Russell Hobbs 27220 Steam Genie Hand Held Steamer - Handheld Clothes Steamer for Garments, Curtains and Soft Furnishings, 1800 Watt

Product Information

The third tool is for upholstery: a fabric cover with coral-style “fingers” on it. The fingers have a large surface area for lifting dust from furniture. This makes the Russell Hobbs more versatile but the results are nothing like those from a powerful steam cleaner. Handheld clothes steamers come with few accessories if any. Expect a soft cover for more delicate fabrics and a brush for tougher fabrics and upholstery. Vertical steamers often come with an attachment that helps you put creases in trousers, which work pretty well. Some steamers also come with a heatproof mitt to protect your free hand. The weight is evenly distributed across the handle and head, with a thinner part in the middle to hold. The buttons are completely self-explanatory and the water tank easily clips on and off. Clothes steamers are multi-functional pieces of kit, too. They can be used for cleaning curtains and upholstery, killing the majority of bacteria and removing stale odours. They let you de-crease duvets without removing them from the bed and, if you have a work shirt that needs a little freshen-up, steaming it is far better for the environment than throwing it into the washing machine and tumble dryer. (Talking of which, heated airers are a newfound godsend for the energy-aware.) If you’re someone who likes to get all of your ironing or steaming done in one go then an upright steamer with a larger water tank is definitely the best option,” says fashion stylist Emma Lightbown. “If you prefer to steam individual pieces before you wear them or are looking for something easy to travel with then I would recommend a handheld.” What should you look for in a clothes steamer?

It has a 1-litre, removable tank that will last you half an hour, with a large fill hole. The power cord measures 2m and the steam hose 1.2m. Its constant 40g/min steam is powerful enough to get the job done and is up to temperature within 60 seconds of switching on. We're all more than aware by now that wearing your clothes once and throwing them into the wash is bad for the environment – and for your clothes! If you want to wear your clothes a couple of times without feeling like – and it looking like – your dress, shirt or trousers have been worn the day before and scrunched into a drawer, then you can rely on a clothes steamer. You can also use a clothes steamer for cleaning curtains and upholstery, as well as de-creasing bedding – because everyone knows that ironing a bedsheet is possibly one of the most tedious tasks there is.Like similar handheld models, this clothes steamer takes up no more space than a shoebox, including accessories. It's Tefal's most compact clothes steamer, hence why we rate it the best travel clothes steamer. It comes in a carry bag and with two attachments – a steam cover for delicate fabrics, and a brush for heavier fabrics and upholstery. It also comes with a clever metal hook that loops over the top of a door, giving you somewhere to hang clothes for steaming.

Using a steamer is really simple, fill the tank with water, wait for the steam to start flowing, hang your garment and then move the steamer across the fabric to get rid of the creases. You don’t need to press the steamer against the fabric. For delicate fabrics it’s best to hold it a few inches away. Steam them inside out to avoid damaging any of the details,” says Lightbown.Bear in mind that steam irons offer vertical steam too. So if it’s just for occasional use, you could use an iron that does both instead. If you want to steam lots though, clothing steamers feel much nicer than holding a heavy iron aloft. Even little touches are nice, like the Velcro tie that stops the 3m cord getting in a tangle when you store the steamer. Our only criticism is that the lights (indicating 20g/min eco mode or 25g/min turbo) are at the front with the trigger button, so can’t easily see them. Steam is the best of the bunch, with a 5.8-bar pressure delivering 90g/min constant steam and an immensely powerful 200g/min steam shot when you squeeze the trigger. Results are what really matters though and the Tefal blew us away – or should that be steamed us away? It can blitz shirts effortlessly in less than a minute and was the best on test at getting creases out of a linen dress. The steam shot lasts for a good 30 seconds, which is long enough before you need to move to a new spot anyway. Lots of steamers have a brush head, but this one also has a lint remover head - useful when steaming wool, velvet, gaberdine and other materials that tend to attract fluff and hair.