How to Use a Clothes Steamer?

By
Bella
Bella
Writer
Bella is a skilled copywriter who holds a degree in English studies. Her lifelong passion for decor and interior design is evident in her work, which is inspired by the beau read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Tommy
Tommy
Expert Consultant
Tommy is an expert consultant at HouseAndBeyond, with extensive experience in home improvement. A master of all trades, he offers invaluable expertise in areas such as carpe read more
Last updated: August 10, 2023
HouseAndBeyond is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

Also known as a fabric steamer, a clothes steamer is an appliance that helps you remove wrinkles from your clothes. The vapor is applied to your clothes, thereby relaxing your fabrics and removing crinkles. Looking at it, especially if you have never used it, you notice that it is different from the typical iron. However, its use is not difficult as it may seem.

Once you learn how to use a clothes steamer, you will likely appreciate it more and find it easier to use. This appliance provides you with the best wrinkle-free experience, and it can be used on almost every type of fabric. It won’t damage or burn your clothes. If you are looking forward to purchasing one, here is how to use clothes steamers!

How do handheld steamers work?

How to Use a Clothes Steamer?

If you are looking at how to use a handheld steamer, you are at the right place. However, before we go into that, you must know how the appliance works. Depending on the model you choose and the brand, it can be small or medium-sized. It is made for steaming needs, and it helps you get rid of wrinkles on your clothes. To use it, you have to plug it on an electrical plug and turn it on.

Then, the appliance warms up to the water contained in its reservoir. The water is then turned into steams or vapor and applied to your clothes or fabrics. You will love this product if you are a traveler. Usually, it can fit into a travel bag and becomes handy on occasions where you don’t have time to iron your clothes properly. It is also perfect for keeping in the office. You can use it to steam your suits every morning if they have wrinkles on.

Moreover, some clothes steamers come with attachments while others don’t. The former is practical because they increase the easiness of the appliance.

Do you want to purchase a new clothes steamer? According to recent reviews, the Lemontec Portable Travel Garment Steamer is one of the best models currently available on the market. It features a compact design along with exceptional performance and a reasonable price.

Step-by-step user guide

You can learn how to use garment steamer only in minutes. As we have previously mentioned, its functioning system is pretty simple. To use your appliance, you must only follow some guidelines.

Prepare the appliance for use

The first step in adequately  using your clothes steamer Trusted Source How to Use a Clothes Steamer: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Life A garment steamer is a great way to remove wrinkles from clothes. Steamers work by heating water until it becomes steam. www.wikihow.life  is by preparing it. By this, we mean reading the user manual to get a hold of the manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, the manufacturer recommends the use of distilled water with your garment steamer. This prevents limestone or calcium deposits from damaging your appliance. Also, distilled water prevents white marks from tarnishing your clothes. We recommend you use tap water only if your clothes steamer has a built-in de-calcifying function.

The preparation phase concerns filling your model’s water reservoir. It is good practice to always drain your steamer’s tank when you are done using it. It helps you prevent water from flowing out of your appliance when you keep it. Additionally, we do not recommend you overfill the reservoir. This way, you will prevent water leakage.

Does your clothes steamer leak water ? The Rowenta DG8520 Perfect Steam is a good alternative. Not only does it help you remove wrinkles from your clothes, but it also helps you save energy

Hang your clothes

It is much easier to steam your clothes whilst they are hanging. If you use a handheld steamer, do not hesitate to hang your clothing on a hanger. On the contrary, if you are using a full-size upright steamer, most models come with hooks or attachments to hang your clothes.

Plug your appliance

Once your clothes are hanged, plug your garment steamer in an outlet and turn it on. Leave it to warm up before applying it to your clothes. When it comes to the use, we recommend you steam your clothes, starting from the top to the bottom. Always use downward strokes to remove wrinkles. There is no need to apply pressure or push hard on your appliance: the downward strokes are efficient enough.


What else can garment steamers be used for?

Apart from steaming your clothes, you can use your garment steamer in many instances:

Steam away baked-on food and grease

The garment steamer is useful to steam away baked-on food and grease. To do that, you have to aim its nozzle towards the greasy surface or appliance. Later on, it makes it easier for you to wipe it away with a cloth. We recommend you use steamers, especially on glass cooktops, where the use of an abrasive cleaner can cause damage.

Sanitize surfaces

You can also use your garment steamer to sanitize solid surfaces. However, this is possible for appliances with steams that reach up to 212 degrees F or more. The solid surfaces that can be sanitized include sinks, appliance handles, countertops, etc. You don’t need to use any chemical products.

Defrost a freezer

Maybe you didn’t know, but you can use your steamer to defrost your freezer quickly. How do you do that? You can use the heat it produces to melt away the ice. A flew blasts of the vapor is sufficient to loosen up ice.

Remove wallpapers and stickers

Garment steamers work wonders when it comes to removing wallpapers and stickers. Apply the vapor on labels or stickers on glass jars, windows, as even wallpapers, and watch them melt! Although it is efficient, please take caution when using it and make sure that the surface you work on is solid enough to withstand the heat.

Refresh bedding and drapes

How to Use a Clothes Steamer?

Apart from using clothes steamers to remove wrinkles from your drapes or bedding furniture, they are also useful to refresh them. Indeed, they help you get rid of bad odors, bugs, and even dust. When you want to remove smells from your sofa, simply use a garment steamer to sanitize the sitting surface. It gets rids of bacteria.

Clean carpets

Have you discovered stains on your carpets? Well, you can use your garment steamer to loosen them and make them easier to detach. To use it on carpets, hold your appliance at least six inches away from the taint and let it vapor for 30 seconds. Then use a clean towel or cloth to blot the area. Repeat the operation as much as it is needed until the discoloration is no more visible.

You may still need to use a stain remover. However, the steamer reduces the depth of the stain.

How to maintain clothes steamers?

If you want to keep your clothes steamer for a long time, you must maintain it. One of the best ways to do that is by using distilled water. As we previously mentioned, it protects your water reservoir.

Distilled water is free from minerals and limestone. It prevents such from building into your tank and affecting its functioning. If you use tap water, you take the risk of affecting or damaging your appliance. Also, you will need to clean it regularly to keep its performance intact.

We also recommend you use white distilled vinegar to maintain your clothes steamer. It helps clean your appliance. Simply pour a quantity into your tank and heat it. Then, use the nozzle to shoot the vinegar into a sink until it all goes away. Doing this removes limestone clogs or particles that are present in your appliance.

Once the vinegar is completely gone, pour some distilled water into the reservoir and heat it. Then, remove it by letting the vapor sink out, and store your appliance until further utilization.

Also, make sure that you always empty the reservoir. Never leave water in it, especially when you are done using the clothes steamer.

Final thoughts

As you can see, learning how to use garment steamers is not tricky at all. People love them because they are transportable and easy to store. They can easily replace steam irons since they are compatible with almost all types of clothing. When you want to use it, make sure that you always check your fabric to apply the right dose of steam.

References

1.
How to Use a Clothes Steamer: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Life
A garment steamer is a great way to remove wrinkles from clothes. Steamers work by heating water until it becomes steam.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *