Steam iron is an appliance used for removing wrinkles from clothes. The weight of the iron, heat, and steam together facilitate removal of the wrinkles off the fabric.
History of Steam Irons
During the first century BC, people in China used metal vessels filled with charcoal to remove wrinkles from garments. Later on, in the 17th century, sadirons-heated cast iron slabs were used for the same purpose. After a few years, iron boxes were designed with the provision to be filled with hot charcoal. These iron boxes were then widely used till the 19th century. During early 20th centuries, fuels like kerosene, natural gas, ethanol, etc were used to heat irons.
In the modern world, these designs have become outdated and electric irons are very much popular. Electric irons were invented by Henry. W. Seely in the year 1882. With developments in technology, Thomas Sears invented steam iron in the year 1926.
Features
Steam Irons have an integrated thermostat to produce a stable temperature while pressing the clothes. These also provide different temperature settings for different kinds of fabrics like cotton, silk, nylon, wool, etc.
Delicate garments are supplied with lower temperature levels while tougher garments are supplied with higher temperature. These settings also decide the quantity of heat or steam to be released. The level of water in the reservoir is specified by an indicator. Steam irons are available with analog or digital displays.
Factors for Choosing a Steam Iron
The weight of the iron is one thing to be considered while purchasing a steam iron. Heavier irons neaten the clothes easily but cause strain to the user.
The amount of water the reservoir can hold is also important to avoid frequent refilling. You can also look for a feature that permits you to spray some water on the fabric that you are ironing.
Steam Irons are available with power cords as well as cordless. The power cords are insulated to avoid electrocutions. The cordless irons offer a power saving aspect which switches off the power when the iron is not used for a specific time interval.
Some of the steamers have an additional feature known as anti-burn control; this turns off the power when the iron remains flat on the pressing board for a long time, thereby avoiding fire risks.
How Does Steam Iron Work?
A steam iron is filled with water and then turned on. This water is heated and is discharged in a controlled manner to soleplate. This soleplate is pre-treated with a surface treatment due to which there is instant vaporization; the steam is now let through the minute pores of the soleplate. The metal plate is made water resistant as water leads to corrosion of metals. The steam thus produced is utilized to make the clothes wrinkle-free.
Types
Handheld steam irons are very much compact and light in weight. Since these are small in size, it is very easy to carry them while traveling. Hand-held irons do not cause any back pains or wrist strains as opposed to the heavier ones. But these irons can settle down only a small part of the fabric at a time and they also require more to and fro motions. They are not as powerful as the heavier irons.
Personal Steamers are used in dry cleaners and garment stores; they are also available for personal use. These are not exactly irons but are well-known since they are as powerful as irons. These steamers are capable of storing more water than the handheld irons and also more forceful in shoving the steam to the fabric. Thus, these are more efficient than handheld irons in removing wrinkles from clothes too.