For the majority of people ironing is, at best, a necessary evil. It's a tedious and boring chore. Watching TV or listening to music can reduce the boredom a little - but it's still a less than appealing household chore which few enjoy. Any way to reduce the amount of time spent ironing would be very welcome in the majority of households.
Certainly you could send your clothes out to the dry cleaners - or hire a maid. Some professional ironers will even pick up your freshly washed laundry and return it neatly pressed if you like. Most of these options will, in all probability, be too costly for the majority of people.
Mercifully, modern technology offers the means to reduce the amount of time that you spend ironing - just by using a different type of iron. A Tefal steam generator iron may look quite similar to a conventional steam iron at first glance - but it has a different construction, which offers a number of advantages.
Unlike traditional steam irons, steam generator irons contain no water in the iron itself. They have a large base unit which doubles as both heater and water reservoir and they produce a lot more steam - at a higher pressure - than a standard iron.
The steam from the base unit is fed to the iron using a hollow connecting tube and, because it is at a high pressure, it penetrates deeply into the material of the garment being ironed. The end result is that it is faster and easier to iron with a steam generator iron. As no water is contained in the body of the iron it is lighter and somewhat easier to handle. This results in a higher quality of finish for the finished garment and cuts the amount of time needed for ironing. The majority of users report reductions in ironing time in the region of 50%.
When deciding upon which steam generator iron to choose, be certain to pick one with a high steam pressure. Between 4.5 and 5.0 bar is ideal. You will also see the iron capacity quoted in "grams of steam per minute" (gpm), in which case you should select one with a value between 70 and 120 gpm.
You should also be sure to pick an iron with a large water tank - that way you won't need to keep stopping ironing to add more water. Filling will be easier if the iron incorporates a removable water reservoir - and some irons have the facility to top up the reservoir even when the iron is in use - which avoids the need to wait for the iron to heat up again.
Other factors that should be taken into consideration include the material of the soleplate, the ease of use, the inclusion of some type of anti-scale system and the length of the connecting hose between the iron and the base unit.
Whilst it's true that steam generator irons do tend to cost a little more than conventional irons, they really are excellent value for money. Over and above the fact that they give you better finished garments, they will save you a great deal of time by reducing the time you need to spend ironing in half. Even if you only value your time at minimum wage, that's still a very worthwhile investment.
