Hate to Iron? Same. Let’s Avoid it Together.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy ironing the odd handkerchief, pillowcase or scarf (read: any easy square or rectangle smaller than a dress shirt). But while I LOOVE the look and feel of freshly pressed clothes, perhaps you can guess what my colleagues at my first corporate fashion job gave me when I left for my second? Yup. I guess I was more wrinkled than I thought.

In the decades since then, I have both steered away from clothes in need of pressing AND found a more user-friendly steamer option than the professional ones we used in retail and corporate showrooms. (They were reminiscent of a Brachiosaurus and held gallons of water. Who has space for that in their home or suitcase, or that much to steam?)

I have my intrepid husband to thank for the gift of my favorite portable steamer that I use at home and is small enough to fit in a suitcase. (Ok, he consulted my same garment-industry friend that spearheaded the iron all those years ago, but he made the acquisition happen!)

Of course, no steamer will give you the sharpness of a pressed (or pressed and starched) garment or crease. If you want Karl Lagerfeld’s collars, a steamer is not your tool – an iron is. However, steamers do a great job of removing wrinkles in clean laundry and refreshing tired or worn garments, which can make for less frequent laundering and less packing for travel. I prize these two goals above a lot! Plus, I hate the idea of people noticing my wrinkled clothes over what I’m saying.

Any steamer you do choose needs to be powerful enough to merit trusting the outcome. A quick heat up time is valuable and is as appreciated as its efficacy. Note that as long as you remove all water, you can pack a portable steamer in a suitcase for air travel. Wrap it in a plastic or cloth bag along with adapter plugs appropriate for your destination. 

How best to steam?

• Before starting, always check the instructions associated with your garment. Don’t steam if you shouldn’t!
• Use gravity as an extra helper – steam while clothes hang and gently pull sleeves and hems taut for the best outcome.
• Run steamer along the surface to inject the most wrinkle-blasting humidity, but try not to touch delicate fabrics directly. Wet spots can create sagginess, the opposite of a polished look.
• Work methodically; back and front, top to bottom, side to side, inside and outside – steam it fully.
• Use distilled water preferably – it will minimize the build up of minerals in your steamer (and iron).

Give a small but mighty home steamer a try. It is possible to get the same level of steaming the Brachiosaurus gave, in the palm of your hand. If you hate both ironing and steaming, then hang your clothes in the bathroom while the shower runs. It will help minimize those wrinkles…and I wouldn’t blame you for letting the shower do the work.

x Stephanie