Do I need an iron?
 

I would like to know if I can use my travel iron with converters in most hotels. We are traveling Italy for 3 weeks and will not be unpacking our suitcases for overnight stays. I'm figuring items may be quite wrinkled before I get to wear them. Any suggestions? thanks

In many hotels there will be an iron in your room or you can ring reception and ask to borrow one.

1) if you pack carefully things won't wrinkle much
2) Most hotels have irons you can borrow
3) you are on vacation - why do you want to iron???

I personally never take an iron - using one w/ an adaptor is always an iffy proposition . . . .

was posting the same time as Lawchick . . . .

OTOH - I always take a travel iron. Even if you've ironed everything beforehand (which I rarely do), it's useful just to tidy up some things, without going to the effort of getting a full-sized iron & ironing board delivered to the room - although I do that too, if I need to. I even take a travel iron when visiting friends and family.

If you are staying in posh hotels & can afford it, of course you can get your clothes ironed for you.

ah - but caroline, your iron is already European current. Makes a big difference. A US iron will either be dual voltage and only work at the lowest temp, or is single voltage and requires a converter.

I take a dual voltage steamer. Small, lightweight, does a nice job.

It's really your choice, though I agree with the others most hotels have irons you can borrow.

You'll need to make sure your iron can take 200/220V, and you'll need an Italian outlet socket (two round, not flat prongs).

Alternatively, you can create a "steam room" by letting VERY hot water run from a shower, and just hang your clothes as soon as you check in to a hotel.

I also find that a small, portable dual voltage steamer will do just fine. In fact, I prefer it to an iron.

Interesting,

On my last trip, all the hotels I stayed in in Italy said they could not allow irons in rooms as it was illegal. Of course, I could pay to have them iron for me! One hotel, a 3*, ironed beautifully for me with no charge. Grazie! Only 1, a 2*, let me borrow an iron and an ironing board.

Pack in the plastic that comes from dry cleaners and you will have few wrinkles. Knits rarely wrinkle. Hang wrinkled items in the bathroom while you shower and the steam should improve matters.

An iron never makes the 'cut' in my 20" suitcase.

An iron is too heavy and bulky. I just hang my clothes in the bathroom and let the steam shake out the wrinkles, then make sure they dry completely. (After I while, I started doing this at home too.) And I'm a little more wrinkly traveling than at home.

I fill an empty spray bottle with water, spray clothes and pull out wrinkles, or you can buy Downey wrinkle release.

Well, it's up to you, but I'd as soon bring an iron as I would a lawnmower or a trash compacter or a camp stove. I'm on vacation!

Truth be told, I don't even iron at home. At I don't sew, either. Sorry.

I'll go Barbara one better. I had my clothes laundered, ironed and folded (just like my husband's dress shirts) for my last trip. What a breeze it was to find things and I, also, did not unpack. Everything was remarkably free of wrinkles.

When I travel with my sister she always carrys an iron. Once in France her travel iron broke so the next thing I knew she was buying this big honkin iron. She likes her clothes pressed perfectly and doesn't mind lugging an iron around. When her luggage got searched at the airport, the TSA person stuck their arm down in the black hole of her 70lb. suitcase and pulled out that big ole iron the look on her face was priceless. I guess what I am saying if an iron makes you happy take it!

When we were in France and Italy they would not loan us a iron for our room they also told us it was against the law. That's why dear old sis bought her own.

I always take a dual voltage steamer / Iron - small and light, with the appropriate adaptors of course. I take it for business and for pleasure - I like to look neat when I go out, call me crazy.

I have never been able to have steam from a shower take out wrinkles, although it certainly seems like a nice concept. Stil haven't gotten around to trying that Downey stuff.

In Italy, I have been told that I could not borrow an iron to use in the room; that it was illegal. In a few hotels, they did it for me for nothing, in a few I had to pay, in one there was a room somewhere with boards and irons and in one they set up a board in the hall outside my room so I could iron there (there I was, in the hallway, wearing a blouse and slip at 0530, ironing a skirt before I went to work....

Worse case was when I was told that I could not plug ANYTHING in to the wall. Of course I ignore that initially. I got down on my hands and knees under the desk and starting unplugging a lamp so I could plug my laptop in.... when the plaster started crumbling out of the wall onto the floor - I decided to take them at their word and not plug ANYTHING in!

So - long story short - bring the iron if you want it, just know you might not be able to use it. I would make sure to find out the ironing situation upon checking so you know what the story is.

I might add that in addition to the old steam in the bathroom trick, i usually bring a travel size bottle of Downey Wrinkle Release. Spray and hang overnight, the stuff works miracles.

I stay all over Europe for work in really nice hotels and NONE of them except the one in London offer an iron-either in the room or from the front desk.Some of the hotels (unless they are an American chain like Holiday Inn) have told me that they have never had anyone ask for an iron. Don't worry about the wrinkles as everyone else has them too. My best advice is hanging them up the night before and taking a wet towel to "soak out the wrinkles".

I stay all over Europe for work and for pleasure and I have never had any problem locating an iron when I needed one!

Way back I used to pack a travel iron, not any longer. Even a tiny one takes up too much room and is too heavy, not even mentioning the electrical problems.

I pack clothes that don't need ironed. If you really have to have a couple things that need a touch up, I'd borrow an iron from the hotel, or even drop it off for pressing somewhere. But seriously, if you choose the right kinds of pieces/fabrics to pack, a quick steam while you take a shower and shake-out should be sufficient.

I have never had any results at all with the shower/steam technique. Does this Downey stuff really work?

I use the steam in the shower technique, but use around 20,000 gallons of water per pair of pants.

I stopped taking irons when I literally blew out the circuits on an entire Amsterdam hotel floor by using one.

I have had no trouble with the shower technique provided there has been enough hot water; in Lucerne that hand-held mosnter got away from me and steamed the skin on my legs, too

I am convinced that plastic bag technique is a myth perpetuated by the dry cleaning industry since i have never gotten it to work.

HEAVY starch on shirts..now THAT works!

Yes, the Downey stuff really works, although I wouldn't use it on silk. You do need to do it the night before, and after spraying give the garment a few tugs, then hang it overnight and Voila!

Re: the steam in the bathroom. I don't find it works on all fabrics, although I've had luck with wool gabs and crepes. I don't do the shower bit though. I fill the tub with steaming hot water right before going to bed, hang the clothes in the bathroom and shut the door. That seems to work a bit better than other options.

I actually prefer both of those over an iron as it seems you never know what a strange iron will do! (: Sometimes they spit out water with little white bits, sometimes the heat gauge is off, I've had worse luck with hotel irons so am not very trusting I'm afraid.

I went to House of 220 and bought an Oster dual voltage travel iron for my 3 week trip this past April. It's compact and worked pretty well, considering I used the bed or a dresser-top as make-shift ironing boards. Got the major wrinkles out, so I didn't have to feel like a slob. I'm really glad I took it.

I agree with Dayle and others It is illegal to iron in yourroom in Italy. They have had a few fires and people died

try Downy Wrinkle Release. They sell it in travel size bottles in Wal Mart It's really great stuff. Spray it at night, and let hang dry - it gets big wrinkles out no problem. The clothes won't look fresh pressed, but they are going to get rumpled anyway!

Given that Italy is suffering from a drought, it might not be a good idea to use the steam in the bathroom technique. This Downey stuff sounds great. I wish we had it here. I don't mind a few wrinkles, (my face has it's fair share after all -does Downey work on faces too?) but DH travels on business and always ends up with wrinkled shirts, no matter how I treat them before he goes. Last year I found myself ironing shirts in a New England hotel room. Not what I'd had in mind when I was allowed to tag along for a change....

Yes. Unless specifically prohibited. Inquire at Reception.

Wearing clothes that are properly ironed is important to me. IMO, it's part of being well-groomed, like showering or putting on make-up.

There are so many threads about what to wear in Paris or Italy, how not to look like a tourist, what's in fashion, jeans, trainers, etc. etc.

But one difference I noticed between how continental Europeans and North Americans dress, is that Europeans' clothes are well pressed. I think it's part of the reason why continental Europeans (both men and women) appear so much more attractive and put together.

I pack a travel steamer and it works well. I always press my clothing as I refuse to look unkempt.

I feel the same way about "straight from the wash" wrinkled clothes which is why I am bringing a small dual voltage travel steam iron from Brookstone. It weighs less than a hair dryer (which incidentally I will not be needing).

My DH (Dumb Husband) and I never use the hot water to steam out our clothes, just a waste of water.

Hi J,

My Lady Wife brings a plant mister (available in Europe) and moistens her garments before hanging them on the back of a door.

My jacket is hung on the back of the bathroom door and moisten when we shower.

Wrinkles hang out.

((I))

I have a small German travel iron that I usually bring. Since I travel with a 22" suitcase, I sometimes have to wash a blouse in the sink and then wring it out, and I really need to be able to iron it.

I'm careful about doing this and have never had any problem, though I know I'm not supposed to be ironing in the room.

Pago, presumedly you and your husband have a shower or a bath. Just hang the wrinkly clothes in the bathroom while you're showering and let them dry out afterwards. Unless of course you're in one of those Italian bathrooms where everything gets wet.