Iron guides
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Irons
Sainsbury's has a great range of irons designed to make light work of even the largest pile of laundry.
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Irons
Sainsbury's has a great range of irons designed to make light work of even the largest pile of laundry.
Your questions answered
What are my options?
Steam irons
More effective in removing creases, as the steam opens up the weave in the fabrics, while the weight and shape of the soleplate flattens and smoothes. The higher the wattage, the more steam produced and the easier ironing is.
Steam irons take water from a built-in water tank, heat it, and jet it out as steam. Transparent tanks are useful for keeping an eye on water levels, while detachable tanks let you refill without turning off the machine.
The more steam, the easier it is to remove creases
Steam is expressed in grams per minute, on a domestic steam iron this would typically range from 30-90grms per minute.
Other features:
| Vertical steam | For use on hanging garments, upholstered furniture and curtains. |
| Variable steam | For varying steam output. Heavy fabrics like denim need more steam to remove creases than lighter fabrics, like silk. |
| Steam burst / shot | For an extra burst of steam to help remove stubborn creases. |
| Spray | This water mist makes it easier to remove creases from very dry fabric. |
Steam generator irons
If you do lots of ironing, a steam generator iron could easily cut your ironing time in half while still giving you crease-free results.
Because steam generator irons produce more pressure than normal irons, you can quickly iron both sides of the fabric at the same time. There are also smart technology settings which cleverly adjust the ratio of temperature and steam to each fabric – perfect for tackling large and varied piles of laundry.
What is a soleplate?
The soleplate is the metal underside of an iron, where heat is distributed. The material and design of a soleplate will affect an iron’s overall performance. There are four soleplate types:
| Aluminium | Efficient and effective, the aluminium core spreads heat quickly and evenly, but it's sometimes liable to stick. |
| Coated | The soleplate is coated with a non-stick finish to help it glide smoothly over clothes. |
| Polished stainless steel | Among the smoothest, producing the least friction and making ironing easier. Steel can be scratched by zippers or the rivets in jeans. |
| Ceramic | Very smooth, with the added bonus of allowing starch to be easily removed. |
What other features are there?
Anti-drip systems:
Emit steam at low temperatures without spitting or dripping. Particularly useful for delicate fabrics.
Anti-scale:
Most steam irons have this feature and so, can be used with tap rather than distilled water. Cleaning systems and anti-calcium functions are designed to prevent calcium damaging the iron. Some irons feature a changeable anti-calcium cartridge or force calcium out of the vents with a burst of steam.
Auto shut-off:
Some irons automatically switch themselves off after eight minutes in the upright position, and after 30 seconds resting on the soleplate.
Dimples and steam holes:
The more of these on a soleplate, the better performance.
Narrow tip:
This gets the soleplate into tight spaces, like between buttons and pleats.
Vertical steam:
For hung clothes or curtains. For many steam irons this simply means repeatedly pressing the shot of steam button.