The Secret to reviving My closet: A stay-at-home mom 's daily Routine with Cloth Steamer
There are two children at home. One is in primary school and the other is still in still bottle-feeding. The pace of life is almost "speeding up" every hour. Even so, I still try my best to make myself look decent. It's not because of vanity, but when you put on a smooth and flat garment, even if you only have five hours of sleep left, your whole body will feel as if it has been patched up and ready to go.
I used to have that thought of "ironing clothes when I have free time", but "free time" never came. Later, I tried working a small cloth steamer into my daily routine. It didn't disrupt the rhythm; instead, it became an indispensable metronome in my life.
Fabrics vary a lot—here's how I deal with them
I'm quite sensitive to the fabric of clothes. It's not only because I like it to look good, but also because I hate the feeling of it being "wrinkled" and sticking to my body. But each fabric has its own character, and a hard iron can accidentally cause water marks or indentations. It wasn't until I started using cloth steamer that I gradually got the hang of it.
Cotton fabric, which seems sturdy, is actually very unforgiving - it can wrinkle all over after just one wash, but as long as you straighten the body of the garment and gently sweep it with steam, it will fit in like magic in an instant. I don't use much linen, but every time I wear it, it has a particularly good texture. However, you have to move slowly and don't stick it too close, otherwise it's easy to overheat and deform.
At first, I really didn't dare to handle fragile items like silk and chiffon. It was only later that I realized the key is to keep a certain distance. Don't stick the nozzle close to it. Letting the steam "float" past like fog is actually the safest. And the thin sweaters are even better. After steaming, the texture of the entire garment becomes more three-dimensional, and it is even more comfortable than when it was first bought.
These usages really saved me a lot of time
I'm not the kind of person who can spare a whole block of time to take care of the wardrobe. With children at home, going out in the morning feels like going to war. So I rely particularly on some efficient tips. Now I have a conditioned reflex to pick up my cloth steamer and steam it as soon as I see a little crumb, and it will be done in three minutes.
For instance, if clothes are hung directly after being washed and dried without being folded up, and simply steamed before each wear, the effect will be smoother than folding them up and then taking them out. For instance, I stored the machine behind the bathroom door. As soon as I woke up, I could easily grab it and get steaming. The movement was so fast that even the child was yawning.
The water I use is filtered from a water purifier. This way, there is less scale, purer mist and a longer lifespan of the machine. Every month, I take one day to empty the water tank and clean the inside with a little vinegar water, as if giving it a small maintenance. Although the movements may not seem large, with the accumulation of time, it really becomes more and more convenient to use.
The several points I care about most when buying a steam ironing machine
Many people look at advertisements when they buy things. I buy things solely based on the criterion of "willing to use them a second time after using them". When I choose cloth steamer, I don 't care about the exaggerated parameters at all. What I care about most is whether it is comfortable to hold, how fast it starts, and whether it is safe and stable.
My home is the most chaotic in the morning. The child is looking for socks and my husband is flipping through documents. At most, I can only spare three minutes for myself. If it takes several minutes for the steam engine to start, I'm sure I won't be able to hold on. So the one I chose can produce fog within 30 seconds. This is simply life-saving for me.
Weight cannot be ignored either. I tried the big machine at my friend's place. It felt great at first, but after using it twice, it just gathered dust. For me, portability is the key - it would be best if I could hold it while chatting on the phone, and it wouldn't even get in the way when taking care of the kids with one hand. The automatic power-off function is also a must. When there are kids and pets at home, safety comes first.
It's not just about ironing clothes. It has made me re-understand the "sense of neatness".
At first, I really didn't think about what changes the steam ironing machine would bring, but after using it for a long time, I found that I became more more gentle about keeping things tidy. In the past, I would get annoyed when I saw a pile of wrinkled clothes. Now, I think this is an opportunity to clear my mind - without any tasks or thoughts, just letting the heat slowly brush over the fabric, as if life has also been smoothed out.
Sometimes I also use it to steam curtains and the corners of sofas, or children's plush toys. the steam it releases won't soak things through, but it can restore the softness a little, making the entire space appear cleaner and warmer. Occasionally, my husband wears a suit for a whole day. When he gets home, he hangs it up and steam it briefly. The next day, he still goes out full of energy.
I think it is precisely this kind of "effortless effort" that has enabled me to maintain a bit of my own sense of order in the midst of my busy daily life. And this kind of order, even if others cannot see it, can be felt by oneself.
Those little episodes: Overcoming the troubles in use
Of course, there have been "failures".
Once I planned to have a picnic by the park and take some photos of some mom-and-kid photos, only to find that there were no sockets at all in the wild. Later, I learned my lesson and brought a large-capacity charger and power adapter. Before going out, I would steam it a few times in the car, and the effect was also quite good.
Wearing a thick down jacket in winter is a challenge. Steam can only iron out the outermost layer, and it still doesn't look snugly enough. Now I will steam the surface first, and then gently pat the down layer to restore its fluffiness. Although it can't achieve the effect of a dry cleaner, at least it doesn't look messy.
Another time when the baby was crying in the middle of the night, I held the baby in one hand and grabbed the machine with the other. Fortunately, I had already placed it on the hook behind the bathroom door and could get it in just three steps. After steaming the clothes, soothing the kids and turning to look at the clock - it's even faster than ordering a cup of latte.
Summary: A bit of warmth, a bit of order
To me, cloth steamer is not just an appliance, but a kind of "silent organizing power". In the chaos, it helped me steady my pace. When I am tired, it allows me to see the self that still has light in the mirror.
Life won't always be in order, and children won't be obedient every day. But if there is a little thing that can allow me to gently emit a bit of steam at the worst moment and iron out a wrinkled shirt, perhaps, that would be enough.
