Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about clothes steamers

Clothes steamers, also known as garment steamers, may not seem that exciting but they are an essential tool for many industries.

As a company, we’ve been an industry staple for professional garment steamers for a number of years, which means we have a tonne of in-house expertise about them! So we picked our team’s brains for a blog about everything you've ever wanted to know - from why use them, what to consider and how to maintain them.

Essentially, anyone who handles fabrics or clothing on a regular basis could benefit from using a steamer. Some key industries to mention are: charity, dry cleaners, fashion, wardrobe departments in theatre, production companies, fashion university and college students, management companies, cruise liners, hospitality, bridal/ dress shops and clothing retailers.

Another huge rising market for steamers is everyday domestic use in place of an iron, with lots of people having less time and less space, the appeal is easy to understand!

Water is heated inside the steamer, you then use the steamer head to pass that steam over a garment, the steam relaxes the fibres in the material, to remove the appearance of wrinkles etc.

The important factors to consider are: how much you will use it, how long you will be using it for and how quickly you need it to heat up. For occasional, or home use, cheaper, smaller models will work just fine but for continuous, professional use, spending more on a higher quality steamer will save you money (and time) down the line.

Another thing to consider is the materials of the steamer. Our K9 Express Clothes Steamer, K12 Clothes Steamer , Supersteam Clothes Steamer, QuickSteam Clothes Steamer and Supersteam Mini Hand-Held Clothes Steamer, have copper heating elements, which last longer as they are less prone to corrosion and heat up more effectively.

Other aspects, such as the type of connection on the hose, can help extend your steamers life span. The steamers listed above all use a screw connection, which will withstand more wear and tear, as well as sure a continuous stream of steam, making it more efficient. This also means that should one part break or tear, you only have to replace that part, not the entire hose. The hose is also encircled by a wire spiral, designed to prevent wear and tear.

Finally, for more commercial use, some steamers feature a support pole from which to hang the garment you are steaming. This also needs to be fairly robust in order to last. Several of our products have poles that can withstand up to 20kg in weight.

This is a lot of information to consider! So our team have made a helpful infographic to help you choose.

Once you have your steamer, how can ensure it lasts as long as possible, as effectively possible?

Here are some FAQ’s about maintaining your steamer:

If you’re using it every day, especially in hard water area, once a week is ideal.

Rydlyme descaling agent – when used as directed, it is non-toxic, non-corrosive, biodegradable and non-hazardous.

Vinegar is not ideal for users such as dry cleaners or those intending to sell clothes, as it leaves behind a smell.

For a steamer purchased from Morplan, you have a one-year warranty from date of delivery (unless you purchase an extended warranty)

With regular cleaning and by not pulling it around using the hose or cord.

• Disconnect your steamer from the main supply, and remove the pole, hose and water reservoir (if there is one)
• In a jug, add one capful of Rydlyme to one litre of tap water and then pour it carefully into the top of your steamer.
  - larger steamers will require double the solution
  - for heavy limescale, use two capfuls per litre to make a stronger solution
•  Leave the steamer for a least an hour, to allow the solution to get to work on any lime-scale deposits that have built up
• Carefully tip out as much of the descaler solution as you can from both the hose socket and the main tank, you can use a bucket, or tip it out into a sink.
• To get the last of the solution out: lay the steamer on its side and remove the plug from the bottom, then tip the steamer back up.
• Once empty, flush it through with a litre or two of clean tap water to rinse the steamer out.
• Replace the plug, hose, pole and reservoir, and your steamer is ready to go!

Take a look at our hire services! We offer short term hire of mannequins, clothes rails and clothes steamers, which can be purchased easily on our website through the hire page.

Shop our steamer range here. visit one of our regional stores, or get in touch today!