PHILIPS 3000 SERIES GARMENT STEAMER

We know what you’re thinking: ‘I already have an iron; do I really need a steamer too?’ After trying it out, we think so! The Phillips 3000 handheld garment steamer is cute and compact, yet impressively powerful. With no complicated buttons to confuse you, this ministeamer is ready to carry out its duty in 30 seconds flat. Simply fill the 120 ml water tank and in no time you have lovely, hot, fabric-flatting steam at your disposal. When you’re done, it folds up quickly and neatly, making for the perfect accessory for trips.

(You’ll know what we mean if you’ve ever opened your suitcase to a nest of creased clothes when you’re away from home.) The one downside is that you have to plug it in. Fortunately it comes with a 2 m-long cable, which should make most plug sockets accessible.

So why use steam? Treating fabrics this way is an excellent method of killing harmful bacteria, and if the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that if something can be sanitised, you really ought to. Steaming also removes odours, which reduces the number of times you need to wash a garment. While steam is great for bed linen and curtains, mini-steamers such as the Philips 3000 work particularly well on your more delicate items that you can’t iron – and there’s no risk of burning through the fine fabric.

RRP R799 yuppiechef.com