Is this the gadget that means you’ll never need to iron again?
With sales of handheld steamers booming, HANNAH BETTS asks...
The last time I ironed, I was 18 and freshly arrived at university. ‘how hard can this be?’ I thought, brandishing said implement with a sweeping gesture that began on a blouse and proceeded straight up the tender skin inside my left arm.
horrified by my wounds, the boy downstairs offered to press things for me. And so began my Oxford romance, as my affair with the ironing board ended.
Since then, I have either ignored ironing (in my 20s) or paid someone to do it (after the age of 35, when one can’t get away with bedraggled insouciance).
Then came the pandemic, and I could not have my cleaner come in to iron.
Fed up with looking like a bag lady, but determined not to engage in any domestic drudgery, I decided to invest in a natty, handheld steamer. And it turns out I’m not the only one to ditch the iron in favour of waving the creases out of my clothes.
Last year, Steamery Stockholm sold more than 120,000 appliances, an increase of 600 per cent since 2017.
My fashion editor friend Cleo raves about them: ‘Steaming is effortless and not only wipes out wrinkles, but also kills bacteria, keeping clothes fresh — perfect for anything that’s dry-clean only. They’re also brilliant at preventing moths.’
Gun-like in design, these steamers are fast, ecologically friendly, and far more fun than being chained to the iron. Simply fill the water cartridge of the steamer, plug it in, then wait a few seconds for it to heat up, at which point a light tells you that you are good to go.
Most people steam clothes from the outside, but you can also steam inside like a pro — wear a protection glove for extra leverage — or use against an ironing board for a super-pressed look.
With the best devices, though, simply dangling the garment in mid-air and waving the steamer in its direction should work.
So, which are worth buying and which are full of hot air? Read on to find out.