Garment/Fabric steamers. Anyone use them? Any good?

[Sulaco]

So...I hate ironing. My nicest work shirts come out of the dryer with those very fine wrinkles all over, so "permanent press" does nothing.

Dry cleaning in always an option, but if these garment steamers actually work, it would pay for itself in dry cleaning bills alone in a few weeks time.

Has anybody used them? Thoughts? Opinions? If you have a brand/model number you can recommend I'm all ears.
I'm not expecting or looking for anything too fancy, just something easier and less time consuming than ironing for getting those fine wrinkles out of my dress shirts.

Thanks!

EDIT:

I'm looking for something in the $25-$100 range, stuff like:

http://www.amazon.com/Steamfast-SF-...id=1381745008&sr=8-1&keywords=garment+steamer
http://www.amazon.com/Steamfast-SF-...id=1381745667&sr=8-3&keywords=garment+steamer

 

[SketchMaster]

Steamers are great for anyone who has dress clothing that they wear on a regular basis. If you have wool, silk or high quality cotton they will knock out wrinkles or smells pretty quick. If you have a suit a steamer will save you a ton of money in DC costs and saving the fabric from fading/wearing out too quick. Ironically, steamers sometimes don't work very good on wrinkle free shirts so YMMV. I have maybe one or two shirts that I have to iron out of 12 or so shirts, so not a deal breaker.

Rowenta makes some pretty decent ones that wont break the bank, get an upright one if you need to steam large items or have a lot of shirts to get through. They are pretty easy to clean with vinegar and can be used for other cloth items around the house, even getting smells out of a well loved car.

Don't go cheap, a good steamer will last and pay for itself after a year if you have a decent amount of dry cleaning; $100 would be the cheapest I'd go for one.

<--- Mom owned a Bridal Shop.

 

[Sulaco]

Thanks for the reply.

I ended up going with this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846

Rowenta IS6200

Bought it at Macy's for $84.

So far, I'm mostly pleased with it. It DOES knock out the wrinkles from my shirts. However, to get an equivalent "wrinkle free/just pressed" look, it actually takes LONGER than ironing (I can iron relatively quickly, ~4-5 minutes a shirt, I just hate it lol)

That being said, it's super useful on sleeves, cuffs, collars, and all the little places that are a pain in the ass to iron, but retain those tiny annoying wrinkles.
So I've taken to a quick ironing of the front and back of the shirt, and then steaming out the collars and cuffs and anywhere those little, fine wrinkles stay.

 

[SketchMaster]

Try gently tugging on the fabric as you steam (watch your fingers, you WILL get burnt if not careful) to help the fibers straighten out. Some people find tugging and pressing the steamer wand to the fabric also helps to flatten everything, just play around with it.

 

[darkxshade]

Try gently tugging on the fabric as you steam (watch your fingers, you WILL get burnt if not careful) to help the fibers straighten out. Some people find tugging and pressing the steamer wand to the fabric also helps to flatten everything, just play around with it.

A better way to do it is to put the shirt on and have someone steam it so it unwrinkles into the contours of your body.

 

[Broheim]

you really shouldn't throw your shirts in the dryer, let them hang dry and iron them while still a bit wet. It'll speed up ironing, give the best result, and garment longevity. (I know a dryer is really convenient though)

steamers are particularly well suited for suits, people make the mistake of bringing them to the dry cleaner more than once a year and it's really bad for the garment, particularly the cheap "fused" (glued) canvas suits (if it bubbles there's no going back).

ps. if you steam your suits make sure to get one with a really low setting.

 

[mikeford]

Learn to iron better, and/or get better equipment.

Some shirts will need more attention than others, cull the ones that are pesky and avoid that brand.

 

[Sulaco]

Learn to iron better, and/or get better equipment.

Some shirts will need more attention than others, cull the ones that are pesky and avoid that brand.

Did you not read the OP?

My equipment is fine, thanks. I have a high end Rowenta iron, I'm not investing anymore in that. That's silly. And like I said, I can iron just fine, I just don't enjoy it.

I've tried plenty of shirts and shirt brands, and these are by far the best fitting for me, with the least amount of billowing/blousing. They do, however, wrinkle after washing. It's a trade-off.

Anyway, it's not a discussion about shirt brands and ironing.

As far as the steamer goes, I'm quite pleased. On shirts that I only wore briefly, I just hang them up and steam out the wrinkles (especially in the sleeves, which I roll up often); no need to wash again.

I'm liking it more and more.