Steam irons

Steam supply

— the possibility of supplying hot steam to the place of ironing; for this, special holes are provided in the soleplate of the iron.

This function adds complexity and cost to iron design, but the benefits are worth it. Steaming is effective for smoothing stubborn fabrics, refreshing with hot steam to eliminate odors, and killing bacteria and fungi. Most modern irons have steam supply, except for specific travel models and some ironers (see "without steam" for details).