THERE is nothing worse than arriving at your long-awaited holiday destination and opening your suitcase to find your clothes have had a party of their own, shifting, tangling, and leaving you with a mess of creases.
This includes the little black dress classic that you bought for that one night where you get all dolled up, just to head to a restaurant (it’s a holiday rite of passage).
So let me introduce you to a handheld steamer… that is collapsible.
Having never owned an iron in my life, a steamer seemed like the perfect solution to my few ‘grown up’ clothes.
But I never anticipated that this little, pink device would become the ultimate weapon for the perfect holiday outfit.
For £28.04 on Amazon, my neat steamer comes in two pieces – the head and the handle.
The handle screws on and off for ease, but also doubles up as the water tank to create the steam.
The steam is released by the simple click of a button and one handle-full of water will easily steam two or three pieces of clothing.
There’s no spitting hot water either, so you don’t need to hold it at arm’s length out of fear of being burnt.
The head then also has a detachable cap, in case you simply want to iron an item instead of steaming it.
The steamer is speedy, heating to 120C within just 45seconds.
So, within a couple of minutes, all creases are eradicated from the garment.
Turn it off, wait five minutes and it will be stone cold again.
All of this then comes in a small drawstring bag, ready to be thrown into a rucksack, handbag or suitcase.
Instead of paying hefty hotel laundry fees or wishfully hanging a dress on the back of the bathroom door whilst I have a steamy shower, the steamer takes up less room in my suitcase than a singular shoe.
Now when I go on holiday, I find myself using it for all of my clothes – making T-shirts crisp and skirts slinky again.
Evenings out also look better, as my glam dresses no longer have wrinkles and awkward kinks.
There are many different options you can get on Amazon, but mine specifically was the ‘homeasy Clothes Steamer’.
But this isn’t the only good option, there are lots out there offering the same thing – and some have even more features.
Just make sure you get one that comes apart as the one-piece designs are bulky and a total pain to pack.
You don’t need to spend a fortune either – so skip the fancy £71 Tefal options for one half the price.
For example, the ‘G6 Clothes Steamer’ costs £26 and the ‘Philips 3000 Series Handheld Steamer’ costs £32 – both are great options and each have four-star ratings.
The £6.99 travel gadget for hot holidays
John Lewis’ four-inch Handheld & Foldable Desk Fan is easily transportable and can be folded up into the smallest of bags.
Boasting three speed settings, you can choose how cool you want to feel in the blazing summer heat.
Once fully charged, this fan will operate for approximately nine hours on low speed, six hours on medium speed and four hours on high speed.
It even includes a rechargeable battery and charging cable, meaning it literally takes next to no effort to use thanks to its electric components.
Described as a secret weapon for staying cool during a heatwave by CNTraveller, you’d be crazy not to buy one.
“All in all, it’s been a very useful buy for hot and sticky times. It’s an absolute hot weather essential,” the outlet says.
The John Lewis fan is also praised for delivering a “consistently powerful airstream”, so there’s no need to worry about the handy gadget not doing its job.
Here are the travel bags, plane outfits and accessories we can’t live without – and they start from just 99p.
Plus, the ‘high quality’ travel gadget that keeps your luggage safe – and means it will never get lost.
