If you follow me personally on Instagram you may have noticed me talking about a recent purchase I made. After weeks of toying with the idea of getting a steamer or not, I finally bit the bullet and picked up a handheld steamer and lint remover from Steamery.
At first, I was worried it would be all style and no substance, after all, how can something that is supposed to be functional be so very pretty! But why did I decide to buy a handheld steamer in the first place?
Well for starters I have always preferred to choose high quality clothing made from natural fibres over throwaway fast fashion (not that I don't have any beloved items from H&M!), but this penchant for quality over quantity led me to have quite a few delicate items that I wanted to make sure I was looking after in the best possible way. Having already worked with some incredible people to make my dream for plant-based, essential oil, laundry products come true, it was only natural I would turn my attention to the care given to my clothes after they've been washed.
I had a vague inclination that steaming was the way forward for many of my garments and that it was used in the industry by professionals to not only remove creases and also freshen up clothing, but I didn't know why. So I did some digging.
- Steaming clothes after wear can freshen them up. This means less need to wash them, which in turn means they'll keep their colour for longer and I don't need to be using my washing machine every five minutes! So it's a win-win for the environment and my clothes! Most clothes are not worn-out, just washed out.
- Not all textiles can be ironed. I'm sure like me you've ruined more than one of your favourite tops by scorching the fabric with a wrongly set iron! Steaming is a more gentle approach which means there's less likelihood of an iron shaped hole in your favourite shirt.
- A steamed garment will appear thicker and refreshed. Ironing flattens the textile whereas steaming plumps it, this means it will look thicker, refreshed and the colour enhanced.
Whilst I'm not saying that we should throw away our irons, I do feel that there is a time and place for both machines in the household. For instance, many prefer the look of a freshly pressed white cotton shirt, and this is not something a steamer will give you. Equally, I like my silk shirts to have a rich unflattened colour to them, to look sumptuous and delicate and this is something that the steamer certainly achieves. The only textiles you cannot steam are leather and suede, but I think that goes without saying.
So, what are my thoughts on Steamery?
I'll start with the lint remover, it's amazing. You will not regret buying one!
As for the steamer... well as a handheld device I think it's pretty fantastic, and it's small and light enough for me to take away which means I can look after my clothes when I'm abroad. I've definitely found it useful to freshen up clothes which means I don't need to wash them so often (especially in the winter when I'm wearing coats and jumpers all the time!). I don't think I would bother buying the travel version as I think the normal one is good and light enough to take away. If anything I think I will get the full-sized one next as my only drawback is that the handheld one I have doesn't last that long which means I can only do a dress or two at a time. But in short, would I recommend buying one. Absolutely.
When travelling or if you live in a hard water area then they recommend using distilled water.