The Laundress Recommends...

After receiving several phone calls and emails asking for our recommendations on laundry products and accessories, we at The Laundress decided it was time to offer our clients our top picks for steamers, irons, ironing boards etc.  Working with Jiffy Steamer, Rowenta and Brabantia to supply you with the tools we find to be most effective, from Steamers to Laundry Bins, we think you’ll be satisfied with the research we’ve done and the products we’ve selected.

When it came to recommending a steamer, we immediately knew our first choice. Gwen has had her Jiffy Steamer for years and it’s still the most effective steamer in our office (we have A LOT of steamers and have tried them all through and through).  

The J-2 is the newer model of Gwen’s Jiffy, we know you’ll love it. She’s had her steamer for 15 years-that’s a pretty solid return, let alone the money saved!

We desperately tried to find a small steam unit for those without access to a full size laundry room or for those with little storage space, we thought Rowenta’s Pro-compact steamer would be the perfect choice, but we lost steam mid-test. 

We tried to find the perfect travel/handheld steamer to recommend, our testing included: Conair Pro Garment Steamer, and Rowenta’s Travel Steamer…

In addition, we tested and have already returned the HSN Travel Steamer, Samsonite Dual Voltage Steamer, and Micro Pro Garment Steamer.

Jiffy Esteamer is our top choice if you MUST have a handheld.

Our next task was to find the perfect iron. Our original thought was to offer two irons- a top of the line model for those serious ironers and a model that was suffecient at quickly getting the job done.  We pulled out all the stops and tested a variety (no joke) of steam irons….

To start our “Iron Off” we went right for the big dog, Rowenta’s top of the line steam iron- the Steamium.  We were really impressed with how efficiently creases and wrinkles were removed but we weren’t totally in love with the design… it was really clunky and on the heavy side. We also weren’t sold on the benefits of the bells and whistles.

Our second test iron, that wouldn’t break the bank, but did a decent job at pressing garments, was Rowenta’s Effective Comfort Iron…

It worked well enough but we still weren’t sold; we wanted something that everyone would be satisfied with.

Our third test (third time’s the charm) was Rowenta’s Pro Master Steam Iron, this fell directly in the middle of our price spectrum, but was just as effective, we think, as the Steamium Iron and we were MUCH happier with the design and weight.

We proceeded to test the remaining samples that we had here, all lower price points but we decided they were simply a waste.  

Thus our decision was final with the Pro Master as this iron was the best for the money.

After our big “Iron Off” Gwen’s interest was now sparked, we were curious to see the difference between the regular steam iron and the two-in-one pressure iron and steamer.  We originally strayed away from these due to cost, but figured it was at least worth testing, especially since our small steam unit test was unsuccessful, and we’re SO glad we did because we’re seriously obsessed!  

Check out how effortlessly this pressure iron and steamer removes wrinkles and creases, we couldn’t believe it!

This took ironing to a whole new dimension and for someone like Gwen who never irons and only steams, this speaks volumes.  She had an industrial vacuum board in college and she remembers this to be better!

We thought this to be a great option in replacing the handheld steamer and small steam unit (since we did not like any), as it can also be used vertically on hanging garments.  

We loved the pressure iron and steamer so much that we also requested a sample of the deluxe model (I’m pretty positive Rowenta LOVED us at this point).

The deluxe version works amazing, as expected, but aside from heating up faster (2 minutes versus 10) and having a bigger water tank, we really didn’t think it necessary to spend twice as much! The first model worked just as well.

 We were completely infatuated, an iron and steamer all in one- it’s perfect for those that do a lot of steaming.  This unit won’t replace a regular steamer for working beds and curtains, as moving and rigging it to those areas wouldn’t be convenient, however, if necessary, it could be done.

After selecting our two new irons, we now had to find the perfect new Ironing Board (we’ve had them all) that could support both our regular steam iron and our new pressure iron and steam unit.  After reviewing several ironing boards in the Brabantia catalog we were torn between two. Upon receiving the sample boards at our office, the decision was almost a no brainer.  

The 124 x 45 cm Ironing Table with a solid steam unit holder was the perfect fit.  It adjusts to four different heights, provides maximum ironing space and can hold your steam unit, or those clothes that are pressed, folded and ready to be put away. The white frame looks super chic when topped with our signature black and white ironing board cover!

Obviously we couldn’t stop browsing the catalog once we started, so here are the perfect Laundry and Trash Bins. We instantly feel in love with this retro slim line matte black trash bin and because we all need a bin in our laundry and utility rooms it better good!

Gwen chose this white laundry bin, she was obsessed that it came with a lid to hide all your dirty items; the inner removable laundry bag was just an added bonus. She immediately confiscated the sample and placed it in our office laundry room.

After all of our testing and research we’re so excited to finally be offering these products and we hope that you are all satisfied with our “ultimate selection”.  We know you expect the best and we would not recommend anything but, with that in mind we’re still on the lookout for the perfect drying rack!

…stay tuned!