Do You Need a Water Hookup for a Steam Dryer?

Reasons

• There is no system in the steam dryer that recaptures or reclaims used water. For your undergarments and regular clothes that have close contact with your skin, you want a fresh supply of steam, to not only knock out the wrinkles but remove odors and allergens -- not recycle them. The steam dryer sprays a small amount of fresh water in the dryer after the internal temperature has heated to a specified point, basically creating the steam cycle. It is normal to find steam and condensation buildup inside the dryer, but this is not used in future cycles.

Hookup Method

• Homes commonly have a hot- and cold-water faucet that is recessed into a square wall compartment in the laundry room or garage. However, with the washing machine already using both water sources, you are left to determine how to get the dryer on tap as well. Steam dryer manufacturers are aware of this issue and include a Y-connector or adapter that helps you split and share a single cold water source (the bottom leg of the "Y") with the washer and dryer connections (the two top arms of the "Y"). If it is not included, you might find a universal Y-connector that was made by a third-party company to fit across many dryer brands.

Wrinkle Removal

• Steam and wrinkle-removal generally go hand in hand, whether you are using a steam dryer or steam iron. When that hot moisture hits the fabric it goes to work smoothing out the kinks and bunches in the material. However, another benefit related to removing the wrinkles is that you also reduce static cling. You might have familiarity with using a wrinkle-reducing spray while ironing clothes on an ironing board, and these products also remove static from the garment. In steam dryers, all you need is water to not only remove wrinkles but reduce static cling.

Sanitation

• Hot water at various high temperatures is a good sanitizer, whether you are showering, washing dishes or laundering clothes. Many steam dryer manufacturers have settings that are geared more toward sanitation, with wrinkle removal a side benefit. Some fabrics are labeled as non-machine washable. However, you might be able to use steam power instead to extract dirt, debris and odors from the fragile and delicate materials. Read the owner's manual that is specific to your steam dryer's brand and model number to find out which garments are safe to run through sanitation mode and which might be damaged, e.g., feathers.