Steaming vs ironing which way to go?

Steaming clothes has become a popular trend in 2021.

Steam ironing involves use of hot steam which interacts with the fabric to loosen tightened threading and fibers, hence removing wrinkles caused by washing, drying or prolonged bunching.

Because of its convenience, portability and time saving, steamers work best compared to iron.

With a good steamer, your clothes can be refreshed within 5 minutes.

However, if better results matter to you, an iron is better, providing a level of polish, that a steamer can’t, both on delicate and average fabrics.

When it comes to delicate fabrics, steamers are advised because with an iron, unless you are an expert, you might not know if you are applying heat for too long and you may end up burning your clothes.

Some garments have delicate fabrics which once they are ironed over a period of time, they may loose their quality with time.

Wool and silk can easily get wrinkled after a wash. Steaming would polish the outfit without leaving any damage as it also uses water to freshen the garment. 

When using some irons, you may require to have a container with water on the side to straighten and freshen up some hard fabrics, before going in with an iron.

A steamer is less bulky and can be used when travelling or polishing up folded clothes in the suitcase.

However, a steamer cannot be used on heavy fabrics like linen unless you are using a high pressure steamer.

Also, synthetic fabrics like nylon, acrylic and acetate, leather or suede, low heat iron should be used.

Depending on the brand, a steamer ranges from Sh1,000 to Sh13,000 while an iron box ranges from Sh700 to Sh6,000.

Having both a steamer and iron is convenient depending on the fabric you are dealing with.