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Keeping Your Clothes Wrinkle-Free

When it comes to doing the laundry, clean clothes aren’t worth much if they’re also rife with wrinkles. Few flaws do as much to subtract from the appearance of an outfit, but it’s a huge chore to go and iron everything. Here are a few day-to-day strategies for avoiding and preventing wrinkles:

1. It’s in the wash. Some experts recommend throwing a few tennis balls in the dryer to keep your clothes from clumping and even help them dry faster. While this may seem silly, the main reason clothes come out of the wash all creased is because of clumping. However, there are others who claim that the heat from the dryer will make the color in the tennis balls run, so it’s worth testing this first.

Another way to avoid clumping is to shrink the size of your individual loads. This gives the clothing more space to move around, and with this space comes the necessary fluffing and drying. But always remember to remove clothes from the dryer as soon as possible; the longer they sit, the more likely they will settle and wrinkle.

2. Storing clothing. How you store your clothing after washing it is highly important for avoiding wrinkles. If the item has proven wrinkle-prone in the past, hang it in the closet to avoid creasing from folding. If it’s still coming out of the dryer with wrinkles, you can also hang it or lay it flat to dry. And be sure to shape the clothing after it has left the dryer, when it’s still hot and pliable.

3. Strategies for packing. How you pack your suitcase goes a long way toward keeping the clothes wearable. First, lay flat your pants, shirts, skirts, and so on against one edge of the suitcase and let the excess clothing fall over the edge. Then, wrap all your underwear and socks in a plastic bag, and use this bag as a pillow to fold the clothes over. Use the rest of your items to pad the clothing against the sides of the suitcase. If you’re tight on space, some people recommend rolling your clothing; the trick is to do whatever will create the least creasing, whether it’s from a tight fold or the pressure of other items.

4. If all else fails… Break out the iron. Ironing is a reliable but often time-consuming way to get rid of wrinkles. Make sure the piece of clothing has been laid flat on the ironing board, and go part-by-part. There are different strategies for ironing a shirt vs. a pair of pants vs. a dress. And always remember to turn the iron off after you’re done, and never leave the iron flat and hot against a piece of clothing.

For day-to-day laundry, these tips should help keep clothes looking presentable. And of course, you can always send clothing to Crest or your local dry cleaners to ensure that your nicest items are pressed, pristine, and wrinkle-free.

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