I hate ironing but this clothes steamer is a game-changer and it's 42% off

I can count on one hand the number of things I've ironed this year. While my partner lugs out our board daily to press his shirts, I prefer to get a few extra minutes of sleep. I am, however, a long-time devotee of the hand-held steamer, using mine a few times a week to quickly get rid of wrinkles in my tops, dresses, and skirts.

I've owned a couple over the years, but my current one, the Russell Hobbs Steam Genie 2-in-1, is hands-down the best model I've used. I paid £59.99, but I spotted that it's now reduced to £35, a 42% saving. 

My previous steamer from a market-leading brand was a few years old and my main gripe was the fact that I'd only get through one shirt before having to refill the tank. Plus, it never quite got the likes of collars and cuffs as sharply pressed as you would with a traditional iron on a board. It also had a tendancy to drip, leaving water stains.

This has a bigger water tank: Russell Hobbs says the 150ml gives 10-minutes of steam time, which in practice for me does about three very creased blouses steamed vertically while hanging. Like my old model, it's one temperature, so there's no faffing with dials like on a traditional iron. Unlike that one, this has a lock function to keep it running rather than having to keep the trigger pressed down.

The fact it doubles up as a small iron means I can really get in the creases, too (you might want to put any clothes on a flat surface on a towel for that). I was also drawn to this one as it has attachments that clip on for different fabrics—one for delicates like silk or lace, one for upholstery, and one designed for thicker fabrics, such as coats – I mostly use the first two, and it is reassuring that those more delicate fabrics are getting a bit of protection. It also helps to freshen up clothes between washes, or those that have come out of storage like my wool jumpers.

On the upholstery front, I have a linen sofa, which can quickly look crumpled and tired. I've found the creases disappear in one or two swipes, and the fabric looks much fresher, too. Russell Hobbs says this removes 99.9% of bacteria on fabrics if that's a concern.

I have never ironed my sheets (sorry, Mum) but reviewers say running this over them while on the bed with the iron makes a big difference and is much quicker than doing it on an ironing board. It also works for other upholstery, with one user saying they use this for their curtains.  

Technically, this is portable, but personally, I wouldn't use it for travel – I'd say it's quite bulky and would take a bit too much room in a suitcase. That said it comes with a carry bag and fits in my under-bed drawer. I also like that it stands on its own rubber base in between steaming. As for leaks, I do still get a few but that seems to be something common to most steamers. 

As I'm only doing smaller jobs, I don't find the weight a problem – it's 1.2kg – but some users say they find it a little heavy after a while. 

All things considered, I would recommend this steamer to anyone like me who is an ironing refusenik and wants the flexibility of quickly getting creases out of clothes without worries of damage. I hadn't previously considered that I would use a steamer for upholstery, but that has been a big added bonus. 

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