SF-407

I bought this steamer because I love thrift store shopping. Anyone who's been to a thrift store may already know that you can expect a strange odor from anything and everything you bring home. Since I "upcycle" most of the things I buy, I wanted to kill two birds with one stone; eliminate odors as well as pressing the fabric for easy deconstruction.My steamer came about a month ago and I've used it a handful of times for about 40 min to an hour every time. I am very pleased with the construction, all of the pieces and parts look well made and are fully functional. The foam pad was squished pretty badly in the box but it popped back to life in about 5 days. I must admit, I the steam definitely helps the thrift store stank but does not remove it completely, it almost seems to go away and then once the garment is cool again it comes back very slightly.I did have concerns before making my purchase, one review said that the steamer squirts hot water randomly and could wet the garment or burn the operator. Within about 10 minutes of using the steamer I figured out what happens. With the buildup of steam and condensation coating the rubber tube after using the steamer for a few minutes, this water will travel to the lowest point and sit there. The continuous pressure from the steam still being made by the machine will push the hot water out the hose with enough buildup. To remedy the situation, one just needs to make the hose straight again every few minutes by lifting the steam head high up, allowing the water buildup to drop back down into the tank. The steamer makes a noise before it shoots water out so it's easy to anticipate. SCIENCE.As far as taking wrinkles out of fabric, it works great. I would recommend this for anyone who has regular household needs. I really only need to use it about twice a week for maybe an hour. Although it would work for a shop or for someone with higher volume of steaming to do, the item was clearly designed for clothing, the range of motion allowed by the hose and extension cord are not extensive- you really can't hang something longer than the extendo-holdy pole.Overall, a great product, the only thing I might change about it is weighting the base more because as you steam, your tank becomes lighter and lighter and very thick heavy fabrics may not be held up by it anymore.

I am one of those people that will wash clothes and if they come out too wrinkly they are hidden away in my closet....essentially forever. I remembered how fast and easy it was to get wrinkles out of clothes using a steamer when I worked in retail as a teenager and wondered if a smaller home model would be as effective. Well...it certainly is. I LOVE this steamer!The first day I got it I excitedly pulled it out, filled it with water, and began testing it on my newly washed clothes. It was so fast and easy that I began pulling those clothes out of my closet that were so wrinkled that taking an iron to them seemed hopeless and in less than a minute each article was complete.The basics: light materials (rayon, silk, cotton) are perfect for a steamer. The wrinkles come out very quickly and if a few drops get on the item when you initially turn the steamer on the steam makes the water evaporate almost immediately. The steamer also works really well on thick fabrics such as sweaters; although it's not as quick as rayon it's still very quick...probably still well under a minute.Positive: very fast, clean, and easy; the pole that you hang your clothing from is very convenient; the pole can be collapsed for easy storage; great for odd items like ruffled collars on women's shirts that are more difficult to iron; can also be used on curtains although an extension would be needed because the cord can only extend about 6'.Negative: if you want a crease in your pants than you can't use a steamer.This is the best money I spent since I got my first Tivo over 10 years ago. I am going to buy one for everyone I know. Whether you see the iron as a nuisance like I did or not the steamer is still an excellent purchase and a really great price for the overall value.

I bought this steamer purely based on the reviews here. I don't have anyone immediately close to me who have one of these at their home, so I could not ask them what they like or don't like about using a clothes steamer. I want a steamer because I know retail shops use them to achieve that perfect piece of garment that you just do not get with an iron at home. When it arrived it came with a steaming pad, everything was easy to assemble, and I was able to start steaming right away! And Oh My ... what a difference it makes!I've been using the conventional iron for 15+ years, and here are the positive differences:+ Creases that you cannot reach, however you try to steer the iron, is a non-issue here with a steamer+ My average time to iron a work shirt used to be about 15 minutes, now, it takes 5, max+ I find that if you have washed your clothes, don't tumble dry them, hang them neatly and steam them the next day, it gives you optimum results+ Those annoying shiny marks that irons leave on black trousers / skirts ... again, non-issue here+ "Impossible" to iron items, such as cardigans, silk tops, satin, lace with intricate embellishments ... the steamer works wonders. I promise you. It works almost like a semi-cleaning process to knitwear too, if you steam them for a bit before putting them back into your closetNow, let's be fair, something that I still miss about using an iron:- I have tailored clothes that need the iron effect to create those pleats and folds, and shirt collars that need to be pressed- Being a steamer novice, I get burnt, by steam every time, and yes it does hurt - the steam pad does not protect you from steam shooting out of a sleeve- When using this product, the tube that carries the steam tends to be fairly hot too, watch out- The steam runs out after 30-35 minutes of steaming or so and you know you need to refill as soon as it starts to run out of steam powerHaving laid out all the pros and cons, I still think that the advantages of owning a steamer far outweighs any disadvantages. I even got my partner to steam his clothes by himself and he loves it! If you own a lot of clothes, and you want to take good care of them to make sure they last long, then this is a sure investment.