A first impression is key, and creased clothes at work or at a party are bound to make it an awkward one. Even if you have your finest shirt or dress on, your outfit just won’t look right if it’s full of wrinkles. Creases can also become a problem when you’ve stored clothes for a while. Maybe they’ve been folded up under other clothes in a draw or stashed away for the season. Luckily, there are a few easy (and effective) methods to get that just-pressed look. Here you’ll find the best ways to deal with wrinkled and creased clothes.
How to get rid of creases: washing suggestions
Preventing wrinkles before washing is the ultimate trick you need to adopt to avoid dealing with extremely creased clothes once out of the washing machine. Here are a few things to remember when washing clothes to minimize creases:
Hand washing delicate items can reduce the creases produced by more intense machine spins.
If using a washing machine, put it a smaller load of clothes.
Running a shorter cycle and using warmer water setting will also be gentler on easy-to-crease clothes.
Take clothes out of the washing machine immediately so any wrinkles produced by the spin don’t have time to take hold.
How to get creases out of clothes whilst drying
The way clothes dry can often impact how fresh they look post-laundry. Here are the factors to think about:
Automated dryers help taking wrinkles out of clothes. Just make sure you remove clothes as soon as the cycle has finished (if they sit in the dryer, creases can build up again).
How dry do your clothes need to be? If they’re going straight in the wardrobe, they should be completely dry. But for shirts or dresses that need ironing, leaving them slightly damp can make them easier to iron.
How to get creases out of a shirt quickly
No one wants a creased shirt, as it can really detract from the rest of your outfit and undermine how smart you look. If you don’t have the time for full-on ironing, consider giving your clothes a quick steam. Philips garment steamer only takes less than a minute to heat up and can be used on hanging shirts, so it doesn’t require an ironing board. And if you’re packing your shirts for a business trip, you can take it with you as it fits neatly in your suitcase.
If your shirt isn’t cotton, you might want to know how to get creases out of polyester and other types of synthetic fibres. To avoid wrinkles in the first place, using the right drying technique is essential. When using a dryer, make sure to remove the items as soon as the cycle is over - this way, there won't be time for wrinkles to form on your clothes'. When ironing, take extra care. Using an iron is usually not recommended as the synthetic fibres of polyester could melt or get burn marks, especially if the iron plate is too hot. Steaming is usually a better (and safer!) option.
You can simply hang your polyester shirt when still damp and run a steamer on it, avoiding direct contact with the surface. The hot steam flow will smooth out creases and wrinkles while drying your item in a few minutes.
Ironing creases in trousers and jeans: the best technique
Creased trousers and jeans can ruin a look, so follow these key steps for wrinkle-free trousers:
The steam setting will be more effective at getting out wrinkles – as the continuous stream of steam smooths out creases more easily. Put water in the iron’s reservoir and set to steam. (Using filtered or bottled water helps prevent your iron clogging up).
Most ironing boards have a metal bit at the back. Put the iron here and set the temperature according to the fabric label before plugging it in.
Let the iron heat up completely before use. In the meantime, follow the steps below.
Lay the shirt on the ironing board, inside-out. If you iron mainly on the inside, the outside is more likely to stay pristine.
Getting creases out of curtains
Curtains can be tricky when it comes to getting rid of creases. Taking them off their hooks and getting large sets of curtains into the washer and dryer, or even balancing them on an ironing board is no easy feat. Using a handheld steamer is a great option to clean fabric and remove creases without an iron, without the need to take curtains down.
Those are our top tips for dealing with creased clothes. No one wants a crumpled look, but there are many great ways for making your clothes look like they just came back from dry cleaner if you have a few great tricks (and tools) up your sleeve.
