Buying a new home appliance, such as a steam dryer, is often a big move, as the new purchase will affect how your daily activities are carried out. Steam dryers have their pros and cons, and these factors should be considered carefully before making a purchase.
Why buy a steam dryer? You should buy a steam dryer because they remove odor and wrinkles from clothes and reduce your overall household spending. Using a steam dryer will also reduce the need for you to dry clean clothes often.
In this write-up, we explore the important questions you need to consider when going for a steam dryer.
What is the advantage of a Steam Dryer?
Steam dryers are better than regular dryers because they have some notable benefits like removing wrinkles and odors while helping you save more money. These benefits are what make them stand out.
Below, some of these advantages are explained in detail.
- Odor Removal: Steam dryers have consistently proven to be the best option when it comes to removing odors from clothing. Regardless of how unpleasant an odor is, steam dryers remove them effectively.
This is possible thanks to the presence of steam in steam dryers which penetrate the fabric with great ease. This steam feature also helps to reduce the amount of dirty laundry that needs to be done regularly and deodorizes the fabric, making it look like it was just washed.
- Eliminate Wrinkles
Steam dryers are also excellent at getting rid of wrinkles from fabric materials, and this is very useful when it comes to clothing items such as linen and jeans. In this regard, their operation is similar to that of a steam iron.
Steam dryers eliminate the hassle of having to iron your clothes after they have been washed. The straightening process occurs when the steam and heat produced inside the steam dryer pass through the fabric, smoothing it out and clearing out wrinkles.
Usually, this is only possible when the dryer’s water tank is at least one-quarter empty, ensuring that each fabric is exposed to enough steam as it tumbles around.
- Cost-Effective
When compared to standard dryers, steam dryers are more cost-effective in a variety of ways, making them a fantastic laundry asset.
Steam dryers are safe to use, and they extend the life cycle of fabrics, reducing the need to constantly replace clothing due to wear or damage. Effectively, you will be able to spend less money since you do not have to buy new clothes often.
Likewise, you do not have to worry about high power bills when using steam dryers because they use less energy to emit hot air. In comparison to regular dryers, steam dryers are reasonably priced.
- Reduces the need for Dry Cleaning
Steam dryers are useful for keeping odor-free and fresh “dry clean only” items from time to time. Although they are not complete substitutes for dry cleaning, they do reduce the need for dry cleaning regularly.
How Does a Steam Dryer Work?
Basically, steam dryers work by using hot air to penetrate clothes. Also, they employ a steam cycle by passing wet, hot air through clothes. However, the specific details on how a steam dryer functions depend on the model and brand.
Steam is created in a diversity of ways by manufacturers. Most steam dryers have the same or similar builds in terms of inner mechanisms. Usually, there is an internal heater that supplies heat to water from a source or in a container. This heat then turns the water into steam which is then injected into the tub.
To use steam a dryer effectively, here are a few simple procedures to follow.
First, you need to clean the lint filter if it does not appear to have been cleaned previously. This is to ensure that the dryer exhausts hot air easily, preventing overheating.
After that, you load the dryer with the wet clothes from the washer. You may need to load it with small portions one at a time for better performance.
The dryer is then turned on by pressing the power button and selecting a cycle with the appropriate control. The cycle modifier button can also be used to change the default setting.
For most dryers, it is possible to pause it at any time. At the end of the cycle, a chime will sound, signaling the end of the cycle.
If the wrinkle option is selected, the dryer will tumble for a few seconds at a time to help prevent wrinkles. If you do not, you might have to take your clothes out of the dryer right away to avoid wrinkles.
Occasionally, steam is directly injected into the dryer. If you do not care about the full wash cycle, putting your clothes through a steam cycle is a good option.
As mentioned earlier, the specifics of operation vary, depending on the manufacturer, but the procedures listed above can be applied to most steam dryers.
Do Steam Dryers Require Water Hookups?
While a steady water supply is essential for most steam dryers’ operations, you can use some steam dryers without having to connect them to a water source. Some of these unique products have a compartment that you can simply fill with water when you need to use them.
However, most steam dryers need water hookups, and when using these products, some considerations should be made, such as:
- Hoses and tubing
- Measurement
- Tools
- Water supply
The whole process of setting up a steam dryer can be carried out in a few steps and these procedures are largely the same for all dryers. This job often requires the use of tools such as adjustable twists and screwdrivers. Depending on which dryer you are installing, you may need additional tools.
The first factor you should consider is the hose that will be used to convey water from the source to the dryer. Connecting the steam dryer to a water source that is close to the dryer reduces the need for long hoses.
To connect the dryer’s air vent to the outside of the laundry room, you will need more hose, a connecting clamp, and a vent tube.
Stream dryers typically include the washer required to secure the connection between the dryer’s water inlet and the water source. Otherwise, you may need to purchase the appropriate washer to ensure that the hose fits snugly.
As mentioned above, some steam dryers do not need water hookups to function, and these products come with a compartment that can be pulled out and refilled as needed.
In other cases where a water hookup is unnecessary, there is no water compartment either. Instead, the dryer will work but will blow hot air without steam. This means that except for the steam function, all other functions will work.
Depending on individual functions, an electric outlet, a drain, and a supply of cold and hot water might be required for steam dryers.
An alternative option is a gas dryer, which requires piping to supply gas. Gas dryers also require an exhaust vent to function adequately.
Are Steam Dryers Better Than Regular Dryers?
Deciding on whether a steam dryer is better than a regular dryer should be determined by your needs and budget. A regular dryer performs basic functions, while a steam dryer, on the other hand, is equipped with special characteristics that make it carry out tasks that a regular dryer cannot.
Here is a video that analyzes whether or not steam dryers are worth it:
On the surface, steam dryers and regular dryers perform similar functions. Both types of dryers can help you save money by providing special features like delicate and timed drying. The ability of a steam dryer to induce steam to clothes is what makes it unique, and they are rapidly saturating the market.
When it comes to the advantages of steam dryers, regular dryers simply cannot compete with their ability to remove wrinkles. The steam cycle also softens and penetrates the fabric, allowing wrinkles to be released. As a result, ironing time and cost are reduced.
Steam dryers not only remove wrinkles more effectively than regular dryers, but they also use hot steam to deodorize the fabric, giving it that freshly laundered smell and feel. On these terms, team dryers outperform regular dryers on a high note.
An added benefit of the produced steam is that it does not harm the fabric’s texture by making it damp or musty. The heat evaporates the moisture, extending the fabric’s life cycle.
Significantly, the cost of energy consumption for steam dryers and regular dryers is nearly identical. However, when compared to a steam dryer, a regular dryer has a lower upfront cost, but this is dependent on the brand and model.
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The ability of steam dryers to refresh clothes, on the other hand, saves energy costs over time.
The Table Below Analyzes the Popularity of Dryer Brands That Offer Steam Drying:
| Best steam dryer | Percentage of total results |
| Samsung’s steam dryers were highly regarded among forum users seeking to purchase the best steam dryer. | 19.05% |
| Although chosen less frequently over other name brands, Maytag’s steam dryers are some of the best on the market. | 9.52% |
| By far the most popular choice for people seeking the best steam dryer was from LG’s brand of dryers. Here is one of the steam dryers offered by LG. | 52.38% |
| Mentioned as a feature, the Kenmore brand offers dryers with steam capabilities. Many people regard Kenmore’s steam dryers as some of the best available. | 15.79% |
| Like Maytag dryers, Electrolux dryers also include a feature of steam drying. | 4.76% |
Will a Steam Dryer Shrink Clothes? (Or Stretch)
Steaming clothes does not directly cause them to shrink. Rather, it is the prolonged exposure to high temperatures that cause shrinking in clothing.
Depending on how you use a steam dryer, it can either increase or reduce the chances of shrinkage. However, when using a steam dryer, fabrics have a high tendency to shrink. Over time, shrinkage cannot be avoided, and it is technically impossible to undo the shrinkage of clothing.
If a steam dryer causes your clothing to shrink, then it is likely because of several varied factors. Steam dryers use heat to remove moisture from your clothes and dry them. When exposed to heat, the shape of most fabrics will change.
Shrinkage caused by a steam dryer also depends on the type of fabric. While some fabrics such as denim jeans and cotton shirts shrink when soaked in warm water for an extended period, others, such as wool clothing, are most susceptible to shrinkage when exposed to steam.
Apart from the possibility of shrinking clothes, steam dryers can actually be used to stretch them out. This is because they remove wrinkles from fabric and relax them in general. As a result of this, the fiber can be stretched back to its original shape.
In general, the golden rule is that the less heat you apply, the less shrinkage you will experience. To help, shrinkage can be reduced by drying your clothes in a low heat setting. Although there is no guarantee that shrinkage will not occur, this is a good start. Even if you want to set your dryer to medium or high temperatures, it is recommended that you do not leave the clothes that those levels for extended periods.
Since shrinkage can also be caused by washing and tumble drying, steam drying might be a way to avoid this, since none of those vigorous actions are carried out by a steam dryer.
As an alternative, you may want to consider purchasing a sweater drying rack to use to dry your wool and all-cotton garments at room temperature.
It is also a good idea to read and follow the care instructions on clothing labels.
When to Use the Steam Cycle in Dryer
A dryer’s steam cycle is great for refreshing clothes that only need a little wrinkle and odor removal and do not need to be washed completely.
This feature comes in handy when fluffing pillows or down-filled items like comforters and coats. This cycle is ideal for dry cleaning clothes with a musty odor, or clothes that have been stored for a long time.
The steam cycle, as we all know, is an important improvement over the regular dryer, providing better fabric care. If you often find yourself forgetting to remove clothes from the dryer on time, you can instead use the steam cycle at the end of the drying cycle to prevent wrinkles.
Some manufacturing brands claim that steam reduces the buildup of residue, mold, mildew, and smells in its tub-cleaning cycle.
If you use a regular dryer, you will be putting yourself at a significant disadvantage if you use the same setting for every load. You can also employ a steam dryer if you are trying to figure out ways to conserve money and energy, lengthen the life of your dryer, and reduce the damage to your clothes.
