May 15, 2023, 2:43 pm | Read time: 6 minutes

Similar to a steam iron, a steamer smooths textiles using steam. The advantage over a traditional iron is that steaming is a gentler method. Instead of flattening the fibers, the hot steam lifts and swells them, restoring their natural shape. A steamer can cost up to 540 euros. However, cheaper models are available at discount stores. myHOMEBOOK tested the steam brush “SDMF 1300” from Lidl’s own brand Silvercrest in a video.

How Does the Steamer Work?

With a steam brush, you can smooth textiles. Unlike an iron, you don’t place a hot iron on shirts, bed linens, or tablecloths; instead, you guide hot steam over the fabric. Steamers have a tank that can be filled with water. The Silvercrest steam brush’s tank is easily recognizable in red or, as in the myHOMEBOOK test, in blue, depending on the model. When you turn on the device, the water is heated and condenses. Several nozzles at the head of the steam brush release the steam. The discount store’s website describes the device as suitable for quick and easy smoothing of garments. Additionally, the clothes should be hung, such as on a clothes rack.

Whether you prefer ironing or steaming is a personal choice. However, smoothing with a steam brush has the advantage of not flattening the textile fibers. The steam swells the fibers, restoring their natural shape. You can achieve a similar effect by hanging wrinkled laundry in the bathroom while taking a hot shower.

What’s Included in the Set?

The box includes the steam brush “SDMF 1300,” a brush or ironing attachment, and the user manual. The ironing attachment is particularly suitable for firmer textiles. A glove to minimize the risk of injury while steam smoothing is not included. The steamer has a slide switch that activates continuous steam output. This means you don’t have to hold the button down continuously to produce steam. The removable water tank holds about 250 milliliters. The cable length is 220 centimeters. On the Lidl website, the device costs 22.99 euros plus shipping.

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Lidl Steamer Test – What Can the Silvercrest Steam Brush Do?

myHOMEBOOK tested how efficiently the discount store’s steamer can smooth clothing.

First Impression

The water tank of Lidl’s steamer also serves as a base. This gives the device a stable stand and eliminates the need for a separate stand. The Silvercrest steamer is also handy and not too heavy. However, the brush attachment is difficult to attach. There are only two buttons: the power button and the steam button. The water tank can be detached from the device. If you need to refill it during steaming, you don’t have to hold the entire device under the faucet.

Practical Test

Plug it in, press the power button: The device is ready to go in just a few seconds. For new devices, however, the manufacturer recommends testing the steam brush on an old piece of fabric. You should run the steamer once or twice until the water tank is empty. The operating instructions note that possible deposits should be removed during these two runs. These can be identified by brown spots and a strong odor. In the myHOMEBOOK test, however, stains were still visible on the clothing even after the two runs. These could be removed in the washing machine.

Afterward, you can start smoothing the wrinkled clothes. myHOMEBOOK tested the Lidl steamer on a shirt and a dress. With the steam brush, you move slowly from top to bottom over the hanging garments. It’s important to hold them taut. For easy operation, you can activate the continuous steam. The size of the head allows the steam to cover larger areas at once. The smooth surface makes it easy to glide over the clothing.

Smaller areas or the ends of garments became a problem. For a smooth result, you need to hold the fabric taut, but you also don’t want to burn yourself on the hot steam. For example, at the collar of a shirt, there’s not much room to hold the fabric tightly. While the steamer quickly smoothed the lighter fabric of the dress, it struggled with the thicker fabric of the shirt despite the ironing attachment. Overall, you can clearly see that both garments are wrinkle-free. It takes between four and six minutes to steam the clothes.

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More on the topic

Various Methods How to De-Wrinkle Clothes Without an Iron

Vileda Steam Steam Cleaners in the myHOMEBOOK Test: Is It Worth the Purchase?

Pros and Cons

The Lidl steamer has both advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

• The steamer is comfortable to hold and not too heavy.
• The continuous steam button is practical and simplifies handling.
• The device is quickly ready to use after pressing the power button.
• The water tank is relatively large for a handheld steamer and can be detached from the device.
• The steam brush can be safely set down thanks to the base.
• Compared to other steamers and irons, the price of the Silvercrest steam brush is very affordable.
• Due to its size, the device can be easily stored.

Cons

• Smoothing a top takes about five minutes, which is relatively long.
• The edges of garments like shirts are difficult to smooth. A glove would protect the hand from the hot steam.
• The brush attachment is difficult to mount.
• The water tank is hard to detach.
• Clothing is not as smooth after steaming with the Silvercrest steam brush as it is after ironing with an iron.
• Stains occur if a new device is not run long enough beforehand.

Conclusion

At 22.99 euros, Lidl’s steamer is among the cheaper models on the market. It impresses with a large steam output, easy operation, and practical continuous steam. The device successfully smoothed the garments. The steam brush from the discount store proves that you can get a device with good performance for a small price.

myHOMEBOOK editor Lena Hackauf says:
The Silvercrest steamer from Lidl is my first steamer. I had long considered which model to choose and am very satisfied with the affordable model from the discount store. For this price, the steam brush offers more than adequate performance. I find the continuous steam button particularly practical. And I must admit that the steamer has now encouraged me to take out wrinkled clothes from the closet, which I previously found too tedious to set up the ironing board and iron.