I'm a tattoo artist, but one of the most common questions I'm asked is actually:
"Why is your clothes always so neatly folded?"
To be honest, when I first heard this question, I almost burst out laughing.
Because in the minds of many people, a tattoo artist should be like this:
Wearing a wrinkled black T-shirt, with their hair loosely tied up, having a pile of ink bottles on the table, and the background music always being metal rock.
Reality is actually not that romantic.
In our industry, to put it simply:
We use needles to perform permanent procedures on other people.
So when a client looks at you for the first time, they don't just judge you based on your work;
they also look at:
- Is your hands clean?
- Is your workbench tidy?
- Are your clothes as if they were just taken out of the laundry basket?
This is not vanity; it is a sense of trust.
It was not because of fashion that I truly began to take clothes steamer seriously; rather, it was because of a very embarrassing experience.
That day, I met the client wearing a shirt that was wrinkled like a plastic bag.
That was a Monday morning.
I just flew back from a tattoo convention the day before and got home at 2 a.m.
There was an appointment for a new client at 9 a.m., a firefighter who wanted to get a full-arm sleeve tattoo.
I grabbed a black shirt from the suitcase and sniffed it:
Not bad
Then I put on my clothes and went out.
The problem is -
That shirt is extremely wrinkled.
It's not an ordinary wrinkle. It's the kind of:
Like being crumpled up and stuffed into a backpack, and then spending five hours on a plane.
As soon as the customer entered, he glanced at me for two seconds and said:
“Man, looks like you had a rough flight.”
He was joking.
But at that moment in my heart, I was very clear:
If I can't even take care of myself properly, it would be very difficult for others to fully trust me to inject needles into their skin.
From that day on, I began to study the garment steamer seriously.
Why would a tattoo artist be unable to do without a clothes steamer?
It's not because I'm tidy (though I do like to keep things clean).
It's because this tool solves a practical problem:
I don't have time to iron the clothes slowly.
Our industry operates on an appointment-based system.
Being 10 minutes late is not just embarrassing; it's a direct loss of income.
And often, I change into two sets of clothes in a day:
- Black T-shirt worn at work
- Shirt worn when meeting clients or friends after work
If I took out the iron every time, I would have gone crazy long ago.
The greatest advantage of a clothes steamer is:
Hurry up.
You open it, wait for about ten seconds, and steam starts to emerge. Then the clothes will gradually return to their normal state.
There is no ironing board.
There are no complicated steps.
There is no emotional breakdown.
I have purchased 6 clothes steamers, so these suggestions are not just theoretical.
I'm not an expert.
But I'm definitely someone who has fallen into traps.
The following suggestions are what I would say to a friend, rather than to a client.
Suggestion 1: Don't buy the cheapest one. Really.
The first time I bought a steamer, I just picked it up randomly at the supermarket.
The price was quite attractive, around 25 dollars.
Result:
- The heating process takes 2 minutes.
- The steam fluctuates in intensity.
- It broke after 6 months.
Later, I bought another one which was a little more expensive.
It took 3 years.
At that moment, I finally understood a truth:
Cheapness is not the issue; it's the repeated purchases that make it expensive.
Suggestion 2: Weight is more important than you might think
If you have never used a clothes steamer, you might think:
"Can multiple things be different?"
I tell you, there is.
I once used a model that weighed around 1.5 kilograms.
At first, I thought it was quite sturdy.
But after about 10 minutes, my wrist started swearing.
Later, I switched to a lighter one, approximately 0.8 pounds in weight.
It's about the same weight as a bottle of water.
From that day on, I started to use it every day.
Not because it has more functions.
But because --
Not tired.
Suggestion 3: The heating speed really determines whether you should use it or not.
Many people bought steamers, but ended up leaving them in the cupboard gathering dust.
Not because it is not easy to use.
But because:
Too slow.
If you are in a hurry in the morning, you won't be willing to stand there for two minutes.
The type I'm currently using can produce steam in approximately 15 seconds.
This is the difference between "I will use it every day" and "I'm too lazy to use it".
Especially for someone like me:
People who often oversleep in the morning.
Suggestion 4: If you enjoy traveling, be sure to check out voltage.
This is the experience I gained through my own blood and tears.
Once I took the steamer to Europe to attend the tattoo convention.
I plugged it in, but it didn't respond at all.
It's not broken.
It's because the voltage is incompatible.
Since then, I have only purchased models that support global voltages.
This way, they can be used directly in the United States, Canada, or Asia.
If you:
- Often travel on business
- Like to travel
- Or just wants to bring one less adapter
This is of great importance.
Suggestion 5: The size of the water tank should not be too small.
This is something that many people overlook.
If the water tank is too small, you will keep adding water.
It's very annoying.
In particular, you need to handle:
- Thick coat
- Jeans
- Several pieces of clothing
I usually suggest:
It should be able to work continuously for at least 8 to 10 minutes.
This is basically sufficient.
A true story: The clothes steamer once saved me from a "loss of dignity"
Last year, I was at a large tattoo expo.
On the first morning, I noticed a problem:
My work shirt is all crumpled.
And I have to go on stage to give a presentation in 30 minutes.
At that moment, I really panicked.
The hotel doesn't have an iron.
There is no laundry shop nearby.
But I have a small steamer in my bag.
I hung the shirt on the bathroom door,
turned on the machine,
and moved it down from the shoulders all the way.
Three minutes.
The problem has been solved.
That day, many people took photos.
Later, these photos appeared on social media.
If I had been wearing wrinkled clothes at that time, those photos would have stayed with me for a long time.
Later on, I discovered that the clothes steamer also had these hidden functions.
It's not an advertisement. I developed it gradually on my own.
Usage 1: Remove odors from clothes
Our tattoo artists come into contact with:
- Alcohol
- Disinfectant water
- Ink
These odors will remain on the clothes.
Steam can help:
Make the clothes smell cleaner.
It is not a replacement for a washing machine.
However, it is very suitable for temporary cleaning.
Purpose 2: Prepare clothes used for taking photos
If you are doing any job that requires taking photos -
For example:
- Hairdresser
- Barber
- Photographer
- Tattoo artist
If the clothes are wrinkled, it will ruin the photo.
A steamer can solve this problem in just a few minutes.
Purpose 3: Cleaning curtains and bed sheets
This is something that many people are not aware of.
You can directly spray steam onto the curtains.
There's no need to take them down and wash them.
Suitable for:
- Moving house
- Deep cleaning
- A guest is coming
My true opinion about Nesugar
Over the years, I have used many different brands.
There were established brands as well as new ones.
I have noticed a trend:
Nowadays, clothes steamers are getting smaller but more practical.
For example, some designs will:
- Very light
- Heats up quickly
- Can be used hung up directly
- Suitable for travel
I really like this way of thinking.
Because people in this era don't need complex devices.
What we need is:
Tools that can solve problems immediately.
And for brands like Nesugar, my impression is:
It is more like a practical tool rather than a toy for showcasing technology.
If you ask me: Should I really buy a clothes steamer?
My answer is quite simple.
If you meet any of the following conditions:
- Go to work often
- Often travel
- Don't like ironing clothes
- Wants clothes to look more decent
- Wants to save time
The answer is:
Worthwhile.
It is not a luxury item.
It is a tool.
Just like the machine of our tattoo artists.
Finally, the heartfelt words of a tattoo artist
Many people believe that professionalism comes from skills.
Actually, it isn't.
Professionalism stems from details.
Clean tools.
On-time.
Tidy clothes.
These little things will gradually accumulate into others' trust in you.
And a simple clothes steamer,
won't change your life.
But it will make your morning --
Much more relaxed.
