Ironing Reviews

I got this at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Took it home and could not wait to see if it was a decent iron - I just returned the Rowenta DX8800 since it decided that steam was not important for ironing after a week of ownership.

This iron basically had the same features and for the most part, I wanted the steam "shot" feature since I do a ton of ironing on 100% cotton. (I am starting to buy the Stafford Shirts at JC Penney - wait until they are two for $19.00 - right out of the dryer and they are PERFECT!)

I picked one of the shirts the Rowenta died on and started to iron.

The location of the on/off switch ensures that you will turn it off many times while using it. The other electronic switches on the handle are also at risk for getting changed...so you might start out with a low setting and end up two settings higher. Or the other way around.

The iron takes a long time to heat up and this is just a plain waste of time when you have 7 shirts to get done. The steam shot function works only after pumping it four times or more....and the wrinkles are still there. Ironing is uneven.

The two front misters miss the shirt and sprayed past the ironing board -- they also don't mist that well and lots of heavy droplets of water were all over the shirt instead of in a focused wrinkle spot. The light can be a plus, but with all of the other issues that this iron has, I would pick another.

The Rowenta really did make a shirt into a ten-or-less minute job, but they are totally unreliable.

Tomorrow I try the Braun Freestyle Pro.

I have to have shirts ready for a new job right after Labor Day - so I have time to experiment.

I love this iron. The fact that you can set it so that it does not turn off is a blessing. It works great dry or with steam. This iron should be sold by all quilting stores.

I thought this would solve a lot of my pressing problems and save on dry cleaning bills. I was disappointed. There were multiple problems.

The first road block was removing the water dispenser for filling. The area to pull out is only big enough for two fingers; I could not get a good grip. It took a forceful tug to get it out.

I never did get steam to come out of the holes. I tried priming with the pump handle to no avail.

Pressing did leave puckers and wrinkles.

Overall, it was an exasperating experience. I took it back to the store.

This is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. If you are ironing a large shirt you have to push it into the "storage area" and pull it through after each press. It still leaves wrinkles and puckers. By the time you pull the rest of the shirt through it is sitting in your lap getting wrinkles again. Would not recommend. If I was smart I would have kept the box and would be taking it back. It is still very time consuming. I will stick with a regular iron.

I would really give it 3 1/2 stars, but had to choose between three and four.

The larger ironing surface is very nice, and it is great for larger items. It has a nice indicator light system for heat and steam, but it takes longer than I anticipated to heat up between presses or steams. It is also quite bulky and heavy.

I iron most of my/our clothing and wanted something to cut down on ironing time. This item works pretty well, but you'll still need a regular iron unless you don't mind a few wrinkles or puckers.

It works very well great for pants, knits, mens shirts, and cloth napkins. Results are not as good for ladies shirts or table cloths. It would also be very handy with sewing projects, although I have not used it for that purpose. It works best on items that are damp rather than completely dry.

It worked one time then quit. I have never had a product do this before , I guess I got a lemon.

I bought one because of the good reviews however I found out that it takes about 5 minutes to produce one minute worth of hot steam. At that rate it takes about 10 minutes to 'iron' a shirt. When I called Customer service I was told that I need to add more water, I did and then it was overflowing. I had to get rid of it in less than a month for fear of being electrocuted while stepping on the water this machine was leaking. A friend of mine bought one too and she handed it to me because it didn't work for her either. It was used to help remove the wallpaper from the bathroom and then it was gone for good.

Maybe this model isn't as great as the model I own, which is the GS11, as I simply couldn't be happier. But maybe my tips will help those with the GS10's just as well. (Still I gave the 5 star rating because I am happy with the company.)

IMHO, another great tip for GREAT care for your clothing (thus str-ee-tt-cc-hh-ing your budget) is to invest in a professional quality steamer. I'm not talking about a hand-held style (those have too small of a water reservoir). Personally I love my Conair GS11 Steamer (it was very affordable and I've worked professionally with ones costing upwards to $300 plus). By using my Pro Steaming Tips below, eliminating just 2-3 trips to the cleaners will cover the cost of the steamer.

Steaming actually conditions fibers, instead of drying them out "or worse scorching 'em". Knit tops steam up in seconds, without stretching out of shape. Steaming doesn't leave that classic "iron" shine that shows up on some fabrics, as irons will. I can steam wrinkles out of beautiful silk (with no water stains, nothing)! I can steam press a pair of slacks, with gorgeous pressed creases in minutes, even heavy denim.

Pro Steaming Tips:

1. If you get a garment steamer, make sure you get one that comes with both a creaser-head. Hang pants with a "pants hanger" upside down by the ends (not the waist). Place the wand (I don't bother with the extension) up and inside the and steaming out the worse wrinkles up and down near the waist. Turn the steamer off (it takes just seconds for the steam to stop) change the steaming head to the creaser-head; clamp the two legs together with the creaser and swoosh down the leg, creasing it. Flip the hanger and swoosh down the second crease (if the fabric is particularly heavy denim, I'll run the head down each leg, instead of both at the same time).

Place the steaming wand INSIDE the garment, lifting the fabric up with the wand and steaming the wrinkles out from the inside (eliminating having to hold the fabric taut and burning your hands)!

2. I always use distilled water! NEVER store the steamer away with tap water in it. The minerals and sediment in tap water WILL eventually clog everything up, whereas distilled doesn't (distilled is NOT spring, or purified-type bottled water) and is very affordable.

3. Simply cool the fabric (for a minute or two) before wearing or storing in your closet.

Warmly,
Sharon Anne

P.S. If you like these tips, you will love my website: http://www.sharonanne.com