Hi jazzie!
I joined this forum just to answer your question. :-)

I have an Esteam clothes steamer and I would recommend it to anyone. It is pricey- about $80, but well worth it, because it is a workhorse that really does the job.

Most hand-held travel steamers are worthless. But this one shoots a strong steady stream of penetrating steam and I use it not only for clothing, but for steaming long lengths of fabric when I do theatrical staging. So it gets much more than the standard use, and is always reliable. You can use regular tap water in it. In fact, hard water creates stronger steam. I clean out the scale once in a while by running it with some white vinegar mixed into the water.

I'm on my second one in 10 years, only because someone who was using my first one let it boil dry and it burned itself out. It doesn't have an automatic shut-off. Probably it's only weakness.

Anyway, you can usually buy it locally. I got mine at a big sewing machine sales/repair place in town. Also available on oline through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-Steamer-personal-clothes-steamer/dp/B0001AG5X0

Some other testimonials here: http://www.jiffysteamer.com/Testimonials/index.asp

Here is a link that might be useful: Esteam website

Thanks Earthie!! :) Welcome to the forum... I got a Conair.. What a piece of junk.. It is going back.... It took out the big wrinkles, but it it didn't get it pressed looking.. It still looked rumply.. I will check out the Esteam..

Thanks for the welcome! You definitely need a steady stream of lot so steam to do the job.

Here's a tip though, that will make any steamer work better: Put some gentle tension on the area of the fabric you are steaming by pulling down or to the side as you work. It really helps get that "pressed" look.

I use a clothes steamer pretty often and one point I would like to make is that when using steam and putting tension on the article of clothing you must be very gentle because if too much tension is used the fabric will stretch. You would be shocked at how much an article of clothing can and will stretch, even when only using the steamer without tension to pull the wrinkles out. I haven't found a fabric that will not stretch when steamed. For best results, use the steam lightly and moving quickly across fabric. It is best to rid the article of wrinkles, as much as possible, immediately after removing from washer by hand pressing first.
One more very important thing to keep in mind while using your steamer is to take care not to burn yourself. This is easily done if your hand is in there creating tension to pull wrinkles out while steaming an article.
**Be very carefull with an article that has a lining.

My DH spent an insane amount of money and bought me a Black and Decker iron that will also do vertical steaming. It is wonderful! I have used it for everything from skirts to drapes!

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I have a Conair that I have used for about 6 years. I think you have to learn techniques for getting a polished look. I do seams first with gentle pulling, then steam the remainder of the garmet.

I hang pants upside down in clip hangers with the side seams aligned, and have learned to get straight crisp seams. It takes some practice, but I can steam 10 articles of clothing in the time it took me to iron 3.