PurSteam Steamer Burn Injuries Result in Recall of More Than 200,000 Devices: CPSC

Recalled steamers have been linked to nearly 500 reports of hot water being expelled, resulting in dozens of burn injuries.

Federal safety officials are urging consumers to immediately stop using certain PurSteam steamers, warning that the devices can expel hot water from the steam nozzle during use, posing a serious burn hazard risk.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the PurSteam steamer recall on February 5, following more than 470 reports of hot water escaping the steamers, leading to over 50 burn injuries.

PurSteam steamers include handheld garment steamers, upright fabric steamers, and steam irons that use heated water to generate pressurized steam for wrinkle removal and fabric care. The devices are marketed as fast, chemical-free alternatives to traditional ironing and are commonly sold through major online retailers, including Amazon and Walmart.

Handheld steamers heat water to produce high-temperature pressurized steam, which can pose a risk of serious scald burns if steam or hot water escapes unexpectedly from the nozzle, seams, hose or other parts of the unit.

The current recall affects 119,000 PurSteam Elite Travel Steamer model PS-510 and 75,400 PurSteam Mighty Lil Steamer model PS-550, handheld devices.

The Elite Travel model has been associated with at least 80 reports of hot water being expelled, including 14 burn injuries, while the Mighty Lil model has been linked to 392 similar reports, resulting in 40 burn injuries, including two second-degree burns.

The PurSteam Elite Travel Steamer is a white handheld unit with a triangular steam vent, a wave-shaped water reservoir window, the “PurSteam” logo on the front, and a model number printed on a label near the base.

The Mighty Lil Steamer is white with an oblong vent opening, the logo below the reservoir window and the model on a bottom label. For both models, the manufacture date (YYMM) is on a label on the bottom.

All affected devices were purchased after December 2020, with the following date codes:

The steamers were sold online at PurSteam, Amazon and Walmart, with the PurSteam Elite Travel Steamer available from December 2020 through April 2025 for about $15 to $35, and the PurSteam Mighty Lil Steamer sold from December 2020 through January 2024 for about $11 to $30.

However, additional reports of hot water being expelled from both steamer models, including reports of burn injuries, predate importer Aterian Inc.’s acquisition of PurSteam in December 2020.

Customers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled steamers and follow the instructions at recall.pursteam.com to request a full refund, which may include cutting the steamer’s cord and uploading a photo of the steamer with the cut cord.

Consumers should keep their steamer until receiving the refund, as some may be asked to return it to Aterian using a prepaid shipping label.

​​For more information, Aterian can be contacted by phone at 833-910-6095, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, by email at recall@pursteam.com, or online at pursteam.com.

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