Dry Iron vs Steam Iron – Explained

Steam Ironing vs Dry Ironing

Due to rapid digital transformations over the past couple of decades, amazing new inventions are coming to the marketplace basically every day to improve our lives, daily chores and routines.

And irons have not been left behind.

Dry irons have been getting outdated for a while now as steam irons have quite literally steamrolled the market, but let us take a look at the differences between both irons.

Differences

A dry iron consists of an iron box and a thermostat with power up to 1500 watts.

However, a steam iron is a modified form of a dry iron with power of up to 2750 watts, which also produces steam that will help to remove the stubborn wrinkles from your clothes efficiently while saving you plenty of time.

Ironing clothes for most of us has never been an easy task.

A few years ago there was no other option than buying a conventional iron from the market.

However, as technology has improved, steam irons were introduced.

Steam irons are in most homes now as the steamer function available has far better results than the old conventional dry irons could ever achieve.

Steam irons effectively remove wrinkles while also being a much faster option than the dry iron.

Best wrinkle release sprays reviewed here.

Are you thinking of buying a new iron?

Then it’s always best to purchase a steam iron because you still have the option of using it as a dry iron if you so wish.

An informative guide to choosing an iron

Let’s quickly compare both the dry iron and the steam iron.

Water tank

It is safe to say that there is a whole lot of difference in the design of both irons.

It should be obvious the absence of a water tank in the dry iron, and the word ‘steam’ itself states that there is water involved in the steam iron.

Steam helps make the ironing easier by loosening your fabric so you can effectively unwrinkle your clothes.

The Soleplate

There is a vast difference in the design of both the irons again regarding the soleplate.

When you look at the soleplate of a dry iron, you will realize it is solid, but when you have a glance at the soleplate of a steam iron, you will find out that although it is solid, it has holes through which the steam is released.

Due to these holes, steam gets released evenly, and a sizeable area is affected effectively.

Using a steam iron will take you less amount of time, and you won’t require the annoyance of having to re-iron.

Spraying Mist

Moistening the clothes through a hair sprayer bottle is an old school technique which you have to use when using a dry iron to press heavy fabric.

But steam irons provide you with the spraying mist option without the effort of having a water bottle by your side every time you want to iron thick fabric clothes.

Having a steam iron will make sure that you can moisten your clothes efficiently.

Complexity

A dry iron is a primary handheld model that comes with a knob to adjust the temperature, while the steam iron consists of more whistles and bells in its design and features.

More complex steam irons also consist of steam triggers, LED’S for temperature control, auto-shutoff and spraying jets.

It didn’t take People long to become fond of steam irons due to the feasibility and inbuilt functions available to the user.

However, it can be more complex and can be irritating to adjust the features every time you have to iron a different fabric.

Flexibility

The basic functionality of both the irons is the same when the water tank is not in use.

All you have to do is turn the knob and adjust the temperature according to the fabric that you want to press.

Light materials can be quickly ironed using a conventional dry iron as well as a steam iron.

But when it comes to heavy fabric, the use of a dry iron is limited, and you can’t customize it at all really.

So for that reason, you need a steam iron as it heats up quickly, has more wattage(power), has a water tank to moisten and steam the clothes and make them so much easier to be ironed.

Frequency of usage

How frequently you will use the steam iron depends on the kind of fabric and the mode of usage.

The steam iron makes it feasible to iron a hefty amount of clothes in a short time.

So, there you have it, in this day and age there is no reason why you should not be purchasing a steam iron.

Now for some bonus tips for efficient usage of your clothes iron.

• Ensure that the ironing board is flat and stable.
• Start ironing with a neat base.
• Carefully inspect the fabric of the clothes and clean out the stains.
• Avoid pressing a pocket outline by turning your pockets inside out.
• Iron the reverse side of the collars cuffs and hems first.
• If you are new to ironing clothes, you must start at a lower temperature first so that you don’t burn your clothes.
• A steam iron can work as a steamer, but you must ensure that you hold the iron slightly away from the clothes, then use the steam option.
• Checking the temperature might be necessary to make sure that you are using the right amount of heat.
• Be careful to use iron guards as a precaution while ironing your clothes or place another material on top of your clothes while ironing.
• The best time to iron your clothes is when you take them out of a washing machine. Damp garments are far easier to iron than dry clothes.
• Use filtered or soft water in the iron to avoid lime deposits.
• While ironing colored clothing test a patch of it first. Sometimes the color of the garment changes when
• moisturized.
• Make sure not to over steam as it will blow the seams on the jacket.
• Hang dry your clothes and let gravity take some of the load.
• Drain leftover water to avoid lime deposits. Always remove the water from your iron before storing it away!

Have you made a decision on steam ironing vs dry ironing?

Looking for an affordable iron check out my reviews on steam irons under $30