Types and design features of clothes steamers, nuances of choice

The history of the steamer goes back to the distant 1940s. It was at this time that the first iron with a vertical steamer for restoring felt hats was patented. Later, the device was repurposed for clothing. At the end of the 20th century, manufacturers of household appliances created a new, modern device to facilitate the ironing process ─ this is a clothes steamer. What is a steamer for? With the help of steam, various types of clothing acquire an aesthetic appearance. Which is better — Iron or steamer? The solution to this question remains open and individual in each case.

Types and their features

For some things, ironing is contraindicated even at the lowest temperature setting. For delicate fabrics, if there is embroidery, beading or other decorative elements on it, it is better to have a compact steamer. You need to know how to use a clothes steamer correctly. It is absolutely safe, does not leave any folds or stains. The main feature of the unit is its disinfectant function, which destroys pathogenic microbes under the influence of steam.

Textile units come in household and industrial types, different configurations and sizes. They are used by the owner who welcomes new technologies. Portable clothes steamers Mie Assistente M can be taken with you on trips or to the country. For example, the handheld portable Philips gc299 takes up little space in a sports bag. And bulky equipment is intended for public service areas, so the power of such units is impressive. How to choose the right clothes steamer? There are several types.

Vertical — Such clothes steamers have high power and multifunctionality. The clothes steamer stand is designed for vertical mode:

• I help you — the Italian portable clothes steamer Mie Assistente M has a power of 2250 W, and its dimensions are 300 * 300 * 250 mm. Having the properties of a steam iron, the clothes steamer for vertical ironing is safe for all types of material. How do consumers use a clothes steamer correctly? Under a high-temperature steam flow, they disinfect sofa surfaces, pillows and soft toys. The vertical steamer for curtains shows excellent results, but it has a hard time handling a stack of bed linen;
• Philips GC512 — The Philips GC512 vertical garment steamer is designed for processing delicate fabrics and smoothing out creases. The 1600 W unit has three steam supply modes. Each of which is designed for a specific type of fabric;
• Liting Q5— and the Liting Q5 model with a power of 2 thousand W has a 5th element, which doubles the steam supply speed to 50 g/min.

Manual — This type is a compact model. It resembles a clothes brush, which has no pile, and the nose is similar to an iron. It is difficult for a modern person to do without a travel steamer for clothes on a business trip or on a journey:

• Philips gc351— and with the Philips gc351 handheld garment steamer, you can be sure that the person will be pleased with the neat appearance when traveling. Since steaming with the device is suitable for all types of fabrics, it can be recommended for home use - it is lightweight, the removable water tank has a capacity of 70 ml. With this amount of water, you can use the handheld device for 15 minutes;
• My Graze— In the Mie Graze handheld garment steamer, the water tank is large and designed for a significant amount of items. Operating time — 20 minutes, and the power is 1200 W. Hand-held equipment also includes Karcher clothes steamers, the metal platform of which does not touch the fibers of the material. The equipment allows you to tidy up items made of velvet, velour, corduroy and other complex interweaving of material fibers;
• Philips gc361— The Philips gc361 handheld steamer is a handheld device. It is a small, light, convenient, but powerful device with 1200 W. Like many handheld models, it has a small 70 ml tank. Its operating time is calculated for 1 minute, that is, for a couple of things.

Pump— in this unit, forced steam supply activates the device. It is worth using the advice of professionals: how to choose a clothes steamer. The peculiarity of the pump model is that the water poured into the tank does not boil completely. A small amount of liquid gets on the hot heating element and the water evaporates. As a result, the pressure in the equipment increases, the valve opens and an intense stream of steam comes out.

The pump mechanism is part of the line of steamers of the Italian brand Mie. The consumer decides on an individual basis which steamer to choose for clothes. But in pump equipment, many reservoirs leak. Russian manufacturers have introduced a steamer with a pump mechanism under the KitFort brand to the market. The equipment withstands a pressure of 1.5 bar and has a democratic price. But it is worth noting minor drawbacks: during operation, the hose heats up, and the trouser holders are too tight.

Combined — The combined unit has two main functions:

• Steam cleaner with steaming function and special attachment;
• The unit with a steam cleaner function looks like a regular hand-held garment steamer mie graze.

Steam is supplied with a pressure of 3 atm to clothes and heat-resistant surfaces. The steam supply intensity is more than 70 g/min.

Combined units have no disadvantages, the only thing that stops many consumers from buying them is the high cost and large dimensions.

Repair

Minor repairs of steamers can be done at home, but if the equipment is not familiar to its owner, then you need to contact the service center. The steam cleaner has a simple circuit, all faults are “transparent”, easy to unscrew and allow you to “look” inside. How to repair a clothes steamer with your own hands:

• Limescale — it is formed due to the use of unpurified water in the tank. To get rid of it, you need to clean it and rinse it with a warm vinegar solution;
• The holes in the iron are clogged — should be washed with vinegar solution;
• The hose has a leak — make a replacement.

For more complex faults - a broken heater, poor steam flow with clean nozzles - you should contact a professional.

Best models

Garment steamers have appeared on the home appliance market relatively recently and have gained great popularity among consumers. How to choose the best garment steamer of 2017? Even in the budget segment, you can choose a decent model ─ from the classic "Chinese" to famous world brands Philips, Tefal and other brands. The Galaxy GL6206 floor-standing garment steamer is considered more practical among its analogues. It has a high power of 1800 W, a tank designed for 2.3 liters, and an operating time of 65 minutes. To remove heavy dirt, it comes with a brush attachment.

Let's look at the top 10 clothes steamers.

Selection criteria

A steamer is used for thin delicate fabrics that have decorative embellishments in the form of beads, sequins, glass beads or thermal appliqués. And for a wedding or evening dress, a floor steamer will be a real helper. How to choose a clothes steamer according to the advice of professionals? You need to clearly understand how often it will be used. How many washed items will pass through the steam jet? Let's consider the main criteria for choosing a clothes steamer:

• Power— this is the main parameter that affects the speed of heating of the unit. For home use, it is better to choose a power of 1000-1800 W;
• Volume of a water vessel — The continuous operation time of the device depends on this device. It will allow you to steam clothes thoroughly in large quantities;
• Steam intensity — the indicator affects the quality of processing of things and is measured in units of ─ grams/minute. If the equipment has a high steam intensity, it is able to cope with the most difficult tasks ─ dense linen fabrics, fleecy base material, pleated products and other complex interweaving of fibers;
• Pressure — a household appliance is considered good if its pressure rating is 3.5 bar. It will not only steam clean things, but also work as a steam cleaner, that is, remove dirt or small stains from coffee or grease;
• Number of modes — the choice of a device for home use depends on the task it will perform. Basically, it works as a steam cleaner at 100˚C and performs its function perfectly. But a professional device is designed with high power, with a large number of operating modes specifically for hotels, sewing salons, car dealerships and other public places;
• Hose length - Oits length determines the comfortable control of the equipment. When choosing a device, you need to pay attention to the technical characteristics, in this case, whether the iron heats up to a sufficient temperature. If not, then the long length of the hose simply blocks it and, it turns out, is unnecessary. But there are cordless models that run on batteries;
• Water quality — Since the water in many regions is hard, scale accumulates, which subsequently crystallizes and causes the unit to break down, as a result of which it needs to be repaired. Many hand-held garment steamers mie graze have the ability to clean the tank from scale. To avoid rapid breakdown of the device, it is better to pour distilled water into the tank.

The plastic sole is not durable, as unscrupulous manufacturers may use low-quality materials and at elevated temperatures it may change its configuration. The sole made of metal alloy is more durable, but you also need to pay attention to the special coating, which determines the sliding on the fabric.

With the rapid growth of modern technologies, it is difficult to imagine life without a large number of devices. For example, how to figure out what is better, a steam generator or a steamer for textiles:

• The steam generator supplies dry steam under pressure, while the steamer supplies wet steam without pressure;
• The temperature in the steam generator reaches 160˚C, and in the steamer no more than 99˚C;
• The steam generator starts working in 8-9 minutes, and the steamer needs one minute to prepare for work.

Tips for use

Modern online publications and videos convince users to abandon old household appliances and opt for a new device - a steam cleaner. Why do you need a steam cleaner? What types of household and professional clothes steamers exist and how to use them for certain types of work?

Cleaning upholstered furniture:

• The nozzle of the unit is directed at an angle of 45˚ to the surface being treated;
• After treating the surface with steam, it is immediately wiped with a microfiber cloth;
• A powerful steam cleaner lifts the lint from the fabric surface of upholstered furniture, removes greasy stains and disinfects the surface of the product.

General rules:

• After the dirt has dissolved with steam, it should be immediately removed with a dry cloth;
• Only purified water is poured into the tank; if tap water is poured into it, the tank will need to be descaled;
• Do not use the device for daily cleaning, as the products remain damp after cleaning and require natural drying;
• To avoid damaging your fur item, experts recommend watching the video;
• To clean household appliances - microwave oven, refrigerator, the nozzle of the steam cleaner should be covered with a napkin;
• To remove a greasy stain, use a steamer brush;
• For furniture or soft toys, the nozzle of the device should be held at an angle to “blow off” dust.

Mediamarkt sells various steamers for clothes and other textile materials. How to choose the best steamer for clothes? Having bought a good household appliance, the owner must understand that without human participation it will not be able to cope with its functions. Only proper use of the unit will allow you to work real miracles.

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