Caring for Clothes: Using a Steamer & Debobbler

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It seems quite wild that I am writing a whole blog post dedicated to a steamer and debobbler, but I would say hands down it’s my most FAQ over on Instagram DMs, so here goes!

Being brought up a shopkeepers daughter, I spent a lot of my youth steaming. Steaming new stock was one of those jobs that I really enjoyed doing, my parents have worked in retail my entire life so I thought steaming was entirely normal. My mum would often take clothes to the shop to steam if we were going to a special event, like a wedding or similar. As well as using the professional steamer at work my mum and dad also iron at home too, between the ironing and the steaming we are a pretty crease free family. Don’t even start me on my brother, who’s ironing stories are legendary…to him ironing is a professional sport, ask any of his friends who have had to wait whilst he spends half an hour ironing his jeans, I exaggerate not.

Steaming

Anyway, enough of the odd quirks of my family, but I just wanted you to understand where this all started and my detest for creases begins! As well as steaming / ironing, I also implement the crease test before I buy anything, if it’s an overly creasing fabric it’s a loosing battle. I like to discreetly scrunch the fabric up in my clean hand for a few seconds, to see how much it’s going to crease as I wear it. Linen being the only exception to this rule, as it creases as soon as you so much as look at it, but I love it so. Around 2017, ironing lost it’s appeal, funnily enough the first steamer purchase seems to be four months after June entered this world. Coincidence, I think not. I picked up a cheap one, which I did love, although looking back I remember you could only fill the water bit up 3/4 of the way, other wise you’d get some spitting. But we’ve travelled together, had some good times, and before it broke 2 years later I’d have recommended it. Once it broke, I wanted to invest in something a bit more expensive. I was torn between The Steamery, which at the time weren’t readily available in the UK and the Philips one . In the end, quick delivery and price won over looks, it’s a first. Also worth noting, the Philips one is Goodhousekeeping approved, which means a lot in my world…I love GH.

If you’re still with me at this point, let me tell you that I went for the debobbler and steamer bundle. I’d wanted to invest in a debobbler for ages, and thought now was the time. The Philips steamer (sadly they are not paying me to talk about it, just to confirm) is great, the water compartment is a bit smaller than my old steamer and can do one or two items before you need to refill it. However it performs much better then my first one and it never ever ever spits, and also doesn’t need time to heat up, I don’t know why, it’s obviously magic.

The only thing I wouldn’t steam is a really dry shirt, you know the ones you’ve left in the ironing basket for ages, somethings do just need a press. Also it’s a bit bulkier in a suitcase, but makes light work of most other creases and I wouldn’t travel without it. All in all, I love my steamer, everyone is a different so it might not be the one for you, but hopefully this gives you a bit of an insight to my most popular question, and incase you’re wondering what the second most popular question is, it’s how do I pickle onions…the internet really did allow us all to find our voices didn’t it?! Charlotte Jacklin: Pickling and Steaming Extraordinaire.

Debobbling

You’ve not lived if you’ve not spent a Friday night shaving your knitwear, it used to be my legs, but not anymore, this is WAY more fun. I’ve heard some horror stories about a debobbling session gone wrong, a cashmere knit destroyed in seconds. These rumours did put me off from getting one, but now I have one, I wished I’d committed sooner. I’ll let the before and after speak for itself, but it’s a really great tool for caring for your knitwear and giving it a new lease of life.

Do you have a steamer, or are you a commuted debobbler? Let me know your best tools for caring for your wardrobe below!