FULL STEAM AHEAD
Packing expert reveals the gamechanger travel item she always takes on holiday with a dupe for just £6.99
It has five stars on Amazon
PACKING a suitcase for a holiday always ends up with your clothes getting creased, no matter how neatly you fold things.
However, there are game-changing items available that packing experts swear by whenever they go away, meaning they keep their clothes crisp without having to do any ironing.
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Lydia Mansel, travel writer and founder of swears by her travel steamer, which she says is "key" to having crease-free clothing.
She told : "Buy a travel-sized steamer. It's nearly impossible to avoid all wrinkles, no matter how you pack, and a steamer is key to keeping your travel clothes fresh and wrinkle-free.
"No one wants to haul the iron and ironing board out of the hotel closet, then spend 20 minutes pressing out any lines in your clothes.
"The steamer is worth the extra space it takes up in your suitcase – and then some."
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There are a several travel steamers available, including the Beautral foldable handheld clothing wrinkles remover, which is available for £29.99 on Amazon.
The steamer is foldable and lightweight and comes with an included storage bag, which makes it ideal for travel.
It boasts a 30-second fast heat up time and powerful steam output to remove wrinkles from clothes quickly.
It also has a leak-proof design, preventing it from leaking or spilling, enabling steaming both vertically and horizontally.
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The Beautral steamer has an Amazon rating of 4.5/5 from more than 2,700 ratings, with 83 per cent of reviewers rating it four or five stars.
One person who gave it five stars said they couldn't think of any way to improve the steamer.
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They wrote: "Small enough to travel with. Totally functional."
Another described it as a "lifesaver", saying: ""Get this for your next trip! I bought it totally last minute, just days before our 7 hour flight.
"We were packing formal attire: 3 piece suit and a gown and realised it was going to be wrinkled without time to have it sent for pressing before the event. This little steamer worked amazingly!"
While the Beautral is one of the best rated steamers, there are also highly-recommended cheaper options available.
The Cozeemax handheld portable garment steamer is one of them, which is available on Amazon for £26.99 and has 4 out of 5 stars.
Cheaper still is the Craftsboys handheld garment steamer, which is available for £23.99 on Amazon.
It too has an overall rating of 4/5 stars, with 76 per cent of reviewers rating it four or five stars.
But the biggest bargain is a Travel Iron Steam 2 in 1 for just £6.99, coming in black and white.
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Holiday packing tips
Jemma Solomon, aka The Label Lady has got 5 packing tips to help you get organised for your next holiday.
1. Write a list
Think about all the essentials you need to take with you; suncream, medicine, a few games for the kids, beach towels, and write everything in one list, which you can tick off as you add it to your suitcase.
Or for complete ease, try Google's AI app - Gemini - which will create a list for you and help you not over pack.
2. Involve your kids
Jemma said: “My girls are getting older, they’re 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say ‘this is what you need’ and they follow the list.
“And then I give them a rucksack each - and say to them ‘you can have whatever you want in there as long as it’s not liquid', and they can take that on the plane. And that’s their ‘home away from home’ items.”
3. Try a hack or two
She said: "I think they all work, but for different reasons - and you’ve just got to pick the right one for your trip.
"Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases. And if you’re trying to get a lot of items into your case, it’s a space saver.
“Packing cubes are great - for example, I’m going on holiday with my three kids and we’re all using the same suitcase for our clothes.
"These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked.
"I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we’ve arrived."
4. Decant beauty products
Do you really need to take full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner with you? The beauty industry has evolved so much, you can now buy shampoo bars or sheets - which are much lighter and smaller.
Or, if you'll be popping to the shops when you're abroad, consider buying some items when you arrive.
5. Get organised before you come home
Jemma said: “When you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes.
“Also pack it in some form of order - so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person.
"Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don’t leave it."
This laundry pro has revealed a tumble dryer trick to prevent the need for ironing at home.
Crease releasing sprays can also help take wrinkles out of clothes without using an iron.
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