How to Clean a Jiffy Steamer
Jiffy steamers are an investment, but a worthwhile one at that. If you look after your Jiffy steamer, it will last you for a very long time. Jiffy recommend cleaning their steamers every 3 to 6 months, depending on the water you use, how hard the water is and how often you use your garment steamer.
There are two ways you can clean a jiffy steamer, either using a white vinegar and distilled water solution, or by using the Jiffy steamer cleaning solution. This is a solution made by Jiffy, specifically for descaling the water boiler of their steamers. Using this premade solution is the recommended cleaning option by Jiffy.
The vinegar and water solution is far more cost effective, however, the Jiffy cleaning solution is more efficient and purpose designed for Jiffy steamers.
How to Clean a Jiffy Steamer with Vinegar
- Turn off your jiffy steamer and unplug it from the power outlet. If you have been using the steamer, leave it at least 60 minutes to cool down.
- Once the steamer has cooled down, empty any remaining water from the boiler.
- Fill the water tank with 50% white vinegar and 50% distilled water (up to the maximum fill line).
- Reconnect the power to the steamer and turn the steamer on.
- Run your jiffy steamer steamer until around 50% of the vinegar and water solution has steamed.
- Turn off the steamer and allow the remaining vinegar and water solution to sit in the tank. I’d recommend leaving this sit overnight. This will give the vinegar time to work its magic in descaling the heating element.
- Empty the water reservoir of the remaining vinegar and distilled water solution. I recommend pouring the leftover water in your garden, particularly if you have plants that love acidic soils such as rhododendrons, gardenias, or azaleas.
- Partially refill the water chamber with distilled water, plug the steamer back in and turn it on. Check that it is now steaming efficiently. If not, you may need to repeat the process. Alternatively, buy the Jiffy Liquid Steamer Solution (available here on Amazon #commissions earned) which will work like a charm on your Jiffy Steamer. See below for instructions.
Advice from Jiffy About Cleaning With Vinegar
Jiffy have issued specific advice regarding cleaning their steamers using vinegar. It is:
Additives such as salt, vinegar, bleach, perfumes and dyes should never be added to your steamer water. These substances will corrode or clog internal parts.
JiffySteamer.com
Salt, bleach, perfumes and dyes I agree with. Vinegar corroding or clogging an internal part? I’m not so sure.
I’m not a specialist in chemicals, therefore, I cannot comment on the validity of this statement, only that other steamer manufacturers recommend using vinegar to clean their steamers.
I can’t help but think Jiffy want you to buy their cleaning solution, so specifically recommend against vinegar. That is just my speculative opinion.
If you are concerned about voiding your warranty by using vinegar, please get in touch with Jiffy first. I’ve included their contact details at the bottom of this post.
Using Jiffy Steamer Liquid Cleaner
Jiffy make a solution specifically for garment steamers. You can find it on Amazon here (#CommissionsEarned) and also in the image link above. It is most cost-effective to purchase in a pack of 3 (you get one bottle free in comparison to purchasing individually).
Unlike the white vinegar and water solution, the Jiffy Liquid Cleaner is not intended for use whilst the garment steamer is running.
The steps for cleaning your Jiffy steamer will be different depending on the model you own, so I’ve divided this into two step by step guides below.
Cleaning Jiffy J1, J2 and J2000 Models
Clean your Jiffy steamer every three to six months using the Jiffy steamer solution. Remember, prevention is better than cure!
- Turn off and unplug your Jiffy steamer.
- Remove the hose attachment and the water chamber from the unit. Discard any remaining water.
- Set aside the hose attachment – we will come back to clean this a little later.
- Grab your gloves and if using, eye protection and mask. The Jiffy steamer solution is acid-based, so be careful.
- Using one full bottle of Jiffy liquid steamer cleaner, pour the solution into the water cup where you normally place the water bottle on your steamer. See the image above these instructions to visualize this.
- DO NOT TURN THE STEAMER ON or RUN THE STEAMER AT ALL.
- Leave your Jiffy steamer to sit with the cleaning solution inside it. Jiffy recommends leaving for 2 to 3 hours. The longer you leave the solution, the more time it will have to work.
- Whilst the solution is working, go back to the steamer hose that you disconnected earlier. Using your garden hose, run clean water through the steamer hose to flush out any sediment or build-up. Set the hose aside to dry.
- When you are ready to empty the Jiffy cleaner solution out of the steamer, pour it out of the same water cap area that you poured it into. You may need to tilt the steamer back and forth to remove all the liquid.
- Rinse the unit thoroughly by flushing it with fresh water 2-3 times.
- If discolored water or residue continues to come from the unit, the above procedure may need to be repeated.
In severe cases or if the steamer is still not working after cleaning, disassembling the steamer may be required. You will need an authorized repairer or Jiffy service technician for this.
Cleaning Jiffy J3, J4 and J4000 Models
Like the other Jiffy steamer models above, the cleaning schedule for the Jiffy J-4000 models is recommended every three to six months.
- Make sure your Jiffy steamer is turned off, unplugged from the wall socket and cold.
- Disconnect the hose of your Jiffy steamer from the unit. Keep this aside, as we will come back to clean this later.
- Pour out any remaining water that was in your Jiffy steamer.
- Fill your Jiffy steamer with one gallon of water.
- Pour the entire bottle of Jiffy steamer liquid cleaner into the water tank.
- Plug the steamer back in and turn the steamer on to PREHEAT.
- When the red pilot light turns off this will indicate the end of the preheat cycle. Switch off the steamer and unplug it from the wall socket. DO NOT ALLOW THE STEAMER TO RUN PAST PREHEAT.
- Leave the solution to sit in the steamer. Jiffy recommends two to three hours.
- Whilst the solution is sitting in the steamer, take the steamer hose outside and rinse out using your garden hose. This should help to remove any sediment or build-up in the hose.
- When you are ready to empty your Jiffy steamer, pour the solution out of the same fitting where the hose normally connects.
- Rinse the unit thoroughly by flushing it with fresh water 2 to 3 times.
- If discoloured water or residue continues to come from the unit, the above procedure may need to be repeated.
In severe cases or if the steamer is still not working after cleaning, disassembling the steamer may be required. You will need an authorized repairer or Jiffy service technician for this.
The Jiffy steam solution is not intended for use inside the steam hose or steam nozzle. Do not run your Jiffy steamer with the solution inside – aside from using the preheat function.
Steaming the solution could cause damage to your steamer, and as an acid-based solution, breathing in the vapor is not ideal.
Cleaning the Jiffy Esteam Handheld Steamer
If you have a Jiffy handheld steamer or travel steamer, otherwise known as the Jiffy ESTEAM, you can also use the Jiffy cleaner solution to descale this. Rather than periodically descaling, Jiffy recommend cleaning the handheld steamer as soon as you begin to see calcium scale build up in the bottom of the steamer.
As a smaller steamer, you will only need to use half the bottle of cleaning solution. Then follow these instructions:
- Fill your Jiffy handheld steamer with 4 ounces of water.
- Plug in the steamer and bring it to full steam.
- Turn off the steamer, unplug it and leave it to cool for two minutes.
- Empty the water out of the steamer. Grab your gloves (and mask/eye protection if wearing) before handling the liquid cleaner as it is acid based.
- Pour in 5 ounces of Jiffy Steamer Cleaning into the handheld steamer.
- Leave the steamer to sit for two hours with the solution inside. Do not plug back in, turn on or run the steamer.
- After 2 hours, pour out the steamer solution and discard.
- Rinse the steamer with clean fresh water three times, to make sure all of the cleaning solution has been removed.
- Refill with water (ideally distilled water) and you are ready to steam again!
How to Get in Touch With Jiffy Steamers
If you need to arrange a service for your Jiffy Steamer or have additional troubleshooting, here’s how to reach Jiffy in the USA:
Technical Support Phone Line: 1-800-525-4339 or 1-731-885-6690
Support Email: info@jiffysteamer.com
Sending Your Jiffy Steamer for a Service
Post your Jiffy Steamer to:
4462 Ken-Tenn Highway, Union City, Tennessee 38261 USA
Any service repairs by Jiffy factory technicians are covered by a 6 month warranty. I highly recommend contacting Jiffy on the phone number or email address above prior to sending your steamer back in for any reason. There will likely be return shipping fees that you will need to pay.
Other Types of Steamers
This tutorial is specific to Jiffy steamers. If you have an other brand of steamer, take a look at my post on how to clean a clothes steamer for more information.
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