An immaculate and well groomed image makes one confident and ready to take on the day. Clothes form an integral part of your image and represent your personality. Be it parties, meetings or conferences, the best way to ensure crisp and sharp clothes is to iron them and make sure they are well pressed and crease free. The choice of an iron can be overwhelming though because of all the different models and makes that are available now. It is best to choose an iron which is most suited to your individual needs and the most important consideration is whether you should invest in a dry iron or steam iron.
Dry Iron vs Steam Iron
A dry iron has a sole plate which heats up. It is pressed onto garments to get a crease free finish. Most people use it with a water spray and spray the garments before ironing them.
A steam iron needs to be filled up with water and has small holes to emit hot steam and get rid of wrinkles in clothes.
There are pros and cons of each type of iron which we have stated below.
Dry Iron:
- They last a very long time because most of the faults or problems in irons are caused by water and steam. Limescale and build up of rust are the two most common problems which can be avoided if you invest in a dry iron.
- The sole plate on a dry iron is flat which make it smooth and very easy to clean.
- You can easily iron most types of fabrics with a dry iron.
- They never leak and are easier to maintain than their steam counterparts.
- Dry irons are not very versatile. While a steam iron can double up as a dry iron, a dry iron cannot do that.
Steam Iron:
- Steam irons are more versatile than dry irons. If you do not use the steam function and keep the water tank empty, a steam iron can double up as a dry iron.
- A steam iron has lots of holes to release steam and each hole has to be cleaned individually which makes cleaning a steam iron more cumbersome than a dry iron. The holes must be cleaned though because over time then can become blocked due to build up of limescale which effects the functionality of your iron negatively.
- Steam irons have mist functions as well which enable you to get rid of wrinkles easily and without having to spray clothes with a spray bottle before ironing.
- Steam irons can sometimes leave marks on clothes so you need to be especially careful when ironing silk or chiffon.
- The steam setting on some irons can even be used for upholstery and furniture.
Top Tips to buy a dry iron:
- The soleplate quality should be very smooth. Steer clear of stainless steel soleplates as over time things can stick to them they in turn start sticking to clothes and leave marks on them. Titanium is the best option for sole plates due to its excellent heat transfer abilities and ability to prevent materials from sticking to it.
- The iron should not be very lightweight but it shouldn’t be big and bulky either. Because you have to press down on clothes to get rid of wrinkles, the ideal weight should be between 0.9-1 kg.
- The iron should heat up quickly and always check the energy efficiency of your appliance before purchasing it.
- The cord or electric cable should be a decent length and be tangle free and easy to put away once you are finished.
- The iron must have a good handle which allows for easy and firm grip.
Some of the most popular dry irons in the UK are as follows:
- Philips GC 160/O2 Affinia Dry Iron
- Tefal Dry Iron Cixi
- Philips Dry Iron HD 1134
Top Tips to buy a steam iron:
- The higher the output of steam the more effective the iron should be at doing its job. Be sure to look at the continuous steam pressure of the iron before making a choice.
- Higher wattage on an iron means that it will heat up faster. If that is something you require based on the size of your laundry pile, that is another feature to look out for.
- Anti scale and anti calcium functions in steam irons are good to have especially if you live in a hard water area. This means that your iron won’t get clogged up by limescale and last longer.
Some of the most popular steam irons in the UK are as follows:
- Russell Hobbs 20630 Powersteam Ultra Steam Iron
- Philips Azur Steam Iron
- Russell Hobbs Freedom23300 Cordless Iron
The choice of which type of iron you choose to go with depends on the amount of ironing you need to do per week as well as what you need your iron for. A steam iron can give you the features and versatility of both whereas a dry iron is cheaper and easier to maintain yet lacks on the versatility front. Dry irons are also not very effective on stubborn wrinkles. However, be sure to empty out the water tank on your steam iron if you are ironing fabrics like rayon, silk or polyester since steam can potentially ruin them.
Gold Dry Cleaners Ironing Service:
At Gold Dry cleaners, we provide a stellar ironing service which guarantees a crisp, crease free finish for your shirts and suits. Best of all, we offer 24 hour turnaround times as a standard meaning you will never be in a limbo when it comes to having fresh pressed clothes. Whether you prefer your clothes folded or hanged, we are the ideal company for you. We have special shirt pressing plants in our in house factory to combat those stubborn wrinkles and ensure we exceed your expectations. Tackle that stubborn never budging pile of creased clothes today by ordering from us! Www.golddrycleaners.com/prices has the complete list of what we charge per item.
