The present paper is focused on the analysis of a typical small size electric steam generator (3.45 kW(e)) installed in machines operating in laundries for ironing activities. A mathematical model has been developed to study the dynamic behavior of the steam generator in different operating conditions, in order to evaluate the main thermodynamic and physical quantities (pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc.) which describe its operation, as a function of time. The mathematical model has been implemented by using the software Matlab/Simulink. The present paper describes both the mathematical model and the simulator, focusing on the analysis of the control system and reporting the most significant results of the study, that has been carried out also taking into account data from experimental tests. The simulator permits to analyze how different ironing cycles influence the water level and the pressure within the steam generator. Furthermore, the analysis aims also to quantify the electricity and water consumptions, for different operating conditions, in order to give some suggestions on how to optimize ironing cycles. for the aforementioned reasons, the simulator can be considered a useful tool for both users and manufacturers that operate in the ironing machine sector. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.