A washing machine with a steam function heats water into vapour and lets it pass through the drum. The steam works into the fibres, relaxes them and carries away dirt and odours. The result is laundry that comes out noticeably less creased and that you often no longer need to iron.
It sounds appealing, but not every household benefits. This article covers what the function actually does, when it pays for itself, and which drawbacks come with it.
What the steam function does
There are three moments at which a machine can use steam, and each does something different.
Steam beforehand dampens and warms the fabric before washing starts. Detergent dissolves better and works deeper into the fibres, which helps with set-in stains.
Steam during the wash keeps the temperature more even and improves results at low temperatures. You can therefore wash at 30 or 40 degrees more often without losing cleanliness.
Steam afterwards is what most people buy it for. The fibres relax, creases fall out, and laundry comes out of the machine in a state that often makes ironing unnecessary.
When it pays for itself
The sum is simple: how much do you iron now? If you wash a few shirts or blouses every week, a steam programme genuinely saves you time. If you mostly run T-shirts, sportswear and bedding you never iron anyway, you are paying for a function you will rarely use.
A second situation where steam is useful: allergies. Steam above one hundred degrees reduces dust mites and pollen in textiles, even on a low-temperature wash programme. For bedding and soft toys that is a real benefit.
A third: freshening without washing. Many machines have a short twenty to thirty minute steam programme for clothes that are not dirty but smell stale, for instance after an evening out. That spares the fabric and saves a wash cycle.
The drawbacks
It takes longer. A wash programme with steam runs ten to thirty minutes longer than the same programme without. Anyone wanting a quick wash in the morning will notice.
It uses more. Evaporating water takes energy. A steam programme uses more electricity than an ordinary programme at the same temperature. Against that extra kilowatt-hour stands an iron you do not switch on, which itself draws some 2000 watts.
Not everything can go in. Wool, silk and garments with printed transfers or coatings cannot take steam. Leather and anything padded stays out too. The machine does not warn you; you have to know.
It does not fully replace ironing. Steam takes creases out, but a shirt does not come out as crisp as after an iron. For everyday office wear that is often enough; for a starched collar it is not.
Steam function or anti-crease?
These two are often confused. An anti-crease programme uses no steam: the machine spins more gently and turns the drum occasionally after the cycle, so the laundry stays loose. That reduces creasing, less than steam does, and costs nothing extra.
If your creasing comes mainly from not taking the laundry out straight away, anti-crease already solves most of it. If you genuinely want to iron less, steam is the step you notice.
What to look for
Do not just check whether the machine says "steam", but which steam programmes it has. A machine with steam only at the end of the main programme is a different thing from one with a separate refresh programme and an anti-allergy programme.
Also look at how long those programmes run and at what temperature. An anti-allergy programme at 60 degrees does something different from a twenty minute refresh setting.
Every model with this function is with the washing machines with a steam function. Still unsure about capacity or spin speed? Start with the washing machines in general.
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What does a washing machine's steam function do?
The machine heats water into vapour and lets it pass through the drum. The steam works into the fibres, relaxes them and carries away dirt and odours. That can happen before the wash (detergent dissolves better), during it (better results at low temperature) or afterwards (fewer creases). The last of those is what most people buy it for.
Do I no longer need to iron with a steam function?
Less, but not never. Steam takes most creases out, so T-shirts, trousers and bedding can go straight into the cupboard. A shirt does not come out as crisp as after an iron. For everyday clothing that is often enough, for a starched collar it is not.
What are the drawbacks of a steam function?
Three things. The programme runs ten to thirty minutes longer, it uses more electricity because evaporating water takes energy, and not every fabric can take it: wool, silk, printed transfers, coatings and leather do not belong in it. Against that, you switch on the iron less often, and that draws some 2000 watts itself.
Does steam help against dust mites?
Yes. Steam above one hundred degrees reduces dust mites and pollen in textiles, even when the wash programme itself runs at a low temperature. For bedding and the soft toys of children with allergies, that is one of the strongest arguments for this function.
What is the difference with an anti-crease programme?
Anti-crease uses no steam: the machine spins more gently and turns the drum occasionally after the cycle, so the laundry stays loose. That reduces creasing, less than steam does, and costs nothing extra. If your creasing comes mainly from laundry sitting in the machine, anti-crease already solves most of it.
