Many of us have a love-hate relationship with ironing: No one likes a wrinkled look, but dragging out the ironing board, filling the iron with water, and waiting for it to heat up is time-consuming. Regardless of your feelings on the task, it's a necessary evil—and an iron is an essential appliance to have on-hand. But if you bought your iron from Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond, you'll want to proceed with caution, as 310,000 products are now subject to recall. Read on to find out which irons officials say you need to stop using immediately.
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The CPSC announced the recall of two iron brands.
U.S. CPSCOn April 27, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Vornado is recalling specific models of Steamfast brand and Brookstone brand irons.
The recall applies to dual voltage Steamfast Home and Away Travel Steam Irons with model numbers SF-717, SF-720, and SF-727 and date codes between Jan. 2008 and March 2017. Both the model numbers and date codes are printed on the back of the irons, per the CPSC. Brookstone Steam Bug Travel Steam Irons with model number 606335 are also part of the recall.
All irons came in white and can be identified by their cord bushing—the wire protector where the cord is attached to the iron—which is gray or black and is less than one inch in length.
There's an issue with the power cord.
U.S. CPSCApproximately 310,000 irons were sold in the U.S., with the Steamfast irons sold nationwide at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and online via Amazon, Vornado, and Steamfast between Jan. 2009 and May 2018. The Brookstone irons were sold exclusively at Brookstone from 2009 to 2013, retailing for anywhere from $13 to $30, according to the CPSC. An additional 5,000 travel irons were sold in Canada.
The products were recalled due to issues with the power cord, which can be damaged near the cord bushing, according to the CPSC. When a cord is damaged, it can expose copper wires, posing a shock hazard, and damage can also cause the cord to overheat, creating fire and burn hazards.
As of April 27, Vornado has received 50 incident reports, per the CPSC, with cords smoking, sparking, burning, or emitting other signs of overheating in 38 instances. Cord damage was cited in 12 reports, but no injuries have been reported to date.
Stop using the irons immediately.
Africa Studio/ShutterstockIf you have one of these irons in your hall closet or stored with other travel necessities, don't use it, the CPSC warns. You can confirm that your iron is part of the recall via Vornado's online recall registration system, and if your iron is affected, you'll receive a refund of $19.99. The company asks consumers not to return irons to their place of purchase.
For specific questions about the recall, you can contact Vornado's recall team at 866-827-3362, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Steamers were just recalled late last year.
Anna Hoychuk / ShutterstockIn Nov. 2022, Empower Brands also voluntarily recalled approximately 518,500 Black+Decker Garment Steamers, per a Nov. 3 CPSC notice. Similar to the recently recalled steam irons, these Black+Decker products posed burn hazards, as they could "expel, spray or leak hot water during use," the CPSC said.
At the time, Empower Brands had received 341 reports of hot water "expelling from the steamer," 32 of which resulted in burn injuries. Customers were instructed to stop using the steamers and reach out to Empower Brands for a free replacement head.
