances on a tow path mooring ( no hook up). I only iron when absolutely necessary and my husband says he could shave using the soleplate as it's so shiny , but I was wondering if you can use an iron or do I need a 12v one? Same question regarding a vacuum cleaner - 12v or dustpan and brush?

 

Many thanks,

Lyn.

My experience of 12v vacuum cleaners is its easier to use a brush. I know people who swear by rechargeable sweepers but I don’t know if you can recharge from 12 volts.

[jelunga]

we have an inverter and use a small Samsung vacuum with slide adjustable power setting. i used it for about 30 mins last week with the engine running and it was fine. we also have a small travel iron, with a steam facility used for emergencies and to starch my underpants. that also works well. I keep trying to buy a Tilley paraffin iron, but keep getting out bid on fleabay. one day......

[Lady Muck]

We have a wooden floor and cotton rugs, they can be taken outside and shaken and also washed. I sweep the rugs with a rubber bristled brush (good for dog hair) I do have a vacuum cleaner, it is 240v but it is miniscule and very powerful - I use when at the mooring on mains or if we have the genny on.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/hand-held-turbo-vac/F/product/1441

I only have one or two things that need ironing, for that I have a travel iron and a small tabletop ironing board. You can't get 12v irons but you could consider the old fashioned route and get one that sits atop the stove?

[OurLass]

Many thanks for the replies. It sounds like a travel iron is the solution and a table top ironing board. The microfibre mop or a good old brush will take care of the floors. Fantastic responses

[Jamboat]

We use a 'dirt devil' rechargeable hand held - on charge whilst engine running,just the job for cat hairs but we only have some carpet runners, wouldn't fancy it if all carpet, as for ironing only if you really really have to, I used to iron Mark's work stuff but we were on shore power then, now we are retired & no shore power we don't iron so we really are wrinklies

[sueb]

you used to be able to get 12v irons but they were next to useless. A couple of flat irons on the stove work better. A towel on the table works as an ironing board but if you want to be posh you can get silver ironing pads from craft shops. These roll up.

Rechargable sweepers can be charged on 12v.

Sue

[wrigglefingers]

you used to be able to get 12v irons but they were next to useless. A couple of flat irons on the stove work better. A towel on the table works as an ironing board but if you want to be posh you can get silver ironing pads from craft shops. These roll up.

Rechargable sweepers can be charged on 12v.

Sue

 

Sue's idea of a flat iron is good in principle and I have tried it but found it far too much of a faff. I use a travel iron on an Ikea table top board (about a fiver) with the engine running. Works like a charm for the once a year I bother.

 

Vacuuming is done by George, again engine running. Worked well the first and only time I tried, other than that microfibre mop on wooden floors is the way to go (to be had at TK Maxx for £3.99, the mops that is ...)

 

On the other hand, if like on my former boat NB Surprise you have been (un)fortunate enough to tbe blessed with coir matting just give up and go down the pub as coir matting is the work of the devil when you're textile artist.

[nb Innisfree]

Decent battery bank and inverter you can use a domestic iron without running the engine, missus uses 1.6 kw cordless job. Decent sized vacuum cleaner needs engine running.

[ditchcrawler]

Decent battery bank and inverter you can use a domestic iron without running the engine, missus uses 1.6 kw cordless job. Decent sized vacuum cleaner needs engine running.

OP doesn't mention 230 v ac on her boat

[Daio]

Fitting a modest inverter would give you lots more versatility.

 

I've just bought a cheapo vac, £30 online. It's a proper cylinder (well, more egg shaped) jobbie with pipes and many useful attachments, such as are used for sucking boy scouts through horses hooves, but about half the size of a normal one so easy to store and it only draws 800w, but slurps like a slurpy thing on St Slurpy's Day. Bagless too. Don't like those rechargeable hand-held things, had 2, both went duff in months.

 

I do enjoy vacuuming!

[nb Innisfree]

OP doesn't mention 230 v ac on her boat

 

No but OP did ask if ironing was possible on board without a hook up or should they go 12v.

[DHutch]

Can you get gas irons...

[NBMike]

Yes

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___...___159200?Args=

Mike

[Grace and Favour]

Yes

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___...___159200?Args=

Mike

 

Ooh - but £200 ish is a fair ol' whack for something that only wimmin' should use . . ... . .

[romarni123]

Many thanks for the replies. It sounds like a travel iron is the solution and a table top ironing board. The microfibre mop or a good old brush will take care of the floors. Fantastic responses

 

Just find an old electric iron cut off the flex stick it on the gas use a spray bottle with water in, spray clothes if the clothes are delicate use a hankie, the power cuts of the 70s when i was going to the pub taught me that ironing method . We tried a travel iron it took too much power and was not much good, it takes ages to get creases out

[WotEver]

Ooh - but £200 ish is a fair ol' whack for something that only wimmin' should use . . ... . .

 

Tony

[twocvbloke]

Pretty much any vacuum cleaner that isn't mains voltage is going to be a poor performer, and most modern vacs are poor performers anyway, you can pick up pretty decent old vacs that work much better than modern stuff, but often they can be difficult to maintain due to being obsolete or just no longer supported by the manufacturer...

 

Now if I were on a narrowboat, I'd have a 120v Inverter and one of these, cos they're narrow (12-inch nozzle), they're Bagless (meaning no bags to change), they're low-wattage, and they still have parts available to buy new, somethign that modern equipment just fails to compete with...

 

ebay clicky...

 

Though I'd have the later version in green, cos I like the green one, cos it's as green as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...

 

That said, I'm not short of vacs to play with, so have plenty to choose from myself, but not for sale, though I may sell my late model Hoover Junior model U1104 (last of the Juniors before they went all boxy with the TurboPowers), those are pretty small and should be good on a boat, 300w, does use bags (available cheaply), belts are plentiful, and given it's age (a little older than me, and I'm almost 25!!!), it's long lasting too, not to mention it has Hoover's patented brushroll that "Beats as it Sweeps as it Cleans", though it's not a power house, but still better than a rechargeable toy vac...

 

Quick edit, here's a ~3min vid of my Junior in action (with it's grey replacement bag, the brown Hoover branded one it came with will be sold with it instead) if anyone's interested in buying it:

 

Edited July 8, 2010 by twocvbloke

[jelunga]

If anybody is looking for a prtable table top ironing board, I have just got one from these people :-

www.laundrycompany.co.uk

 

It was a Leifheit Mikado Table Top Ironing Board > LE-72402-IBS costing £19.49 including next day delivery. it is very light and compact. We are trying it this week end but seems a good idea.

 

Keith