Steam cleaning and ironing: an overview of steam generators and steamers

Caring for clothes and preserving their original appearance for a long time is of concern not only to modern housewives, but also to representatives of the strong half of humanity. A neat and respectable appearance contributes to the acquisition of the status of a successful person. But an ordinary iron for caring for delicate fabrics and things with an abundance of complex details is not enough, and not everyone is ready to overpay for dry cleaning.

Steam generators and steamers are now successfully replacing ejection irons, easily handling fabrics of any structure and uncomfortable folds. The devices are designed for everyday steaming of clothes and delicate items, for ironing bed linen and shirts. These devices are also great for cleaning and ironing curtains, bedspreads, carpets and other bulky household items, making life much easier for housewives.

But the main difference between steam generators and ordinary irons is the ability to clean and disinfect hard-to-reach places in the house and gentle care of the most difficult fabrics. These unique home appliances can defeat dirt and bacteria where even chemicals are powerless. They will destroy dust mites in a cashmere coat, defeat a moth and save a mink coat from this insidious insect.

Using a steam generator or steamer, you can clean dirt on children's furniture, remove stains on sofas and armchairs. Cleaning and ironing heavy curtains without removing, the sleeves of men's shirts without hateful folds, taking care of silk blouses and linen, easily destroying fat in the kitchen with steam - all these incredible possibilities provided by steam units are amazing.

Modern manufacturers of household appliances offer a very wide range of appliances with steam generation function. It can be difficult for an average person to understand such a rich assortment and choose the best option for personal use.

A device for home care of fabrics. Outwardly, it is a construction of a stand with a container for water, an iron and a tube connecting them to each other. The container, most often removable, is made of heat-resistant plastic, which makes it possible to visually determine the level of the liquid. Principle of operation: the water is heated in the container, under the action of the high temperature dry steam is formed, which is supplied to the outlet through a tube under high pressure. The owner of the gadget presses a button on the handle, and hot steam comes out of the holes of the sole of the iron, smoothing the fabric. Unlike a classic iron, the soleplate does not heat up, and ironing is carried out due to the effect of steam on the fabric.

Compared to iron 4 times more steam is generated in the generator, and clothes are ironed much more efficiently. Due to the high pressure, steam penetrates deeply into any material, smoothing out the most dense samples. Thanks to the steam generator, you can remove creases on your thick coat or winter jacket yourself. Steam generators are used not only in everyday life, but also on an industrial scale. Ateliers, large fabric and clothing stores, dry cleaners and hospitality businesses are purchasing professional steam stations with iron or ironing presses in order to increase productivity and save time for ironing textiles.

Modern household appliance for vertical ironing and cleaning of clothes, curtains and other textiles. It completely removes unpleasant odors from things, does not leave marks on fabrics, and takes good care of even delicate things. Using this useful device, you can also easily and efficiently clean windows and mirrors in the room. By design and purpose, steamers are divided into manual, vertical with a rack and professional devices.

• Manual steamers are highly demanded in the market due to their compact size and low weight. This portable wireless device is convenient to take on a trip to tidy up your clothes at any time. A travel steamer is like an electric kettle with a small capacity, and the most resourceful users use this mini assistant to boil water on the go. It should be remembered that, despite its dimensions, this steamer can be operated strictly vertically.

• Vertical steamers with a rack have more impressive dimensions and are used in everyday life for comfortable smoothing of wardrobe items and care for home textiles. The equipment consists of a boiler, a hose with a nozzle and a stand. The set includes a clothes hanger, a mitten, brushes for cleaning fabrics, heat-resistant mini-boards for creating arrows on trousers, ironing shirt collars and other hard-to-reach places.

• Professional units They are characterized by high power, have a large volume of the water tank and have functional details that increase the efficiency of the device, for example, a convenient frame hanger.

The main differences between the steam generator and the steamer.

• The steam generator is different from its opponent the principle of vaporization. The generator supplies dry steam under pressure and the steamer supplies wet steam without pressure.
• Another distinguishing feature is steam temperature in appliances: in the generator it reaches 160 C, and in the steamer - no more than 99 C.
• The time to get ready for work also varies, the first device needs up to 8 minutes, and the second one will take 1 minute.

Such devices are also widely used for ironing, cleaning and disinfecting clothes. Outwardly, they are similar to a vacuum cleaner: the standard design is a container with a heater and a hose for supplying steam. Principle of operation: the purifier is connected to the power supply, the water in the container heats up, turning into steam, which accumulates in the hose. When the user presses the gun button, steam is emitted in a powerful jet from the nozzle nozzle, cleaning the object at which the cleaner is directed.

It cleans and disinfects the surface where the steam jet is directed and is suitable for almost any material - fabric, wood, stone, plastic. A jet of steam easily copes with ironing clothes and other textiles by weight, eliminating folds and complex creases.

It is easy to clean a faux or natural fur coat, cashmere or woolen coat, down jacket and sheepskin coat, hat and fur hat, clothes made of delicate fabrics with the steam. The steam penetrates into the fibers of the fabric without disturbing their structure and without changing the shape of things. With a steam cleaner things are qualitatively cleaned, disinfected and get rid of stains. Dust mites, moths, germs and bacteria are not intimidating to clothes after being treated with a steam cleaner.

Steam cleaners offered by manufacturers can have various designs. For cleaning and disinfecting clothes, a steam cleaner with a hanger will be the most convenient.

The steam generator, steamer and steam cleaner are completely different devices, therefore the choice of each of them depends on the requirements of the buyer and the scope of the proposed work.

Pros: perfectly smoothes the most delicate and textured wardrobe items, can be used as a regular iron, gives clothes a shape, perfect ironing with the possibility of making folds and arrows.

Minuses: Impossible to steam clean clothes, poor maneuverability.

Pros: convenient device for ironing and cleaning clothes, low price, does not stain the product, ease of use, elimination of odors, disinfection of fabrics, suitable for cleaning, you can clean and iron the curtains without removing.

Minuses: does not work well with linen, cannot be used as a regular iron, cannot form folds and arrows.

Pros: disinfects fabric, allows you to abandon the use of chemicals (especially important for allergy sufferers), is optimal for cleaning, neutralizes odors, cleans suede shoes, is simple and safe to use, does not stain fabric, is able to care for fur products and the most delicate materials. Cons: it is impractical to buy a steam cleaner only for cleaning clothes, high cost.

Summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of the models, we can say that for a comfortable and quick ironing of clothes, bed linen and other textiles in a horizontal position, keeping the shape, creating pleats and arrows, a steam generator will be the best choice. When you need to iron upright, remove wrinkles from the sleeves and eliminate odors, a steamer is the ideal choice. For people who crave sterility in clothing, shoes and the environment, a steam cleaner is the best choice. It will eliminate germs, dirt, grease and other imperfections where the owner needs it.

A short overview of the best examples of steam generators, cleaners and steamers will help you make the right decision when buying a gadget for cleaning and ironing clothes at home.

• Tefal GV6733 - a convenient, economical, highly efficient device with an auto-off function and a scale protection system will serve for many years without any complaints. The water and descaling indicator indicates the need for service on the unit. The model has an eco-mode and a vertical steaming mode, which will allow you to iron even thin curtains without even removing them.

• Braun IS 204З CareStyle - an excellent steam generator from a renowned manufacturer features effective and precise temperature control, allowing you to safely iron the most delicate fabrics. The improved soleplate with special holes and the milking steam technology significantly speeds up ironing.

• Philips GC 87З5 - a stylish device with a power of up to 2600 W is quite convenient for vertical steaming due to the considerable length of the cord, compact dimensions and high steam pressure.

• Kitfort KT-907 - a popular modern device with compact dimensions, an ergonomic hanger and a sufficient water capacity can adequately replace an iron, since it steams almost any material, and in less time. Perfect for delicate fabrics, but also copes with dense materials with dignity - it allows you to iron sheets directly on the bed.

• Philips GC514 / 40 EasyTouch Plus - the 1600 W floor standing steamer is ready for use 60 seconds after switching on. Even hard tap water can be safely poured into the removable tank; this will not affect the efficiency and durability of the device thanks to the anti-scale system.

• Scarlett SC-GS130S05 / 06 - the device with 10 different modes, the choice of which depends on the type of fabric being processed, will allow you to ideally iron ultra-thin, whimsical fabrics and things made of fleecy fabrics: velvet sweaters, velor dressing gowns, corduroy jeans.

• KARCHER SC 5 EasyFix - a powerful and effective device with many functions and an extensive set of accessories can not only provide perfect care for your wardrobe, but also clean the whole house. He copes with any job, but the price of the device will not please the layman.

• KARCHER SC 2 Deluxe EasyFix Premium - twice as cheap as its predecessor in terms of rating, but not worse in operation. A reliable unit with a safety valve, overheating protection, child protection, with an LED illuminated handle that acts as a heating indicator, is quite compact and maneuverable.

• Grand Master GM VSC38 - small, cheap and quite powerful manual steam cleaner is perfect for domestic use. It is economical in energy consumption, has indicators of connection to the network and readiness for work.

When choosing a steam care device in a store, you should consider your own needs and purposes of its use. The main criteria for comparing devices and setting customer priorities.

• Power... Steam generators are energy-intensive devices, much more powerful than irons, their characteristics vary between 1300-2600 W. The higher the power, the faster the device will heat up, and the higher its performance will be, but at the same time the energy consumption will increase. Low-power steam stations are more economical, but are unlikely to cope with steaming thick drapes or folded duvet covers. For domestic use, the best choice would be an appliance with a power of 2000 watts.
• Steam boiler volume... The value of this characteristic ranges from 0.5 to several liters. The larger the volume, the less often you will have to fill in water. In this case, you should focus on the planned amount of work.For example, a volume of 1 liter will be enough for 30-40 minutes of uninterrupted ironing.
• Components and their purpose... When buying an expensive steam machine, study what is included in the set of the device and what functions each nozzle or fixture performs.
• Cord length. The longer it is, the more comfortable it is to use the equipment.
• Flexible hose length... Here the situation is the opposite. You should not strive to buy a device with an unnecessarily long hose in order to avoid cooling the steam and reducing the outlet pressure.
• The size and maneuverability of the gadget.

The steam cleaner allows you to clean any item from your wardrobe, furniture, floor, plumbing fixtures and much more at home. To start working with the steam cleaner, just follow these steps.

• Assemble the device according to the instructions.
• Mount the nozzle required for a specific operation.
• Fill the container with water.
• Connect the appliance to the network.
• Wait for the indicator signal about water heating.
• Direct the nozzle towards the object to be cleaned. Press the start button.

Any steam generator can efficiently iron pleated skirts, trousers with arrows and other things with folds and arrows. The operating instructions for this electrical appliance include the following steps.

• Fill the device turned off from the network up to the mark with water and close the lid.
• Connect the device to the power supply and wait for heating.
• Press the steam button and iron the desired item.
• At the end of the work, you need to turn off the device from the network and wait for the equipment to cool. If the unit is not planned to be used for a long time, water is drained from it and removed to a dry place.

Steam cleaning of curtains in the air is the prerogative of the steamer, because it can be used to do it quickly and easily. The basic rules are as follows.

• Preselect the operating mode suitable for the curtain material. The denser the fabric, the more powerful the flow should be and the higher the temperature of the steam.
• It is recommended to run the iron vertically and horizontally to help steam penetrate the fabric.
• It is better to keep the device at a short distance from the material so as not to damage it.
• Using a mini plank made of heat-resistant plastic will help deal with deep creases.

After analyzing the reviews of real buyers, we can say that most of them were very pleased with their choice. The main advantages of steamers that users point out are the simplicity and ease of use of the device. The owners actively iron their clothes, even without removing them from the hanger, and spend much less time on the process than with an iron.

Many consumers purchase a steam generator as a replacement for an ordinary iron and after several months of use they no longer want to go back to the past. The speed and quality of ironing delight users, and the manufacturability and practicality of the equipment greatly simplify the process. As the main advantages, the owners called the fact that water is poured into a separate container, and the iron itself remains light and maneuverable, the hand does not experience excessive stress. The ironing process does not have to be interrupted frequently thanks to the spacious water container, which allows housewives to iron clothes for the whole family in one step.

This unit is chosen by buyers who want to do a lot of homework with one household appliance. The abundance of attachments and accessories allows you to be creative in cleaning your home and caring for your clothes. In general, this is an excellent assistant for the hostess, as evidenced by countless laudatory reviews.Using a steam cleaner turns everyday household chores into a fun game that results in clean, odor-free clothes and sanitized surfaces in every room.

In the next video, you can take a look at the garment steamer in action.