Most people consider ironing to be 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.

Of course, you could send your clothes to the dry cleaners – or employ 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 looks very similar to a conventional steam iron at first glance – but it has a different construction, which offers a number of benefits.

In contrast to conventional steam irons, steam generator irons contain no water in the iron itself. They incorporate a large base unit which serves as both water tank and boiler and they produce much more steam – at greater pressure – than a traditional steam 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 easier and faster to iron using a steam generator iron. Since no water is contained in the body of the iron it is lighter and easier to operate. This produces a higher quality of finish for the finished garment and reduces the amount of time required for ironing. Most users report reductions in ironing time of approximately 50%.

When selecting your steam generator iron, be certain to go for one with a high steam pressure. Between 4.5 and 5.0 bar is best. Sometimes you will see the iron capacity stated in “grams of steam per minute” (gpm), in which case you would be well advised to pick one with a value between 70 and 120 gpm.

You should also ensure that the size of the water reservoir is sufficient – so that you don’t need to keep stopping ironing to top up the water. A removable water tank will make filling easier – and some irons have the facility to top up the reservoir whilst using the iron – which will avoid having to wait whilst the iron heats 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.

Although steam generator irons do tend to cost a little more than standard irons, they really are great value for money. Apart from the fact that they give you better finished garments, they will save you a lot of time by cutting your ironing time in half. That’s a worthwhile investment – even if you only award yourself minimum wage levels.

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