Traveling with a Hand Held Clothes Steamer

One of the most frustrating things about traveling is the fact that no matter how carefully you pack, your clothes are often a wrinkled mess when you arrive at your destination. Some packing experts suggest that if you roll each article of clothing, it will resist wrinkling. Still others recommend that you should fold each article neatly and then place it in a plastic dry cleaning bag. While these tips might work some of the time, they do not seem to be reliable all of the time or for everyone. Some hotels may offer to send your wrinkled clothing to a dry cleaner for pressing, but you will pay top dollar for this service. Perhaps the best way to travel without worrying about how your clothes will survive the trip is to take a hand held clothes steamer. 

These are compact versions of the larger professional models that many clothing retailers use when they unpack new merchandise. However, not every hand held clothes steamer is made with the same features, so you should do a little research and read customer reviews before you make a purchase. Your hand held clothes steamer should be completely portable. Because these models are so compact, they will require very little of your luggage space. One nice, but optional feature you might look for is a retractable power cord. This will eliminate the need to wrap the cord around the steamer when you want to put it away. In spite of the fact that these steamers are so compact, you nonetheless want to find one with as large a tank as possible.

If the water-holding tank is small, you will have to continually fill it as you steam your garments. Another important consideration when purchasing your hand held clothes steamer is how easy it will be to use. Does the steamer have an on-off switch, or does it turn on automatically when you plug it in? There also might be times when you want your steamer to operate at a slightly lower temperature, so temperature settings can be important. Not all steamers offer temperature settings, so if this feature interests you, then look until you find one with settings. Another consideration is whether the steamer comes with attachments such as fabric brushes and lint pads. These attachments are fairly standard, but there are still some models that don't have them. The best hand held steamers produce continuous steam; this feature should be a priority.

If your model doesn't maintain a hot enough temperature to produce a continuous output of steam, you will have to occasionally wait for the unit to re-heat enough for the steam to reappear. Though you want the steam to come out in a steady stream, you definitely do not want it to sputter when you are using it. Sputtering will result in water spots appearing on your clothing. Some steamers require the use of distilled water or the addition of salt to tap water, but the most convenient steamers operate with regular tap water alone. Since most people want portable steamers for their travels, it is additionally nice to find a unit that has dual voltage.

This will allow the steamer to function even in foreign countries where the electrical voltage is different than in the United States. Hand held clothes steamers can be safely used on any type of fabric, though they perform best on softer fabrics. They are especially nice for getting wrinkles out of delicate silks that are typically too fragile for ironing on anything but the very coolest settings. Portable steamers can also be used on draperies and upholstery, so they can be great for home use as well as for traveling. The purchase of a good steamer can add one more dimension of enjoyment to your travels.