Welcome to the 522nd Metamorphosis Monday!
A few months back, I purchased this fabric/clothes steamer pictured below. I’ve always wanted a floor-standing steamer. I wear almost nothing but cotton and linen clothing during the spring and summer months. I love how cotton and linen fabrics feel against my skin and how they breathe during the hot, humid days of summer.
I don’t even mind the wrinkles that come with cotton and linen clothing because it just speaks to the fact I’m wearing natural fabrics, but it’s nice to start out the day with wrinkle-free clothes or touch them up before running out for dinner with friends. I’m not a big fan of ironing, mostly because I don’t enjoy the time it takes to get the ironing board out, set it up, wait for the iron to heat up, iron, wait for the iron to cool down, then putting it all away again. I felt sure a steamer would take a lot less time.
I’ve had several emails and comments recently asking how I like the steamer I purchased a while back. I haven’t had an opportunity to try it since I’ve been wearing jeggings and sweaters all winter, but last night I decided to give it a whirl.
I had already assembled the steamer shortly after it arrived, so all I needed to do was fill up the water reservoir and turn it on. While it was heating up, which only takes about 40 seconds, I opened up my closet to look for something good and wrinkled. I went for one of my favorite summer dresses, a 100% linen dress purchased while on vacation last summer in Maui.
I loved all the dresses I purchased last summer so just now I looked on their website to see what they have available. I was thrilled to see they are having a BIG clearance sale with up to 70% off. Many of the dresses are marked half-price! I have three dresses in my cart to purchase…can’t pass up those prices! If you are in need of some summer clothes, you’ll find the sale here: Clearance Sale. The summer dress sale can be found here: Summer Dresses.
I placed my dress, still on its hanger, onto the hanging rod of the steamer. At first, I started steaming with the steamer in the 2nd spot from the left. The wrinkles were going away but at a slower pace than I wanted, so I bumped the dial on up to the third spot and that was perfect.
Here’s how the dress looked after about a minute of running the steamer nozzle over the front. I can still see very faint shadows of where the wrinkles were, so maybe next time I’ll crank it all the way up. But I’m happy with how it turned out.
Here are a few things I learned during this first steaming session:
- When you turn on the steamer, don’t stray away too far because it’s going to be ready and producing steam in less than a minute. When it’s ready, steam starts coming out of the nozzle right away. So don’t turn it on until you actually ready to get steaming.
- When steaming, I found running the nozzle slowly over the wrinkles worked much better than moving the nozzle quickly back and forth, back and forth as we do when ironing. Slow and steady definitely worked best.
- Don’t put your hand behind the garment at any point while steaming the dress. I foolishly did that and it didn’t take me long to yank my hand away. It’s okay to lightly pull down on the garment to hold the fabric more taunt, but don’t place your hand behind it because as you would imagine, the steam will pass right on through, and it’s hot!
- When I first turned on the steamer and began to use it, it was making a funny gurgling sound. The instructions indicate this is perfectly normal when you first turn it on. I tilted the head/nozzle of the steamer down for just a second or two as recommended, and the gurgling sound immediately stopped and never returned.
- When you’re finished steaming your garment, in addition to turning the steamer off, I would also unplug it. That way if you have children, grandchildren or curious pets in your home, they won’t come along and accidentally turn it on. Again, once that “on” lever is pressed, if it’s plugged in, steam is going to start coming out of the nozzle within about 40 seconds. So best to keep it unplugged when not in use.
In conclusion, I definitely recommend this steamer. I’m pleased with the job it did and I’m looking forward to using it more this summer. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a steamer for those quick clothing touch-ups, or for your summer cottons and linens, you’ll find this steamer available here: Steamer. Check out the reviews, too…they are always helpful.
Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!
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Metamorphosis Monday
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Thanks so much for hosting each week!!
Hugs,
Debbie
I can’t wear linen, I look like a hot mess in a matter of minutes! Ha, but I have always wanted a steamer, looks amazing! Thanks Susan~
Thanks, Jenna! I think it will come in handy this summer for those quick touch-ups.
Anytime I hear ” summer” my ears perk up…single digits at night are..unacceptable, but here we are. Hawaii…*sigh* franki
Ugh, I hope things warm up your way soon, Franki!
My son just gave me the exact steamer for Christmas. I haven’t used it yet, so thanks for the tips. I hope it replaces a lot of ironing. (Not that any of my kids iron, but I still do).
I’m sure it will, Kay! I was really happy with how well it worked, especially as thick as the fabric of this dress is…it’s quite heavy for linen.
Thanks for hosting Susan! I just got a steamer, haven’t had a chance to unwrap it it… but looking forward to it working wonders. 🙂 Liz
Hope you love yours too, Liz! 🙂
Wow, all those summer dresses got me excited! Deep in snow here!
Thanks for posting. It is always fun!
I’m thinking spring, can’t wait until it gets here, Jacqueline! We can dream in the meantime. 🙂
Thank you for following up with direct experience about the steamer. I will definitely keep it on my wish list. I’m one of your readers who asked about it. You go the extra mile for us, Susan, and I know all your readers appreciate it as I do. Happy steaming those new dresses!
Thanks so much, Kathleen. The fabric of this dress is quite thick for linen. In fact, I thought it was just regular cotton until I read the label. So, I’m sure it will do an even better job on lighter fabrics like most shirts, etc…
Having had to steam all the clothes in the clothing store I used to work at, I found it easier to put the nozzle inside the garment And steam from the inside. Just pull it taught at the bottom and face the nozzle up and slowly pull it towards you. That way you can see the wrinkles fade as you steam.
I think I’ll try that next time. This dress, despite being linen (per the label) is a bit thick than most linen garments, plus it’s lined. I probably should have steamed the cotton lining as well from the inside. Thanks for that tip, Susan!
I didn’t realize your summer dress has a fringe on the bottom. Cute! I have a hand held steamer and it beats getting out the iron. Yes, watch your fingers the steam is “burning” hot! I rarely iron; never acquired a taste for it. I can remember my Mom sprinkling water on shirts and rolling them up and ready to iron. She also had a huge electric press for sheets. I used to put doll clothes through it and they would come out flat as a pancake!
I noticed when I ordered a couple of dresses last night, they still have this style with the fringe, only in a different pattern. The prices are soo much better online than what I paid in the boutique in Hawaii.
I remember seeing an aunt do that, dampen clothes and roll them up. Maybe irons didn’t have the steam capability back then that they do now, so they had to pre-dampen them. That’s hysterical about the doll clothes! 🙂
Thanks for such a helpful post! I would love to not have to iron any more. It seems to take forever. Do you think the steamer is faster than the iron? Did the linen look crisp when you finished, like it does when you iron it? Thanks!
It’s definitely faster than ironing. This linen dress is a bit different, the fabric is really soft and a bit thicker than my other linen dresses, so though it got the wrinkles out, it didn’t make it feel crisp. I’m not sure a steamer will make clothes feel crisp, mostly they just get wrinkles out really fast. I think I should have also steamed the cotton lining inside this dress, will try that next time. I think if you’re going for a crisp look, you may need to use an iron with some starch or sizing.
@Justine: Agree with Susan, that a steamer will not give you a ‘crisp’ appearance though some are equipped with various attachments which might include one for applying a crease. To conclude; as a hobby sewer I personally prefer a quality iron (like ‘Rowenta’) which is a favourite brand of seamstresses and tailors for both the chores of pressing and ironing whereas a steamer IMHO is a good choice for quick touch-ups on wrinkled garments and/or larger projects like draperies, bedding etc.
-Brenda-
Vanna White was wearing a similar dress tonight on Wheel….
Susan,
I hate ironing for exactly the same reasons: it always takes half an eternity even though I iron clothes while still damp (which is supposed to make it easier?! Ha!) Now, I’m wondering if a steamer would help me save time (and nerves…) lol since most of my dresses or skirts aren’t straight but ruffled/layered/pleated? They’re very pretty to look at, but oh, so hard to iron… sigh… (Every time I have to iron my summer clothing I always promise myself I’ll never buy a ‘hard-to-iron-dress’ again… then I see a pretty one somewhere in a shop window and… “Oh…”!) LOL
Susan you might want to use Distilled Water only in the unit. I have very hard water at my home. We have a water softner but still some hardness which leaves scale. Also bottled water will leave a little scale. Distilled is the Best! You can ruin the unit if you get scale buildup. It clogs up the unit from top to bottom. Also I wouldn’t recommend leaving the water in it. I always empty mine. Also with cotton and linen when you travel, it does wrinkle. I have used my straight iron for my hair on my clothes. Puts a nice crease down the front of pants and shorts, and works great on sleeves in a pinch!
We’re getting all the snow we didn’t have in Dec. and January! Over a foot already today! Yes, let’s think spring and summer, warm nights and sun filled, beach days! Sounds good to me! Although, I have been productive with my winter nest, cleaning and organizing, so it hasn’t been too bad. The steamer looks great and I think you will be pleased with your results. I enjoyed using the one in the clothing store I worked at many years ago and yes, you are correct in being careful to not get a steam burn.
I wondered too if the instructions said to use distilled water to prevent mineral build up. (it’s great for pets too-prevents brown stains under a white dog’s eyes and for male cats)
Excellent review and tips Susan but hope you don’t mind me adding another one. Read the garment label prior to steaming as not all fabrics are equal. (For example, is ‘not’ recommended to steam wool or silk (and their blends) nor suede.) -Brenda-
Great tip, Brenda! Def wouldn’t want to steam silk.
great party susan. my daughter & I volunteer at the local hospice thrift store & they use a garment steamer before merchandising the clothes. I love it & I always say I need one of these at home. Your post reminded me I should do it. xo- maryjo