Two garments are hanging in the laundry: a wool suit that has been in a case for nine hours and a silk-chiffon gown with a beaded bodice, wanted at seven. One of them wants steam. One of them wants a steamer nowhere near it. Choose wrong and you are having a conversation with the captain.
Steam and press are not the same tool
| Steaming | Pressing | |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Hot vapour relaxes fibres; garment hangs | Heat plus pressure sets the cloth |
| Best for | Wool, worsted suits, jersey, most travel creases, refreshing | Cotton, linen, shirts, sharp creases, trouser lines |
| Risk | Water spotting, over-wetting, damage to glue and embellishment | Shine, scorch, melting, permanent flattening |
| Contact | None | Direct, through a cloth |
Steaming procedure
- Hang the garment fully, on a shaped hanger, with room around it.
- Let the steamer purge until it produces dry steam, not spitting water.
- Work from the inside out where possible, top to bottom, keeping the head 5-10 cm off the cloth and moving continuously.
- Hold the hem lightly with your free hand to give tension.
- Leave the garment to dry and cool on the hanger for at least 20-30 minutes before it is worn or stowed. A steamed garment stowed damp will crease worse than before.
Pressing procedure
- Test the iron temperature on an inside seam every time.
- Use a pressing cloth (clean cotton or muslin) on wool, worsted and anything dark. Never place a hot iron directly on wool or silk.
- Press, do not iron: lift and lower, rather than sliding, on tailoring. Sliding stretches and distorts.
- Shirts in order: collar, cuffs, sleeves, yoke, then body panels.
- Use a sleeve board for sleeves so you do not press a false crease into them, and a tailor's ham for shaped areas.
Fabric decision table
| Garment | Do |
|---|---|
| Wool/worsted suit | Steam or press with cloth; low-medium; rest afterwards |
| Fused jacket | Minimal steam at distance; heat can bubble the glue |
| Silk | Cool, dry iron on the reverse, through a cloth; no steam, no water spray |
| Linen/cotton | Press damp, high heat, direct is acceptable |
| Sequins, beads, appliqué | Steam from the reverse, at a distance, briefly. Never press |
| Technical/waterproof shell | Cool iron with a cloth only if the label allows; heat destroys membranes and taped seams |
| Velvet | Steam from the reverse; never rest it face-down on a board |
Onboard Notes
- The commonest ruinous mistake aboard is a hot iron placed straight on dark worsted: it creates a permanent shine that cannot be reversed.
- Sequins are plastic. They melt, curl and dull. A gown that arrives beaded goes to the guest unpressed and hung, not steamed flat.
- Never steam directly onto a fused jacket front. Bubbling is permanent and the jacket is finished.
- Bottled or filtered water in the steamer only. Yacht tank water will scale the unit and spit minerals onto white silk.