You will be impressed too!

First of all, I must admit that I probably overdose on gadgets. I am trying to truly limit those that I bring into the home, so I do plenty of research and then buy only those that I find I simply cannot live without.

Since I recently lost my cleaning/ironing lady...I got this "wonderful" idea of doing it all myself. A friend mentioned steam pressing to me as she owns a bed and breakfast and has found this tool a lifesaver in pressing those bedsheets and pillowcases. Hey, I like to have my sheets pressed too (only was too cheap to ask ironing lady to do it and not skilled enough with an iron to do it myself on a regular basis). Aside from pressing sheets, could it actually be helpful pressing clothing??

Having never heard of a steam press before my friend mentioned it, I began doing my internet research. To be honest, there is not a whole lot of information to be found on the internet (even at the manufacturers' sites). I did not REALLY know what I was getting into until it actually arrived at my home.

Along comes the Simplicity Digital Quik Press...and all of my ironing is magically done in about an hour each week. This includes sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths and numerous blouses and pants, my children's uniforms and just about anything else that happens to come out of the dryer with a wrinkle or two.

For those of you who are still scratching your heads about what this thing is...here goes. It comes as all one unit and no assembly is required. The pressing surface is about 22 inches long and 9 inches wide. The bottom portion of the press is much like an ironing board and includes a Teflon treated cover. The top of the press (which is very hot on the inside and outside) is a huge metal plate with openings for steam bursts. If you can picture a really big iron, that is it. There is a handle which stays cool and allows you to raise and lower the press (which is equivalent to 100 pounds of pressure). It is not heavy at all, but if you have ever tried to get out a really deep wrinkle with a regular iron, you will be amazed that it comes out in only a few seconds with the press. Under the bottom portion, there is a small reservoir for holding water (distilled is recommended, but I use filtered tap water). It comes with a miniature watering can thing which helps to fill the reservoir easily. It also comes with a spray bottle. You do not use spray starch or any perfumes or chemicals.

There are several benefits to me of the steam press over conventional ironing. Probably the biggest benefit is that steam pressing is a time saver. With a steam press, you are working in sections and ironing both sides of an item at once. The surface (though it doesn't seem overly large) is much larger than an iron and you only need a few seconds per section to take out even the deepest of wrinkles. You lay your item on the lower portion and gently smooth out any wrinkles with your hand. Then, simply lower the press and lift after a few seconds. When you put a shirt or a pair of pants or even a flat sheet (folded lengthwise) on the board, you are ironing several layers at once instead of one layer at a time. Surprisingly, both sides look great!

I have always hated ironing and have never been very good at it. I've tried different irons, starches, you name it. Usually stuff ends up with more wrinkles when I iron with a conventional iron. But this thing is magic, I tell you. I must warn you that it takes a few hours to develop a technique (for blouses) and if you have the heat on too high and burst too much with the steam feature, you will crack your buttons and melt synthetic zippers. But with a little practice, your clothes will come out looking like they were done professionally. I am so proud that I can finally iron and that I am not waiting for a week for my clothes to come back from the ironing lady, and smelling like whatever it was she happened to be cooking that week. This device paid for itself in two weeks time. I did burn myself a few times during the learning process, but not anymore. My 9 and 10 year olds were pressing pillow cases and undershirts with it last night. It's kind of fun, but definitely not for use around toddlers because of the high heat.

Just to give you the basics...there are six temperature settings (nylon, silk, rayon, wool, cotton, and linen), a warning beep that tells you before you've pressed too long (I only press for about five seconds for each section to avoid the beep), an auto shutoff, and a little rubber button on the handle that lets you give the steam burst (although never when the handle is locked down). It takes me about 2 minutes (sometimes less) to press a pair of trousers, five minutes to do a king flat sheet and 4 king sized pillow cases, and about 6-7 minutes to do a blouse. Polo shirts take about 1-2 minutes and t-shirts take about 30 seconds. I set this thing on my coffee table and do it while watching television. When you want to put it away, the handle locks in place and you lift it up like a suitcase and store it on end in the closet. You may need to purchase a heavy duty extension cord unless your outlet is 4-5 feet away from where you will be pressing.

I just can't believe that I actually enjoy ironing. It is simply something I have hated to do forever. But the Simplicity Quik Press has simplified my life and taken out all of the wrinkles! Now if I can only find a gadget to clean the rest of my house...