The technological advancements progress from time to time and make our lives much convenient. The invention of iron gave us means to wear the wrinkle-free clothes and then the subsequent creation of steam press enhanced this task by offering better and faster performance. Though there is a clear difference between steam press and iron, yet both serve the similar purpose and that is to get rid of the most stubborn wrinkles.
Differences Between Steam Press and Iron
Though there are clear and vast differences between a steam press and iron, still you might be confused in choosing any one of them. This article manifests how the steam press and iron vary in their structures and operations and will make it easy for you to pick the best one.
Contact with the Fabric
An iron is the appliance which directly contacts with the fabric and heats it up to get all the wrinkles out of it until it becomes completely straight. It is moved forth and back, inside and out, on the garment so the hot plate or heated surface of the iron presses the clothing material with or without steam. As it is a direct contact, there are always chances of scorching the material.
On the other hand, the jet of a steam press is directed towards the hanged clothes with a distance but without any direct exposure with the fabric. This makes the steam press a much safer option as there are least chances of damaging the fabrics.
Speed and Efficiency
Pressing clothes with an iron may take more effort or time but when it comes to control and maneuverability, these irons are much convenient to handle. It allows you to have a better control on some parts of your garment, such as the collars, creases, and buttons.
When it comes to the steam press, they offer faster and better performance. This makes them much suitable for bulky items, such as curtains and bed sheets. Also, they are more efficient in removing the wrinkles in a short time. It saves plenty of your time from a busy day.
Working Space
Running iron on your clothes requires a separate ironing board. This mandatory ironing board consumes much space in your home and it can be a bit difficult to store it. For proper and smooth ironing on clothes, it is essential to have this board. Though, you can also utilize any other surface of your home as an alternative to this ironing board.
On the contrary, the steam press does not require a ironing board to work on. The steam press is generally provided with a stand in which the clothes are hung. It consumes less space and can easily be stored. There is no need to move the clothes from its position. This makes it much convenient to employ
Steam Generation
In irons, steam is only generated when water is poured inside it. Also, this generated steam needs to be pushed through the fabrics they are pressing. It requires refilling again and again and there is a little pouring space in these irons.
Comparing it with the steam press, it has myriad steam holes and steam output in its soleplate. The hundreds of tiny holes in its soleplate allows for better generation of steam which results in your wrinkle-free apparel. Sometimes it may be a trouble to clean the soleplate though.
Safety Features
Working with the irons is considered much safer when compared to the steam press. Most of the latest iron models have an integrated automatic shut-off safety feature. This means that it turns-off automatically after a while if not in use. This ensures the safety of your surroundings.
Though the steam press can be a bit more dangerous to deal with as there are more chances of accidentally burning yourself with the steam, it still has more safety features. The safety features of the steam iron includes high steaming alerts and automatic shutoff.
Laundry Load
Irons can remain efficient even with a bulk of laundry but a small or no water tank in these irons may make it a hectic task for you. It would require refilling or spraying after every 1 to 2 minutes. Still, it can be efficient in removing the wrinkles of every piece.
Dealing with a bulk of laundry with steam presses seams a much more convenient task. As it is equipped with a big water tank, it could function much efficiently for a long time without any pause. It could deal with a bundle very quickly as compared to the irons because of no delays
Intensity and Cost
The irons produce both heat and steam just like the steam press and the intensity of these irons is effective enough to get rid of all the wrinkles from any item. This is fair enough because these irons are much cheaper and very affordable as compared to the other options.
The intensity of the steam press is definitely much greater because it not only helps in removing the stubborn wrinkles but it is also beneficial in disinfecting your clothes against the prevailing germs, including bacteria like E. coli, Staph bacteria, and Salmonella. But it is much costly though.
Our Recommendation
Most people still consider the irons as their ideal options because of the better control and practice we have on this appliance which eventually makes it the safer option. Yet, we recommend to go with the advancement, the steam press. It is versatile and multipurpose with better and faster operations. It could also be the safest one if dealt with some precautions. Besides, it saves plenty of your house space.
I am a content strategist and the administrator of this website. Professionally, I am an assistant Electronics professor at the University of Chester. I love to read about my profession and have a lot of interest in various home electronics appliances. Freely contact us if you have any queries regarding steam irons and other electronic devices.