has a cross sectional area less than 4 mm 2 and the holes are obtained for example by punching or stamping of soleplate 1 in a manner to give each hole a rounded edge at the lower ironing face of soleplate 1 preferably holes 10 are circular and have a diameter less than 2 mm and advantageously of the order of 1 5 mm in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 peripheral pattern 12 contains more than 200 steam outlet holes disposed along each side of soleplate 1 in four rows that extend parallel to the respective edge of the soleplate and that meet at the level of the front tip of soleplate 1 to form a series of holes 10 disposed in a generally triangular pattern at the level of the front tip of soleplate 1 peripheral pattern 12 also has at the rear part of the soleplate a series of steam outlet holes 10 disposed in a plurality of rows having the form of circular arcs the holes 10 closest to the rear edge of the soleplate and situated close to the longitudinal axis of the soleplate have a larger interior diameter of the order of 2 to 3 mm facilitating possible evacuation of mineral deposit particles the central pattern 11 has more than fifty steam outlet holes 10 disposed in a substantially triangular mesh concentric with peripheral pattern 12 in an advantageous manner soleplate 1 has an outer band of material 13 having a width of the order 15 mm free of any.