Conair GS4R Compact Fabric Steamer
by Conair
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List Price: Our Price: $29.99 You Save: $10.00 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $19.99 (click here) Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Conair GS4R Compact Fabric Steamer
Customer Review: Average product, not for expensive clothes...
Summary: 2 Stars
This product is average, at best. However, at $20 at Kohl's for a slightly different version, it was worth a try. I have worked at clothing retail stores before, and have used high end fabric steamers. This little steamer has the following...
Pros:
--inexpensive, especially when found on sale
--easy to learn usage
--works well with light general cottons, stretchy cottons, poplins
--once you get the steam going, you can clean up a number of items in a row
--heats up quickly
--easy storage
--gets dryer wrinkles out, especially since I rarely take clothes out right when tumble dry finishes
Cons:
--cannot get minute wrinkles out, especially on tighter edges of cotton (e.g. placket, stitching around collar and hem)
--base gets very hot, be careful!!
--water refill is into the whole base, not a removable container
--water can run out quickly, but have a cup close by (I think only 8oz. goes in anyway to max)
--hook seems flimsy, I kept expecting everything to come crashing down
--steam holes are large, could be more numerous with smaller holes
--absolutely does not replace an iron
--difficult to refill water mid-steam, everything gets soo hot! it was difficult to believe that the base would not melt into the floor
--cannot get clothes as crisp as with an iron
This is an okay product. Sure, I could do well without it, but since I wash and dry my own dress shirts, it's easy to get the majority of dryer wrinkles out of my work clothes during the weekend with this thing. However, this is certainly not a product to use for everyday--it seems as cumbersome as pulling out all the stuff I would need with an iron.
P.S. Dress for warm weather, this gets the room you are in quite hot!
Customer Review: Decent but Problematic Steamer (Also, Mold!)
Summary: 2 Stars
For the price, this is a good little steamer. It gets wrinkles out as you would expect... wool is magic, cotton t-shirts are good, button-up cotton shirts retain traces of wrinkles but major wrinkles dissapear. The steamer is easy to fill, though sometimes getting the hose off of the unit is difficult. One problem with the steamer is where to put the paddle when you turn the unit on. Unlike a larger unit, it doesn't mount above the reservoir. You either leave it attached to the unit (not ideal) leave it on the floor, or rig it so it hangs somewhere until the steam starts.
Like many here, I had the gurgling problem. Seems that water collects in the paddle. Before using, I find it useful to shake the paddle so that the excess water falls out, towel off the paddle, then apply to clothing. Also, it is important to make sure that the hose is not kinked, as this also adds to the problem. Occasionally you'll find that the steam is leaking out at the base of the hose, either due to a kinked hose blockage, or the base turning as you use the hose. This creates less steam out of the paddle, and thus more work to get out wrinkles. BTW, the hose is some sort of weak plastic and it will kink at some point despite best efforts to keep smooth.
I can't blame this last bit on the steamer, though it seems quite odd. I went to use the steamer today (I've been using it 5 days a week for the last month or two) and needed to fill it with water. I happened to look inside of the reservoir and noticed that the bit of water that was left in there was cloudy. After pouring it out, I realized that there was a fair amount of mold growing on the bottom of the reservoir. I believe it is growing on the plate that heats the water. So, wow, some extremophile mold. But also, that's it for me and this steamer. Gross!
Customer Review: Great Little Steamer!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great little steamer and I mean little. I was surprised how small it is. My toaster oven is bigger! Still, it gets the job done.
Set up is easy, just remove the hose and pour water in the hole where the hose connects. There is a very clear line for the max amount of water. The unit will get HOT and you will hear the water boiling in the unit. The hose will be hot but the hose is covered where you hold it stays comfortable. Allow the unit to cool before you empty, water collects in the hose and that is boiling hot water. I allow the steamer to dry out before I put it away. This keeps it clean for mold and mildew, I don't want to steam that into my clothes. I also recommend using bottled water if you have hard water.
The door hanger is great, you can hang the clothes to steam and the hose as well, very nice.
I did a lot of research before I bought this steamer. I belong to a resale collective that has sales events twice a year and I needed a steamer that would allow me to steam over a hundred clothing items with ease, ironing is to much effort. I am glad I chose this steamer, It worked great on one of my sons old button down shirts, t-shirts and jeans, the wrinkles came out easily, it is the perfect size for the job I need it to do and then some. I only wish I could purchase attachments for the head, one with a brush and microfiber pad, that would be very useful.
For those that don't know the difference, this will NOT Iron your clothes, it will not give you that crisp ironed look and flat seams. This will remove wrinkles quickly without having to lug around the ironing board and iron.
I see many reviewers expecting more then it is designed to do.
Customer Review: Works quite well actually
Summary: 4 Stars
For $25, one wouldn't normally expect anything spectacular in regards to a steamer, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Conair compact steamer. All I wanted was a small steamer that actually worked. This product delivers. Setup is very easy and while the following don't really bother me personally, some may find a bit annoying, so I will describe these 'gripes': The bucket that holds the water is not very big, meaning you will get about 20-25 min of steam time, tops. It takes 5 minutes for the steam to actually come out. I don't see it as a big problem unless for some reason you are in a huge rush. There is no proper place to hang the hose nor the item you are steaming. You need to get a bit crafty here.
I use an over the door hook to hang the garment that I am steaming. Then I hang the special hose hook to anything that can support it, like say a towel bar or even another door. It works just fine, as long as you are in an area that you can easily use to hang stuff. These are the only issues that I found, and like I said, they don't bother me because the steamer itself actually works.
I have steamed clothing that included dress shirts, baby clothes, skirts and other lightweight items. Sheer curtains were a breeze. My thicker living room drapes took a few seconds more, but the annoying lines and wrinkles came out. I don't really know how well the steamer works on very thick items, like a sweatshirt or jeans, but I personally would never steam something like that anyway.
Every now and then a few drops of water leaked out, but I think it was the way I was holding the hose. Not a big deal. Bottom line is, you want a small everyday steamer for a low price that actually works-this is it.
Customer Review: Great Steamer, Low Price
Summary: 5 Stars
This steamer isn't perfect, but works good enough for most tasks. Great bang for the buck. I also used it to block my knitted items and it works like a charm.
It holds a good amount of water. It will sputter a little bit if the water accumulates in the hose. It's best to use the hanger and make sure the hose is completely straight, so any condensation flows back down. Give it a few minutes to heat up completely. If it sputters, hold the nozzle upright and shake gently to get the condensation to flow back down. I used this on delicate synthetic curtains and it was fast and easy to get the wrinkles out. It's also useful for straightening fabrics before sewing. I lay the fabric on my berber carpet and then steam horizontally. It's powerful enough to get strong creases out of 100% cotton quilting fabric. This is a LOT faster than ironing on a board!
It isn't a replacement for a real iron, though. I steamed some 100% linen pants and they turned out okay, but it's hard to hold the pants straight and steam at the same time. I was steaming them vertically. It might be easier to steam them horizontally.
I like how there is a place to wind the cord underneath. It is compact and stores easily in my closet. One downside is that the hose is hard to remove for water refill. It turns to one side, and then you pull it off. It takes quite a bit of force to pull it off.