What is the difference between a steamer and a steam generator? What is better to buy for the house - a steam generator or a steamer. The principle of operation of the steam generator

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Traditional ironing with a conventional iron does not always give an excellent result, and takes enough time and effort. Moreover, most often difficulties arise when working with multilayer fabrics and various finishes on them. What is better to deal with them - an iron with a steam generator or a steamer?

Cope with voluminous and heavy items (bed linen, curtains, bedspreads), things with a complex cut and decor (tiered dresses, clothes with ruffles, pleats, embroidery with beads and sequins), with delicate fabrics (silk, knitwear, fine synthetics, cashmere) both special irons with steam generators and separate devices - vertical steamers will help. Both the first and the second work with steam, but they have different principles of operation, conditions and advantages. This article will sort out the features of each option and help you make the right choice.

Steamers

The device is very similar to a vacuum cleaner in its design and appearance. It also consists of a body, a long hose and a special atomizer, from where the steam comes out. In addition to such a minimum configuration, many manufacturers offer a telescopic tube, clothes hanger, various nozzles and brushes.

The principle of operation is based on the treatment of things with hot wet steam, which is very similar to the "grandmother's" way of ironing through a wet cloth. In the boiler, which is enclosed in the body of the device, the water first boils, and then naturally rises and comes out. That is why steamers are called vertical: in a different position, steam will come out much worse or not at all.

Advantages:

1. The possibility of not only quick ironing, but also cleaning furniture, curtains, washing windows.
2. Disinfection of the treated surface.
3. Very fast readiness for work - already in half a minute.
4. Elimination of unpleasant odors.
5. Practically effortless operation - the steamer brush is very light, and the device itself is mobile.
6. No need for an ironing board.

Flaws:

1. For proper ironing, a certain skill is required so as not to leave new folds and not burn.
2. The steam is hot (98-99 degrees), so you definitely need protection for the hand holding the thing.
3. Without special tools, the device cannot cope with textured things, does not preserve the creases on trousers and pleats.

In the following article, you will learn how to use a garment steamer.

The best models of steamers

Among the many models, many are positioned by manufacturers more like cleaners than ironing machines.

Euroflex Monster MB-10035

It can be classified as inexpensive and simple, but effective. Made in Italy, it comes with a folding hanger for comfortable ironing while hanging, there are also two types of brushes for removing fluff from clothes, and a nozzle for creating arrows.

Philips GC670/05

This model belongs to the category of professional, ideal for working with thin and delicate fabrics, as well as with clothes of a complex cut and with an abundance of decor. A big plus of the model is the presence of a special rack-hanger, a protective glove and additional nozzles, with which you can easily make even arrows, iron small details and even clean the thing from fluff and hair.

The video provides an overview of the Philips professional steamer with a detailed analysis of its functionality and benefits:

Steam irons

Among models with improved and expanded functionality, irons with steam generators stand out. Such devices are also called ironing stations or systems for their rather massive design and really wide practical possibilities. Such a station consists directly of an iron and a water tank - a steam generator. The two main elements are connected by a flexible hose. Usually these units are heavy and bulky, better suited for stationary use in one place.

The principle of operation is to supply hot and dry steam under pressure directly from the iron, providing a powerful “steam boost”.

Advantages:

1. Strong steam treatment greatly facilitates and speeds up the ironing process.
2. The steam function works in any position: both horizontally and vertically.
3. Only steam comes out of the steam generator, so water does not get on clothes and linen.
4. The ability to successfully iron linen folded in several layers - this greatly reduces the ironing time.
5. The water tank in the steam generator is much more capacious than the built-in tank in the iron itself - there is no need to frequently add water.
6. If the steam mode is not needed, the iron can be disconnected from the system and used as a normal device.
7. The presence of brushes with different lengths of pile in the kit will allow not only to iron or refresh clothes, but also to clean them.

Flaws:

1. Bulky, heavy, requires quite a lot of space in the closet.
2. It is difficult to carry around the apartment - it is unlikely that it will be possible to refresh the curtains without removing them from the eaves. Or this process will take too long.
3. High cost, not always justified.

The best models of irons with a steam generator

Philips GC8350

It is very difficult to choose the best devices, but this model is one of the brightest and most beloved by customers. Powerful system for reasonable money. A large, almost one and a half liter tank and, importantly, the ability to use unfiltered and even hard water. There is a scale indicator and a self-shutoff function.

Vitek VT-1224

The model is another representative of the middle price category. This is an ironing system with a ceramic soleplate on the iron and a tank volume in the steam generator of 1 liter. Steams both horizontally and vertically. Weighs about 6 kg, has good ergonomics and stylish design.

What is better?

To decide which steamer or iron with a steam generator is needed, you should analyze the standard tasks that need to be solved with it. Typically, manufacturers and sellers recommend purchasing a steam generator for frequent and voluminous ironing, and a steamer for cleaning and cleaning. But this rule has its exceptions.

For example, if you need to iron a large number of things, but these are mostly clothes (in a dry cleaner, a store, a bridal salon or just in a large family), then it is preferable to purchase a steamer. It is preferable in this case. Whereas household ironing with a lot of bed linen and towels will become much more pleasant if you use an ironing station.

Let's go over the main points again.

A steam iron is best for you if:

• you have to iron a large number of large and easily wrinkled things - in particular, home textiles;
• ironing takes too much time and effort;
• antibacterial treatment is required (for children's things);
• you are used to working on the board.

• iron in large quantities clothes made of thin fabrics, with a complex cut and decor;
• love multifunctional equipment;
• want to make it easier for yourself not only ironing, but also cleaning the house;
• someone in the family is allergic and needs regular dust removal from upholstery and curtains;
• there is a small closet in the house or someone smokes, so even clean clothes get a stale smell - the steamer quickly copes with this problem.

Therefore, the purchase of a particular device ultimately depends on individual factors and preferences.

In contact with

Frequent washing, and especially ironing clothes, leads to rapid wear of the fabric. We have no choice but to send the next batch of “outdated” clothes and linen to the dacha or to the grandmother in the village. Stop! There is a good way to prolong the life of things, even if they are made of delicate, thin, whimsical matter in care.

An experienced hostess and author of the article, Yulia Luneva, made a “test drive” of modern accelerated ironing devices with friends of her friends. Based on its results, she explains to us what to choose: a steam generator or a steamer for laundry care instead of the usual iron.

What is a steam generator and why is it needed when ironing in simple words

The professional steam generator is a powerful industrial machine for cleaning large and industrial premises with a built-in vacuum cleaner, a water pump and a set of detergents. Cleaning companies use it to clean the house.

We do not consider such devices.

The principle of operation of the iron steam generator and its purpose

We are only interested in household models.

A steam generator with an iron for ironing is a device that irons with dry powerful steam coming through a hose from a water boiler and a heating element.

During operation, the sole of the case does not heat up, which means it cannot burn the fabric.

Such a device is much lighter than the usual grandmother's iron.

Overview of steam generators for the home with the ironing function

The sale offers us:

• ironing systems;
• steam cleaners for cleaning;
• steam generators with iron.

An ironing system is an expensive set of devices, where the steam generator plays the main role, complete with an iron, ironing board, vertical cleaning nozzles, a telescopic stand, clothes hangers.

A steam cleaner or, as it is also called, a steam generator without an iron with a hose and a set of nozzles, is a device that is purchased for the home for the purpose of cleaning and disinfecting, steaming difficult stains on furniture, home equipment or carpets.

The steam generator with iron that I am talking about in this article is designed to work primarily on a horizontal surface of an ironing board. The device of such a device allows you to steam things even in an upright position.

Marina Yar, owner of the Tefal steam generator, shares her impressions of how the Tefal steam generator works in a short video.

How a garment steamer works and how it differs from a steam generator

The technology for smoothing out wrinkles under the action of a jet of heated steam has remained the same, but the design of the device has changed.

The principle of operation of the laundry steamer

The steamer is a device for steaming and disinfecting clothes with wet steam in an upright position. The principle of operation is the same as that of a steam generator, but here the steam is supplied by gravity through built-in nozzles without pressure.

Types of steamers for clothes made of exclusive fabrics

A handheld steamer is similar to a travel hair dryer. It fits easily in a bag. It is convenient for them to smooth out 2-3 things from a suitcase at a time.

In an extreme situation, he can replace the kettle to boil a small amount of water (just kidding).

The vertical (floor) steamer consists of a large boiler, a vertical stand and an iron with a long hose.

Such a device can have up to 8 operating modes, a boiler with a capacity of up to 4 liters of water. Expensive models have dual heaters, an automatic shut-off system, several additional nozzles and accessories.

The shape of a ceramic or plastic iron is oval or trapezoidal.

The operation of such a steamer from Philips is shown in its video.

Which is better: steam generator or steamer - technical specifications table

Let's choose the right clothes care assistant for you by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both types of devices. The table is convenient in that you can simply select a column, put a tick or a plus on the desired side. The more pluses, the more obvious the choice.

My personal experience and the choice of the best model

After thinking to myself what to choose: a steam generator or a steamer, I chose the second one - a vertical design, guided by the following motives:

1. I need a steamer for quick gentle ironing of women's ruffles and men's shirts in my family of 5. If suddenly he can’t cope, for example, with ironing a collar or a special fold, then I have an iron, I’m not going to throw it away. I use it to iron bed linen once a month.
2. Stains on furniture and other surfaces will appear constantly because there are children in the house. The steamer heats them up, dissolving the fat. All I have to do is rinse the treatment area with water.
3. No more ironing curtains before hanging them.
4. It is convenient to get the washed and folded thing out of the closet in the morning, put it on the steamer hanger, go through the steam in 5 minutes and you're done!

My opinion is confirmed by the video of the owner Terbox Russia.

Now you have probably determined which functions of the device are more important to you and opted for one of them.

The steam generator and steamer are the most modern devices on the market for household appliances for ironing clothes. They are clearly:

1. replace your old iron;
2. save ironing time;
3. increase the service life of things;
4. help with household chores.

If you still have unclear questions, then I am ready to answer them. Ask.

Steam cleaner, steam generator, steamer - at first glance it seems that all these names are only synonyms and are used to refer to one device. In fact, this is not the case, so we decided to tell you more about these devices, highlight the difference and suggest in what situations they can be useful to you on the farm.

Common features

It is easy to guess that the principle of operation of all devices is based on the supply of steam. It really is. Steam is used in all appliances for a number of reasons:

• The steam has a temperature of about 130°, so it easily destroys most microorganisms, moth larvae, mites and molds that gather in the weaves of fabric threads and folds.
• Also, the steam flow helps in removing stains - it wets the dust and softens the dirt, after which they are effectively removed with a brush. An additional plus is the absence of the need to use chemicals that are harmful to health.
• It also removes unpleasant odors, which is especially important for pet owners.

Otherwise, the principle of operation and, accordingly, the use of steamers, steam cleaners and steam generators are still different, so it is best to dwell on each device separately.

Steamer

Steamers are direct “relatives” of irons, since they are used exclusively for ironing, more precisely, for steaming clothes and textiles. By the way, in some stores, such devices are also called clothes steam cleaners.

Outwardly, they resemble small electric kettles: water is also poured into the main container, and the steam generated by the heating element naturally exits from the spout at the top. Various flat plastic nozzles are usually attached to the spout, which change the shape of the steam outlet, or brush nozzles to remove small contaminants.

The main feature of the steamer is a relatively weak steam flow, but this is enough to smooth clothes hung on a coat hanger.

And the last point worthy of attention is the convenience of ironing. Compared to an iron, a steamer allows you to work out folds and hard-to-reach places better, but it is not suitable for formal suits: it will not work to smooth out the creases on trousers or the collar on a shirt.

steam generator

The steam generator is also used mainly for steaming clothes, that is, it is the “big brother” of the steamer. It differs in design - it is a fairly large device, consisting of a main outdoor unit, where evaporation and a forced increase in steam pressure are carried out, and a working handle (sometimes it has the shape of an ordinary iron), connected with a thin flexible hose. With the help of such a solution, it is possible to reach a compromise, making the device maneuverable and very powerful.

Due to the large body, it is possible to achieve high pressure, so steam generators not only do an excellent job with ironing, but are also used to clean the upholstery of upholstered furniture, car interiors and eliminate unpleasant odors.

Steam cleaner

Steam cleaners are available in three fairly different types.

The first variety is light handheld steam cleaners. They are similar to steamers, but differ in larger containers, more power and the shape of the nozzle, which is usually a cone with a thin spout. This form was not chosen by chance, since the device is not used for ironing, but for cleaning and disinfection in hard-to-reach places, for example, in the folds of upholstered furniture, in the car, in the toilet and bathroom, in the kitchen.

A more powerful steam stream effectively fights dirt, disinfects surfaces and penetrates even into narrow gaps and joints, and also removes unpleasant odors well.

There is only one drawback in this case - dirt and dust do not “evaporate” anywhere on their own, so cleaning using a steam cleaner should be completed by wiping the treated smooth surfaces with microfiber and cleaning carpets and upholstered furniture with a vacuum cleaner that collects softened dirt and wet, sticky fine dust. Such cleaning takes more time, but the result is more noticeable. Moreover, for people suffering from allergies, it becomes a real salvation, as it allows you to eliminate the smallest particles of pollen and hair.

The second type is steam mops. Their specialization is quite narrow - they are used exclusively for washing and disinfecting the floor. It is very interesting that this type of steam cleaner appeared one of the first, only later turning into devices for caring for clothes.

And, finally, the third variety - steam vacuum cleaners. The main function that distinguishes them from all other devices is powerful suction and collection of dust and dirt cleaned with steam. It is steam vacuum cleaners that can be considered the most efficient and convenient cleaning devices, since it does not need to be done in several stages, but they are also the most expensive.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, steam cleaners, steam generators and steamers differ quite a lot from each other. Well, which device will be most useful in your home, it's up to you.

Previously, ironing clothes with steam was not possible. There were no such devices as steamers, and modern irons at that time also did not have a steaming function. Therefore, housewives put wet gauze on things, and so the ironing process was greatly simplified. Later, irons were invented with a soleplate that “knew how” to throw steam out of the holes, thereby helping ironing. The next technological novelty after irons with a steam function is the steamer and steam generator. These are two different devices, so the question is completely logical: which one is better and why?

Features of steam generators

There are irons with advanced steam processing options. These features have become available thanks to the steam generator used with the iron. Therefore, it is an iron with a steam generator that is today simply called a steam generator. However, such a device is different from a conventional iron. In simple irons, there is a “steam boost” function, in which a strong stream of steam is thrown out. But for a steam generator, this is the most common mode of operation. At the same time, such devices have large water tanks, which ensures a fairly long operation. That is, the steam generator can work for 30 minutes, and sometimes longer.

The steam generator is for ironing things. It looks like a simple iron connected by a tube to a plastic box. This crate contains a water tank, you guessed it.

Steamers

In everyday life, the steamer is more like a vacuum cleaner. But instead of drawing air into itself, it throws it out, moreover, with hot steam. This steam evens out the fabric, ironing it and, more importantly, cleaning it.

The construction of the steamer is simple. It consists of the following parts:

• Housing (inside it is a steam generator);
• Water tank;
• Hose;
• Telescopic tube;
• Brush.

The whole structure works in the following way. The water in the container is heated, turns into steam, and then, under pressure, enters the hose through the outlet channel, after which it exits through the brush, while smoothing the clothes.

Also steamers can work in the cleaning mode. To do this, pour a little vinegar into the container. The elements contained in vinegar perfectly dissolve fats and even clean the appliance itself from scale.

The special brush used in the steamer has holes for steam to escape. At the edge there is a hard pile that collects dirt. Therefore, steamers do not just iron, but also clean things. Moreover, they clean not only clothes, but also:

• Carpets;
• Furniture;
• Curtains;
• Tiled (at least you can try).

Some owners of these devices claim that they even manage to clean windows with it. We do not know for sure, but we do not exclude that it is possible.

With all this, steamers are equipped with hangers (included) and other devices to facilitate work. The plus is that you can put on trousers on this hanger, for example, and iron in a vertical position, i.e. Aweigh. It turns out that an ironing board is simply not needed, and this often becomes an argument when choosing between a steamer and a steam generator.

Actually, the steamer differs from the steam generator in its purpose. The second is intended more for ironing things, the steamer is for cleaning in the first place and for ironing in the second. But the differences don't end there. Even the appearance speaks of their fundamental difference from each other: the steamer looks like a vacuum cleaner, the steam generator has always been and remains an iron, but with more advanced options for processing things with steam.

At the same time, the steamer cannot be used as an iron, because it simply does not have a metal (or ceramic) soleplate. But the steam generator (which is almost an iron) can be used as a steamer. To do this, it is enough to turn on the steam supply at full power, which will provide a fairly strong hot jet of steam. However, the steam generator does not have special bristles that remove dust and remove lint. Therefore, you can iron things in this way, clean them - no.

Therefore, we draw the following conclusion regarding the choice of a particular device:

• Exclusively for ironing - steam generator;
• For cleaning - steamer.

These are 2 different devices, so you can not give preference to one of them. Everyone solves their problems, and does it well. Ideally, there should be both a steam generator and a steamer at home, but in total these two devices are expensive.

Someone will say that the steam generator copes well with the function of a steamer, because he also knows how to iron things “on weight”. This is a fact, but there is a problem. For example, you need to iron the curtains. It is easy to do this with a steamer, because. it has a large telescopic tube and hose. With a brush, you can reach every corner of the curtains and smooth it out. It is possible to do this with a steam generator, but very difficult. To do this, you will have to stand on a stepladder and hold a heavy iron in your hand. The process is much more complicated, to say the least. As a maximum, it becomes impossible.

Actually, that's the whole difference between a steamer and a steam generator. These are different devices and perform different tasks.