It’s hard to believe, but allergy season is right around the corner. You may know it as the time of year when your nose never stops running, your eyes water, and allergy pills become your new best friend. Although there’s nothing you can do to stop the pollen from flying through the air outside, you do have control over allergens that hang out on your clothes and other linens, and nothing takes care of them faster than the steam setting on your washing machine and dryer.
Steam washing machines and steam dryers are relatively new to the market, so not many people know how powerful it can be to have the steam feature on your laundry pair. Here’s a few benefits of having a steam setting on your washer and dryer and how it will help remove allergens from your clothing.
The steam setting can heat water hotter than standard machines
Dust mites are a huge issue when it comes to allergies. I have a son allergic to dust, and in the past I’ve tried to remove dust mites from bedding, blankets, and pillows by using the hot water setting on my washing machine.
But when you select hot water on your washing machine the temperature of the water will usually hit 130 degrees. That’s pretty hot, but a recent study on dust mites found that you need to heat up your water to 140 degrees if you’re going to kill them. That means if you’re only using hot water, you might not kill dust mites and other allergens.
When I got my Samsung Front Load Steam Washer and Samsung Electric Steam Dryer, I discovered there was a better way to wash and dry my clothes and bedding. The steam generator can heat the water up to 212 degrees, and that releases steam inside the washer so dust mites and pollen will be terminated on whatever you’re washing.
Steam dryers remove odours and static
When your wash cycle is finished, you throw everything into the dryer, choose the steam setting, and watch the magic happen. By releasing a burst of steam at the end of the drying cycle, a steam dryer can remove excess static that can build up in your clothes.
A steam cycle on your dryer can also remove odours by using steam inside the drum to open up the fibers of the material. That action can release any trapped odour.
Other benefits of the steam function on washing machines and dryers
For me, removing allergens is the main reason I wanted a steam washing machine and dryer with a steam function, but there are a lot of other great benefits to using the steam cycle.
Do steam washing machines work for stain removal?
Having a steam cycle on your washing machine can aid in stain removal too. When water is heated up and steam is released, it opens up the fibers in your clothing and releases stains.
Steam cycles on washers and dryers work for sterilization
Washing cloth diapers, dish towels, and kid’s clothing: you don’t just want these items to be clean, you want them to be sanitized when they come out of the washing machine. When you choose a steam cycle you wash your clothes in water so hot, your laundry is sterilized. After you toss them in the dryer they come out fresh and extremely clean.
Steam washing machines and dryers can lessen wrinkles in your clothing
When you run your clothes through a front loader your washing machine will spin at high speed. When your washing machine spin cycle works properly, all of the excess moisture will be removed and they will require less drying time. Unfortunately it can also result in your clothes coming out really wrinkly.
With a steam cycle you’ll be able to use steam during your spin cycle, and that means your fabric will release wrinkles during the spin cycle instead of adding them. When you add these clothes to your dryer and choose the steam cycle again, your clothes will come out almost wrinkle free.
If you’re not a fan of the iron (I am not a fan of the iron), your washer and dryer’s steam cycle will be one of your favourite functions. A steam washing machine is one of the handiest things I’ve ever brought home, and I always make heavy use of it during allergy season and year round when I want to remove dust mites.
You can find your own steam dryer and steam washing machine on Best Buy right now.
