I hate ironing. If I pull something out of the dryer and it’s wrinkled, I try everything humanly possible to avoid ironing it, including snapping the errant item quickly like an old dusty rug or smoothing out the wrinkles with my hand and quickly folding them to “hold” the straightness in. Those techniques work a little, but later when I try to wear that item, my limited success shows up in permanently creased wrinkles. Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks that help my clothes come out of the wash wrinkle-free. I hope they help you too.
1. Buy “wrinkle-resistant” clothes.
In general, all-cotton clothes will wrinkle more than clothes with some synthetic material. So, a shirt that is 50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester will wrinkle less than a shirt that is 100 percent cotton. Many higher quality clothes can be 100 percent cotton and still be wrinkle resistant. If you’re shopping for some new clothes, check the labels for any claim that the clothes won’t wrinkle as much. Tweet this tip.
2. Use liquid fabric softener in your washing machine.
Dryer sheets can work to prevent static cling and give clothes a fresh scent, but they don’t work nearly as well at actually softening the clothes. A good, name brand liquid fabric softener will not only reduce static cling and make the clothes smell nicer, it will also help to significantly reduce washer-induced wrinkles – and do a much better job of keeping the clothes soft during the drying cycle. Tweet this tip.
3. Don’t overload your washer.
The more clothes you put into the washer, the less room the clothes have to move around and the more likely they are to twist around each other. When clothes twist together and then the washer enters the spin cycle, very tight wrinkles are impressed into the clothing.
4. Don’t overload your dryer.
When I’m washing dress shirts or slacks, I sometimes put only half the washer load into the dryer at a time. That way, the clothes have even more room to move around and fluff up.
5. Take clothes out of the dryer a bit early.
I know this takes a little extra time (though not as much as ironing) but if you take clothes out of the dryer as they get dry, the ones remaining will have even more room to move around while they finish drying. Tweet this tip.
6. Hang the clothes on hangers.
The best way to keep clothes wrinkle free is to hang them as soon as you remove them from your dryer. It’s okay if they’re still a little damp. Of course, clothing that are wet will cause indentations where the clothes draped over the hanger. (Editor’s note: We’ve all had pointy shoulders before! It’s not a cool look).
Finally, if you’re in the market for a new washer or dryer, look for models with larger tubs/drums. Consumer Reports magazine tests and provides a capacity rank for many dryers. The larger the tub or drum, the more room the clothes have to move around, which goes a long way in reducing wrinkles. Manufacturers provide the size of the tub or drum in cubic feet, which isn’t all that easy to visualize. However, you can compare different models and buy one with as many cubic feet as you can afford. Just be sure not to overload them.
Do you loathe or love ironing? What do you do to keep your clothing wrinkle free? Let us know in the comments section below!
Related articles
Four things that can hurt your dryer
7 dryer care facts to keep your home safe and save you money
How to prevent pilling on your clothing
9 tips for washing machine care
Something broken? We’ll help.
RepairClinic.com’s free online repair help system will help you find the most likely causes of washing machine, dryer, dishwasher or other appliance, HVAC equipment and outdoor power equipment problems as well as the correct, recommended replacement parts. There you’ll also find how-to repair help information with 1,000+ expertly-produced videos.
RepairClinic.com has replacement parts for dryers, washing machines, refrigerators, ice machines, ranges, stove tops, ovens, dishwashers, lawn mowers, small engines, chainsaws, furnaces, central air conditioners, air conditioners and many others.
About RepairClinic.com
Since its founding in 1999, RepairClinic.com® has helped three million do-it-yourselfers save 225 million dollars in repair costs by successfully repairing appliances and outdoor power equipment on their own.
RepairClinic’s free online repair help system empowers do-it-yourselfers to fix common problems associated with major home appliances, outdoor power equipment, HVAC equipment, water heaters, floor care, and more. DIYers can enter a model number to choose from a list of common symptoms for that particular model to then troubleshoot and watch expertly-produced videos to learn the most likely causes and conditions and purchase the correct, recommended part.
RepairClinic.com stocks more than one million parts and accessories for 160 brands of furnaces, air conditioners, air handlers, heat pumps, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, snowblowers, leaf blowers, edgers and many other products.
Since 1999, the company has served more than three million customers including homeowners, first-time and beginner DIYers, advanced DIYers, appliance repair professionals, small engine repair shops and landscaping and lawn care business owners. RepairClinic orders are backed by a 365 Days. Period.® return policy that enables customers to return any part. Of the more than one million parts available on the website, 95 percent of parts ordered are in stock and guaranteed to ship the same business day. RepairClinic ships within the United States and Canada.
Comments are closed.