tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post604749834285547255..comments2023-10-20T08:27:40.314-04:00Comments on male pattern boldness: Irons vs. Garment SteamersPeter Lappinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-78457316472180028792016-06-29T14:03:45.205-04:002016-06-29T14:03:45.205-04:00Yes,I have a steamer, and yes,I press less as a re...Yes,I have a steamer, and yes,I press less as a result of it. <br /><br />Would I prescribe one? That is somewhat harder to reply. Mine (a Rowenta) makes an unpalatable rubbery compound smell when turned on. It isn't quite a bit of an issue as my home is extensive and the odor doesn't go all through the house, however it likely would in a condo. Likewise, the steam it creates is abundant and I have smoldered myself seriously more than once. You can't be occupied when utilizing it. <a href="http://www.steamerexpert.com" rel="nofollow"></a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015040350049136074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-50491545482639263782016-05-30T04:26:31.085-04:002016-05-30T04:26:31.085-04:00You should definitely get a steamer but the commen...You should definitely get a <a href="http://www.garmentsteamer.reviews/" rel="nofollow">steamer</a> but the comments here do add some vital info - for me steamers are a billion times better than ironing but there are drawbacks. I think you have to spend a bit more to get a Jiffy or an IS6300 - with those ones you get the pros of steamers but the cons are minimised.Janenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-89896864104218646502016-04-13T09:56:16.326-04:002016-04-13T09:56:16.326-04:00I love my handheld steamer and it is something tha...I love my handheld steamer and it is something that I need to bring with me when I travel. It is easy-to-use and I never need an additional equipment (board) to use it!Jameshttp://www.steamclients.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-11871796994690915082016-02-10T05:09:12.151-05:002016-02-10T05:09:12.151-05:00Nice post.Nice post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-72987398241014841632016-01-28T12:41:50.623-05:002016-01-28T12:41:50.623-05:00Jiffy steamers are the only ones worth investing i...Jiffy steamers are the only ones worth investing in, and they are made in the US of superior (read: less plastic more metal) parts.nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09427481245262298068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-88291172211943587862016-01-05T23:42:17.305-05:002016-01-05T23:42:17.305-05:00I've owned a Jiffy steamer for years. The only...I've owned a Jiffy steamer for years. The only reason I bought an iron again was because I was learning to sew.Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10716852988721397395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-28290329640224218252015-12-16T17:11:18.867-05:002015-12-16T17:11:18.867-05:00Must.get.one... After I get an actual room to sew ...Must.get.one... After I get an actual room to sew in...Nina Suluhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08616884472638151080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-78419402200257054362015-12-16T17:09:16.885-05:002015-12-16T17:09:16.885-05:00I puffy heart my Jiffy steamer. It was my birthday...I puffy heart my Jiffy steamer. It was my birthday/anniversary present from my better half and I love it almost as the gift giver. Just sayin'. We do pageants and by "do" I mean we have gowns up the wazoo that eventually need the wrinkles teased out of them. My steamer is a CHAMP at accomplishing that task. I also use it to give my finished sewn garments a nice finish. I don't iron *garments*, I iron seams. I steam garments. For some reason they just turn out much nicer and it's faster and easier on my back.Nina Suluhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08616884472638151080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-42393697426539634962015-12-10T20:59:32.651-05:002015-12-10T20:59:32.651-05:00My Jiffy takes at most 90 seconds to produce lots ...My Jiffy takes at most 90 seconds to produce lots of steam. I usually steam only one garment at a time, on an as-needed basis.Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10716852988721397395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-40840869933059508842015-12-10T20:57:43.549-05:002015-12-10T20:57:43.549-05:00I own a large Jiffy steamer that resembles the one...I own a large Jiffy steamer that resembles the one in the photo. For at least 15 years, I used it exclusively to remove wrinkles from purchased clothing. It was only when I started to sew that I bought an iron and ironing board. I should add that I usually wear dresses and shirts that don't require precision ironing or starching.Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10716852988721397395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-51727645713549905162015-12-06T11:42:47.820-05:002015-12-06T11:42:47.820-05:00Strange, I've never encountered an iron with a...Strange, I've never encountered an iron with an auto-off feature when the water ran out. Different standards in Central Europe than wherever you are? Buying a different grade of irons (I've never encountered an electronic one as such, either)? Not having bought a new iron in years? I don't know.Hana - Marmotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532515160608083460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-68961455333950372582015-11-30T23:25:08.434-05:002015-11-30T23:25:08.434-05:00Thank you, Peter. I was summoning the courage to a...Thank you, Peter. I was summoning the courage to ask you to talk irons and, VOILA!, I find so many wonderful answers here. My Rowenta took a fatal swan dive last week from my wobbly ironing board, and I've been making do with a back-up cheap one. I must be officially on the NSA watch list as an iron buyer because I can't go to any website without iron ads popping. So now I have so much more information and apparatus envy (just in time for the holidays). Mwah!Erzulimojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01475371609166418042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-75931379628497869662015-11-30T21:29:04.622-05:002015-11-30T21:29:04.622-05:00I have owned one for years. It is in the closet. I have owned one for years. It is in the closet. Trudihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813657894887573344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-82443421908759821852015-11-30T20:11:50.703-05:002015-11-30T20:11:50.703-05:00Me and my brother used a steamer when we were volu...Me and my brother used a steamer when we were volunteering at a charity shop and it was really good in that situation. The only problems I can see with using it at home is how long it takes to warm up (not such a problem when you plan to steam a whole rail of donated garments) and the fact that you have to be tall enough to keep the feeder vertical. If you're too short or you're bending down to steam a longer garment you can get hot water dribbling out of the nozzle. Probably not a problem for you, but my brother was the only one at the charity shop more than 5 and change.Hazel_Myopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06037557900927612544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-26586735730891057072015-11-30T13:46:45.316-05:002015-11-30T13:46:45.316-05:00I have a steam press and love it. I can set the a...I have a steam press and love it. I can set the amount of steam or set it for none. I really like it for fusing interfacing. Much faster than using an iron, especially on larger pieces.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15367685751325062496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-62278811459719182502015-11-30T08:51:44.236-05:002015-11-30T08:51:44.236-05:00As several folks have said, a steamer (I have a Ji...As several folks have said, a steamer (I have a Jiffy model similar the one in your post) doesn't replace an iron, but works nicely as an adjunct to an iron.<br /><br />On the subject of irons, I've found that the mid-century heavy irons are a reasonable compromise between a professional iron, and the plastic cruft that you can get anywhere.<br /><br />There's no auto-shutoff, but they produce volumes of heat/steam (if the iron is a steam iron, that is), and the weight makes ironing quicker and easier than using a modern plastic iron (adjusting your ironing board or surface height is essential though -- otherwise you're wasting a lot of extra energy/setting yourself up for misery by lifting the iron in an awkward way).<br /><br />They're less commonly found at your local thrift store these days, but still show up often enough -- and very straightforward to repair, if needed, and you're inclined to do that sort of thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-72331454036598324112015-11-29T20:07:48.343-05:002015-11-29T20:07:48.343-05:00I have a good quality Rowenta iron that does not h...I have a good quality Rowenta iron that does not have an auto-off feature, and it does a pretty good steam. I also have a small steamer that holds about one pint of water and is recommended for general (serious) cleaning of many things, in addition to clothing smoothing. With steam ironing and steaming, it is often important to let the garment hang until it is dry, which may take longer that you want to wait if you are ironing just before dancing out the door. As others have pointed out, the steamer is no help with interfacings or construction. My sewing room is small, so I am sticking with the steam iron. <br />KrisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-66963477087684520832015-11-29T11:31:27.828-05:002015-11-29T11:31:27.828-05:00Excellent point about the pants, Kathleen. I thin...Excellent point about the pants, Kathleen. I think I need to invest in some better hangers -- much cheaper than a steamer!Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-85115273797944908342015-11-29T11:03:25.848-05:002015-11-29T11:03:25.848-05:00forgot, I was going to add that my opinions come f...forgot, I was going to add that my opinions come from 35 years or so of working professionally in costume shops.Kathleen C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09985361663328017340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-81893458395914464262015-11-29T11:01:24.879-05:002015-11-29T11:01:24.879-05:00I'll just reinforce what is being said a lot h...I'll just reinforce what is being said a lot here... steamers are great for getting closet and packing wrinkles out of garments, especially garments that are difficult to iron flat (such as ruffled or highly gathered), but they don't do the job of an iron. You can't press a crease, you can't press a seam... you can't press period. <br />It is, no doubt, kinder to many fabrics than pressing (such as lofty wools and other crushably textured fabrics), and so much easier when dealing with large pieces such as draperies. I have had no difference to speak of in synthetic versus natural fibers... they both respond well.<br />Also, the garments need to be hanging straight so, if your pants are getting knee wrinkles from the way they're hung, in order to steam that out you'd have to hang them from the cuffs or waist to steam them... but then, if you hung them that way they wouldn't wrinkle...Kathleen C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09985361663328017340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-39425943413838981812015-11-29T10:58:43.831-05:002015-11-29T10:58:43.831-05:00When I wore wovens more, I used a home-made spray ...When I wore wovens more, I used a home-made spray of alcohol and water (50-50) to spray on clothes before I wore them (literally just before I put them on). It reduced wrinkles enough to make me happy, although I'll admit I'm not very picky.Alysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04148390606360873993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-38687573431354726742015-11-29T10:47:57.147-05:002015-11-29T10:47:57.147-05:00I bought a garment steamer ($100-150), and I didn&...I bought a garment steamer ($100-150), and I didn't find it useful at all. It generated steam, sure, but it didn't flatten out creases well at all. And trying to find a way to hold the fabric vertical was annoying. My advice: you may find it a nice addition to a regular iron, but it's no replacement. I have a DeLonghi iron that cost $200-300 from an online sewing/vacuum supply. I love it, but I wish I had purchased a gravity-fed iron, if only because my DeLonghi cord is always getting caught on the edge of my table, and knocking over items on my sewing table.Alysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04148390606360873993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-40052207782089749942015-11-29T01:10:22.694-05:002015-11-29T01:10:22.694-05:00I worked in retail clothing stores for many years....I worked in retail clothing stores for many years. I have steamed a lot of garments. Commercial steamers work great for synthetic and knit fabrics, but not very well for cotton or linen, especially if there are creases in the fabric. I have a DeLonghi Pro 300 boiler iron that I have been using for 10 years in my alteration business I run out of my house, so I also use it for my own personal use. It generates a lot of steam. It has a trigger for steam when you want it and a button for constant steam. I have used it as a steamer for wedding dresses on a dress form, which works really well, aside from the iron getting heavy for me after awhile. My only complaint about it, is the hose could be a little longer.Mary C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15395653921864624426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-72223831914564968122015-11-28T22:49:18.194-05:002015-11-28T22:49:18.194-05:00I've worked in costume shops and taught colleg...I've worked in costume shops and taught colleges sewing courses, and the most efficient irons I've used were the Sussman's which come in several types. Having that powerful steam and the huge 5 gallon water bottle feeding the steam made for great pressing. However, I don't own anything fancy at home. I get by just fine with a domestic steam iron. a spray bottle of water and a linen towel for extra tough spots. My experience with the floor steamers are that they tend to splatter. As for pressing synthetics, I will say that when polyester hit the home sewing scene, we used a spray bottle with white vinegar and water mix. Something in the vinegar 'relaxes' those fibers. For more accuracy just dip a wash rag in a bowl of vinegar and water and run it down the line you need to press, it works, and the vinegar odor doesn't last long. Jen Ohttp://pintuckstyle.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-29925901457539677332015-11-28T22:19:24.093-05:002015-11-28T22:19:24.093-05:00BTW - a steamer is not meant to be a replacement f...BTW - a steamer is not meant to be a replacement for an iron, but as an adjunctAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com