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How To Use a Steam Generator Iron 

By  Enda McLarnon

If you want to know the best way to use a steam generator iron, then this article will really help you out. This is a quite different type of iron to the normal steam iron, that you may have been used to. I will bet you also paid a great deal more for it, so why not get the best use from it. After all it is supposed to cut ironing time in half.

The one thing that I would recommend to anyone who has bought one of these is to get an ironing board that has been designed to work with these much larger irons. Typically these newer generator irons are bigger and heavier than a standard household iron so they need an ironing board that can support them.

Now it is important to understand, that the actual iron itself is not heavier. The entire unit is however heavier, and it is this that sits on the ironing board. That needs proper support otherwise it could topple. If for no other reason, owning the proper ironing board will certainly make the whole operation a great deal safer.

I have done a full article on the best ironing boards for steam generator irons which is well worth a read.

Think Storage

These irons do need to be stored away when not in use. That is of course if you don’t have a room like a utility room, where you can leave it sitting, and use as and when you need it. If you need to store it away then you need to consider a few things. Although the actual iron itself is light, the steam generating unit is larger and heavier.

Make sure, that if you are putting it on a shelf, that it can support the weight and is also wide enough to hold it. I would strongly recommend not putting it above head height. You do not want the weight of an iron like this falling on your head.

So that is the ironing boards covered and also the storage element. Let’s now move on to find out how to get the best use out of your iron.

The Steam Button

There is no need to hold down the steam button when ironing your clothes. Even on the toughest of jeans there is no need to do this. You use it in one direction, then release it, and dry iron the same path on the way back. That gives you the greatest ironing technique and also avoids your ironing from feeling slightly damp.

You can check the proper technique out in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zhxWvvKpfA

Vertical Steaming

One of the really big advantages of buying a steam generator iron is that it can easily vertical steam items like bed sheets, curtains, suits and dresses. Simply hang them up and let the steam from your iron do all of the hard work. In many ways it is a lot like dry cleaning. It does this very quickly, and you will be very surprised at the results.

Cleaning Your Iron

Not that many people like to be bothered cleaning out the iron. I don’t like it myself as there are many other things I would prefer to be doing. The reality is though, that it should be done, and with many of these newer irons, the work involved is pretty minimal.

The reason you need to clean these is that it will make your iron last a great deal longer. The water in almost all regions of the UK contains elements that cause a scale to build up in the water. That happens especially if the water is left to sit inside a container. This scale then forms a coating and can start to rust and also clog up an iron.

If you have ever seen an iron spit out small pieces of brown rusty liquid, then you will know what I mean.

By removing the old water by either using a filter, or emptying a reservoir, you can prevent your iron from rusting and also increase how long it will last. The way you clean your iron will be shown in any instruction manual. Some self-clean as well and they are worth paying a little extra for.

Many of these irons also use filters. They can get expensive to replace. Be sure to check on that before buying your iron.

Enda McLarnon

About the author

I hope that you find my How to articles helpful as I know that laundry can be a real chore. On this website, I have tried to help out with buying guides and reviews for the many forms of ironing and other laundry issues.