eBay Neatness Tool: The Fabric Steamer (or To Steam or Not To Steam?)

My mother recently recommended that I buy a steamer.  She suggested it would save time when preparing clothing for eBay.  I had never used one before and I didn't want to invest in something I might not use very often.  I purchased a simple Conair Steamer with a telescopic pole to hang clothes on while I work.  I chose it partly because it was on sale and partly because it's a brand I trust. It's a great mid priced model (I paid about $60); and it does exactly what it's designed to do. 

Steaming vs Ironing (or Why steam at all?)

Fabric steaming is gentler on clothing than normal ironing.  It's also faster than ironing (with practice), it deodorizes fabric, and kills dust mites, germs, and bed bugs (Yuck!).  Steam does not burn or scorch clothing like a conventional iron, therefore, dry-clean items can be "cleaned" with a steamer.  It's important to know that steaming will NOT remove stains.  If you have a stain on a dry-clean garment, you will have to spot treat it first. Meaning, you will have to gently remove the stain with a damp cloth and a dab of cleaning solution (I use Woolite or Resolve Spray 'n Wash).

      

A badly wrinkled rayon shirt before and after a few minutes with my steamer.

While learning to use my new steamer, I discovered that there seemed to be cases in which ironing worked better.  I learned that deciding weather or not to steam (vs ironing) depends upon 3 factors:

1. Type of Fabric 2. Manufacturers Guidelines 3. Garment Construction

 

1. Type of Fabric  - The type of fabric makes a difference in how rapidly you can steam away wrinkles and creases.  Lightweight fabrics are easier to steam than heavier fabrics.  This has everything to do with the thickness of the material and the time it takes steam to penetrate it. Heavier fabrics may require repeated steamings or ironing to correct wrinkles.  Also, I have found that most synthetic fabrics seem to steam more easily and quickly than natural fibers. This may have something to do with the fact that most man-made clothing fibers are designed to resist wrinkles. They are more elastic, thus they heat up quickly and relax rapidly when steamed.

2. Manufacturer Guidelines -   Steaming is not ideal for all fabrics.  Some types of silk, velour and vinyl can be damaged by steaming. You should refer to the manufacturer's cleaning guidelines before steaming them or perform a test on a small piece of material if possible. 

3. Garment Construction - Take a good look at the construction of the clothing when deciding weather or not to steam it.  Does it have beads, ruffles, ribbons, or other embellishments that would not withstand a hot iron?  Is there a collar, or cuffs, hems or pleats that would benefit from ironing?  Occasionally, the answer is a combination of both steaming and ironing.

 I love my steamer. I honestly do not know how I have lived without it.  However, it's important to remember that ironing still has it's place.  Also, steaming takes practice.  Just like learning to iron, you will have to learn to "feel" how slowly to apply steam and when to apply extra steam.  Fortunately, it doesn't take long to learn.