I purchased this a while back, mainly to steam things around The House, such as sheets and clothing. What I've ended up using it for primarily though, is items that I've crafted for my shops. Sometimes the items need freshening up for photographs, especially if I've had them stored for a while and am taking new pictures to spark interest in them. I've found the steamer to be particularly helpful when I'm working with suede, straight off the card, because then it has bends in it that are unattractive, and detract from the design of the jewelry. Obviously I need the products to look their best, and being able to smooth out the suede can make all the difference. I still use the steamer for clothing and other items, and it has served me well. I was able to get a good deal on the steamer, during a good sale, which of course, is always an incentive to purchase. Additionally, I've owned several HoMedics items over the years, and they've always been sturdy and serviceable. If you're in the market for a home steamer, this is a unit I would recommend.
Steamers are incredible little devices, and they are actually money-savers in the long run, too. Steamers have applications with clothing and furniture as well as elsewhere, and it'll save you a trip to the dry cleaner's or a rough experience with that tough-to-use iron sitting at home. I much prefer steamers, and they're going down in price, so you can definitely get one without spending a small fortune today.
Yes, I don't even put mine away, I leave it out all of the time. It's something I can use for my own clothing, as well as my products. Now is a good time to get one, especially if you'll be pulling seasonal clothing and household items out of storage. It can be used to freshen them up, as well as steam out any wrinkles. One of my favorite things to do with my steamer is steam the sheets when guests are coming. It's a very luxurious feeling to slip in between good quality sheets that have been steamed perfectly flat and wrinkle free.
I prefer using a steamer to de-wrinkled clothing than using an iron. I understand, in my head, exactly how an iron works, but you'd think that I've never seen one every time I use it because I just can't do it right. So the steamer makes everything easier, produces better results, and it can be used for other purposes. Sure, it costs a lot more than a cheap iron, but I'll take the convenience and extra uses of a steamer any day!
I have a decent iron, but even so, unless you keep distilled water on hand, you take a chance on rust or other stains, if you have hard water. I definitely have hard water here, and don't often have distilled water, so will use tap water in the iron and use it when I'm ironing something like heavy duty fabric for a DIY project. I agree, the steamer gives a more polished result, and never leaves stains, since only the steam touches the item, rather than taking a chance with water randomly leaking out of the iron. No matter how many irons I've bought over the years, and whether they are cheap or high end ones, at some point, every iron seems to give off a little water which can stain the fabric.
