Most hotels and apartment owners provide irons.

Better than buying and lugging a heavy iron around and dealing with the voltage difference, buy some wrinkle-resistant travel clothes. There's lots of it out there. If you live away from an urban area, look at the online catalogs www.travelsmith.com and www.normthompson.com. www.jjill.com has some items also.

A dual voltage steamer is compact, lightweight, and does a nice job.

Thank you so much for some help.
I actually phoned the hotels, and they do offer to do the ironing for you, but said for safety reasons, they will not issue me an iron.
I have made all my clothing purchases, but I thank you for the website.
I am interested in the dual voltage steamer, though, since it is lite weight..any suggestions on where to purchase one? Have you actually used one?

Why not let the hotels do it for you? I used to always pack a travel iron, but even the smallest is too heavy and takes up too much room to be worth it for me.

Two solutions:

Pack only things that don;t wrinkle

If you do have something that wrinkles steam up the bathroom and hand it in there - they should come our fairly easily

If desperate - have the hotel iron it.

Caveat: I know there is an iron somewhere in my apartment but I haven;t seen it for years. The ironing board is handy as a large cooling area when you're making lots of Christmas cookies.

I have this one and recommend it

http://www.amazon.com/FRANZUS-TS183MS-Micro-Steamer-Travel/dp/B00006WNNW/ref=pd_sbs_a_4_img/105-0751084-2014855

This one is also excellent

http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Dual-Voltage-Garment-Steamer/dp/B000MN9DA8

I did NOT like the Franzus TSM183MS Micro Pro Garment Steamer because it was too hard to hang onto and operate. The handle splits in two and the unit is too short.

But, price shop online. There are some good ones, cheap, and "Buy It Now" on E-Bay usually.

An old trick I learned years ago is to let the shower and/or bathroom steam up and then hang the wrinkled article in the shower. I have never done this myself - I tend to travel with wrinkle free or wrinkle resistant clothing.

If that steam in the bathroom plan worked, I wouldn't bother packing a steamer. It's never worked for me.

catiecat,

Even here at home I sometimes use the steam up the bathroom for clothes that say do not iron.

Have a great trip.

The easiest thing to do is to carry a small spray bottle and fill it with water at your destination. Lightly spritz the wrinkles and smoothe them out with your hands. Let the garmet hang up to dry. Or spritz and use coolest setting on your hairdryer to smoothe out the wrinkles.

This always works for me and I don't travel with just "wrinkle resistant" clothing but also with many cotton items.

"An old trick I learned years ago is to let the shower and/or bathroom steam up and then hang the wrinkled article in the shower".

Nothing healthier than breathing hot and damp air after wasting a lot of energy and water.......... ))))

I use Downy Wrinkle Releaser. It does a fairly good job of smoothing the wrinkles..not like an old fashioned iron, but it definitely helps.

Hi C,

My Lady Wife uses Betty's method.

I agree that the steam idea isn't very "green." Though moist air isn't all bad, is it?

I do know of people who use the Downy and like it. And the spray bottle idea seems good, too.

"I agree that the steam idea isn't very "green." Though moist air isn't all bad, is it? "

It is not moist air, it's water with a little bit of air into it
The dampness remains in the room, under the wallpaper and the carpetting, into the bed, even when you leave the window open and it's raining outside.....

although we've always had an iron offered whether we stayed at a hotel or apt, I too use the downey wrinkle remover like scatcat. Like she said, it's good, not great but it's better than nothing.

Yes - but you're not using the electricity that an iron takes. And, if you plan properly, you put the wrinkled items in the bathroom while you're taking your showers.

My ex-wife bought a travel iron when we lived in Germany. It was small and light and worked only on 220 volts because she bought it over there. Suggest that you go to a large department store as soon as you arrive in Whatcity and buy the local goods.

Tip for djkbooks: when you have a mile long URL use tinyurl.com.

I thank all of you for being so kind in replying about how to manage the clothing 'wrinkles' issue. There a so many good ideas, and I will give the hotel an opportunity to allow me one of their irons,or if time permits (since we are on a tour...first timers...),see if their schedule will be like our schedule, and just ask them to press a few items.
I really like to have the option though, to be able to just do it myself, so I may still purchase one,,thank you for the website and info. Never thought of the 'steam in the bathroom trick, but even if some say it doesn't work, you just know that I am going to have to try it!!
The spray bottle, and the Downy Wrinkle Releaser are also something to consider. Once again, I thank all of you! Ciao'

I stopped taking travel irons and then I stopped taking steamers and usually use the "bathroom steam" method.

Now, as to those who have decided that letting steam fill up a bathroom isn't "green" please consider the fact that the energy to heat up that water has already been USED before you even turn on the hotr water tap.

If this "logic" about "wasting steam" (actually it isn't even steam) makes one wonder how wasteful taking a shower is.

I also use the bathroom steam method..The water isnt wasted as I am soaking in a bubble bath as the steam rises!

In 16 trips to Italy I have never had a hotel provide an iron, even on request. Perhaps only the very $$$ hotels do but it is considered a fire hazard.

I pack a small dual voltage steamer with an attached brush. It weighs nothing and works great. While the steam in the bathroom method works for some things, it does not work consistently, at least for me.

catiecat: Maybe you know this, but if you are going to depend on hotel laundry services, it is wise to ask BEFORE you have things done about what the cost will be.

I've read comments on this forum that suggest that the prices can be exorbitant.

I also agree with the Downy Wrinkle Releaser. We used it a lot this past summer while in Europe. We would only unpack the clothes we needed for each stop and would put the wrinkle releaser on them the first night there. Most of the clothes were unwrinkled by the time we needed them in each city. Hope that helps.

A freind of mine just bought a combination hairdryer/iron. She is lending it to me for my trip to Italy next week. It's quite small, comes in a carring case. I don't know how it works but I figure it's worth a try. She bought it at Brookstone.

Steam takes out large loose kinds of wrinkles from certain fabrics, but it's not going to make a white cotton shirt ironed-crisp, for example.

This doesn't help catiecat, but any clothes I pack do not need ironed. There are not special travel clothes, but when I get new things I always have an eye out for "travel worthy" pieces.

nytraveler~ an unused ironing board also makes a good place for a cat to sleep!

The hairdryer method works great (like Betty & Lady Wife -Ira suggest)but you do have to pull on the garment to stretch it whilst blowing it with the hot air. ( husbands hands are needed here!) Works best with clothing made with some synthethic content.

I use the "pack my clothes within dry-cleaner bags and roll them" method, rather than fold- works like a charm. I did ask for an iron once in a small Parisian hotel and was escorted to the laundry room and got to use an iron right there with the hotel workers! What a treat to see the inner workings of a hotel, practice my language skills and exchange some smiles!

karrie:
please tell me how to do the dry cleaner bag bit...I know i have read it before, but have forgotten. thanks

I've successfully used the dry cleaner's plastic for years. I don't roll my clothes, though. I put a thin layer between every fold of the garment I can. For example, I'll lay a pair of slacks in the suitcase and place a sheet of plastic between the legs, then I fold the pants, placing more plastic between the folded part. Then I'll put a layer on top before I add another garment. Oh my, I don't think I've made this sound too clear. Everything's sandwiched between plastic. At any rate, I seldom have things wrinkled. It DOES add some bulk because I don't compress it and air pockets form. But when I pack to come home, I leave the plastic out and I have more room for purchases.

Beware of Downey wrinkle releaser it may leak and in case you are sensitive it is highly perfumed. Anyway, I use the dry cleaner bags. I place the item or items on the bag and fold them with the bag. Upon arrival everything gets hung up and rearranged anyway and later placed back in the bags. I rarely have wrinkles and like Suze I take items that are travel worthy. My husband often has laundry done through the hotels in Europe and Latin America and has almost always had good luck. It can be pricey, however.

This thread cracks me up (in a good way). Only because I don't iron my clothes at home, why would I need to when I travel?