How to Use the Garment Steamer Savings Calculator
A garment steamer lets you refresh clothes at home instead of sending them to the dry cleaner, adding a small electricity cost while cutting dry-cleaning bills. Enter how often you use it per week and your typical dry-cleaning cost per item, and this calculator compares the estimated monthly power cost against the dry-cleaning money you save.
The calculation assumes about 0.7 kWh per standard steaming cycle and the U.S. average residential rate of $0.17/kWh. Using a stronger steam or sanitize cycle often draws more power, which can raise the electricity estimate slightly.
The more suits, coats, or other dry-clean-only items you typically send out, the bigger your net savings. For the most accurate result, think back to how often you actually used the dry cleaner and what it cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only if you use it very rarely or your dry cleaner is unusually cheap. In most cases the electricity cost is much lower than dry-cleaning fees, resulting in net savings.
It's an average for a standard steaming/refresh cycle on a typical garment steamer. Actual usage varies by model and cycle selected.