I Use This Steamer Every Day—And I’ll Never Iron Again

We all have our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="pet peeves (opens in a new tab)" href="pet%20peeves.%20Whether%20it%E2%80%99s%20the%20toilet%20paper%20roll%20hung%20the%20%E2%80%9Cwrong%E2%80%9D%20way%20or%20someone%20talking%20with%20their%20mouth%20full,%20there%20are%20certain%20things%20that%20drive%20us%20up%20the%20wall.%20Mine?%20<a%20href=" https: target="_blank">Wrinkled clothes.

No matter how amazing my outfit may be, if it’s wrinkled, it’s ruined. My eyes immediately go right to any wrinkle, and I assume that anyone else who looks at me will zero in on them, too.

Now, we could spend some time unpacking the psychological implications of this fixation, or I could share the way I avoid it altogether: The J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer. Before this device entered my life—more on that in a minute—I was either burning clothes with an iron or throwing them in the dryer with a damp towel to get wrinkles out. Not only was this a waste of time and energy, it wasn’t particularly effective.

Next, I tried a couple of cheaper handheld steamers, and they frustrated me even more: spitting water on my clothes and barely improving the wrinkle situation at all. I temporarily wrote steamers off—that is, until an ex-boyfriend gave me the Jiffy steamer as a Christmas present about 10 years ago. (How romantic, right?) You know how they say every relationship is worth it—even the failed ones—because of what you learn? That’s definitely true in this case. Because I learned that I can’t live without this steamer. I use it every. single. day.

This is the kind of heavy-duty machine that professional stylists use to get garments in tip-top shape. The vessel holds three-quarters of a gallon of water, which provides an hour and a half of steam time, so you’re not running to refill it every day. 

The built-in stand allows you to hang your item at the proper height so you can effectively steam it using both hands. (Pro tip: Put the steamer head inside your garment so that you’re capturing and utilizing the residual steam and not just releasing it into the air like you would if the steamer were on the outside.)

But, perhaps most importantly, it heats up quickly and provides a steady stream of strong steam (try saying that 10 times fast) that quickly removes wrinkles from even the most stubborn fabrics. It doesn’t spit and leave water marks on clothes, either, which is especially important when steaming silk. Plus, it also works on drapes, tablecloths, bedspreads, etc.

I know the cost of the Jiffy steamer, currently about $165 on Amazon, is pretty high. But if you think about the cost per use—considering I’ve had this for more than a decade and use it nearly every day (ditto for my husband)—it’s a worthwhile investment. Especially if you’re an anti-wrinkle obsessive like me.