What Makes A Steam Iron Versatile And How You Can Choose The Right One

Most of us use this appliance on a daily basis and can’t imagine our lives without it. Whether we are getting ready for an important office meeting or going to a friend’s wedding, a crisp and well-ironed dress is a must. And so is a steam iron. The steam produced by the iron helps remove those tough creases from trousers and shirts. 

How to use a steam iron 

Fill your iron’s water compartment and give it enough time to heat up. Don’t be in a hurry, wait for the indicator to go off before you start ironing—this will check instances of water leaking from the iron’s soleplate (or base). You can iron the delicate fabrics first, and then move to shirts and trousers; by this time, your iron will be hot enough to work on difficult creases.

Always check the labels on your clothes before ironing them. You don’t want your expensive silk dress to get ruined just because you didn’t read the instructions and tried steam-ironing it. Fabrics like silk and nylon require dry ironing, but you don’t have to buy another iron for this. Your steam iron can double as a dry iron when you don’t put water in the tank.

Similarly, not all fabrics need a high-heat setting for ironing. You can always adjust the heat to low, medium or high depending on the fabric. 

Features to consider 

If you are someone who irons a pile of clothes every other day, it is important that the appliance you use offers a good grip. Irons with high wattage heat up faster and also work their way through wrinkles without much difficulty.

The most important component of an iron is its soleplate, the surface that comes in contact with the clothes. It can be made of aluminium, ceramic, stainless steel or it can be non-stick coated. Aluminium plates become sticky after a few rounds of ironing. Non-stick soleplates, however, easily glide on the fabric’s surface and are easy to maintain.

Finally, if you can move your iron in any direction you want, it makes the process of ironing clothes easier. You can choose between an iron with a 360-degree swivel cord or a cordless variety.