10 Ways To De-Wrinkle Your Clothes - NO IRON REQUIRED

10 Ways To De-Wrinkle Your Clothes - NO IRON REQUIRED

I don't know about you, but ironing is one of many household chores I dread. Of course, trying to de-wrinkle your clothes is tough. None of us wants to leave the house looking like we’ve had our clothes shoved in a paper bag and shipped to China and back, but the thought of having to stand there for hours perfecting every crease makes me want to pull out my hair.

If only there was a stress-free way to de-wrinkle your clothes...

We’re all about simplifying our lives here at Expert Home Tips, so in the spirit of quick fixes, I’ve compiled a list to banish wrinkles from your clothes, and all without an iron in sight, hurray!

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1. Use a pot to de-wrinkle your clothes

pot
Simple and effective!

One of the oldest tricks in the book to de-wrinkle your clothes without an iron is to use your regular metal pot that you’d make your favourite pasta dish in. Make sure the bottom of your pot is squeaky clean, boil water in the pot, then spill it out.

From there, use the bottom of the pot as your iron to run over your clothes. The steam will give you just enough time to de-wrinkle your favourite outfit, Brilliant!

2. The damp towel approach

This is another great, reliable tip. Place your dress or any wrinkled garment on a clean floor or table surface and place a damp towel flat on top of the garment. Using your hands, press down on the towel and smooth out the wrinkled area with your hands. Job done!

3. Try a homemade wrinkle spray to banish wrinkles

I originally thought branded de-wrinkling sprays were a marketing con and that homemade wrinkle sprays were a myth. As it turns out, it is REALLY simple to make your own wrinkle release spray! Here's my favourite DIY de-wrinkling spray from One Good Thing.

4. Hang your clothes in the shower to de-wrinkle clothes in minutes

dress
We've been doing this for years!

Another oldy but a goody, this trick has been tried and tested for years and can save you a tonne of time in the morning. Close the windows and doors in your bathroom and hang wrinkled clothes from the shower rod.

Then go about your normal bathroom routine—shower, shave your legs, work on your Taylor Swift impression. Fifteen minutes later, wrinkle-free clothes, fantastic!

Just remember to try and prevent yourself from soaking your clothes in the process...

5. Roll your tops like burritos 

This one is my favourite! Another effective way to get wrinkles out of your clothes is to roll your tops as if you were rolling up burritos. Once they're all wrapped up, pop them under your mattress for an hour. This is literally like pressing your clothes.

Note: make sure you roll your clothes. Simply folding them will not work, trust me I tried, the results were very disappointing...

6. Sprinkle some vinegar magic to de-wrinkle your clothes

We love vinegar! Check out our 21 uses for vinegar, some of them might surprise you.

Did you know that standard white vinegar can eradicate wrinkles from your clothes? It’s true! Mist garments with 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, and let it air-dry.

Bonus: It’s super gentle on your threads so there's no need to worry. White vinegar doesn't smell like normal vinegar either.

7. Throw ice cubes in with your drying

ice cubes
Who would have thought?

This one may seem odd, but it definitely works; both on stubborn carpet dents and de-wrinkling clothes. Throw a wrinkled shirt in the dryer with a couple of ice cubes and run on high heat for a few minutes. The ice will melt and create de-wrinkling steam which will then iron out your clothes nicely in the dryer.

8. Steam those tiny wrinkles with a pot of tea

This method is great for those tiny wrinkles that you can never quite perfect. Boil water in your kettle, then just before you savour that first cup of morning tea (or coffee), hold the spout of the steaming kettle 12 inches away from the wrinkled problem areas. Problem solved!

9. Blow dry your dress to de-wrinkle your clothes immediately

Did you know you can actually blow dry wrinkles out of your clothes with concentrated bursts of hot air? Wow. This works particularly well on dresses with awkward creases. Slightly dampen the wrinkled area on your dress, set the hairdryer on low and blow on the dress 1-2 inches away (to avoid scorching the fabric) until the wrinkles straighten out.

10. Flat iron your shirt collar

shirt collar
Genius!

Hair straighteners aren't just for hair, who knew? Women used to straighten their hair with an actual iron in the 60s, and now we are flipping it in reverse. Use your flat iron to quickly press your shirt collar or remove small wrinkles in your blouse.

Just be sure to wipe off any product build-up on the plates first and be mindful of temperature settings (cotton = high heat; silk = low heat).

Want more weird and wonderful tips? We've rounded up some of our favourites.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed my tips! If you have any inspirational ways to de-wrinkle your clothes, please feel free to share them below.

 

Collette J

Editor

I'm a professional penny pincher who is obsessed with eBay and Pinterest. Always on the look out for multiple uses for favourite household items and a good bargain, of course!

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  1. Author Hanna on August 15, 2016 at 9:46 am

    really??? why I don't know these simple yet awesome tricks?? XD I hate ironing ( and I don't have one) so this post actually will help me a lot. Thank you, Collete J,

    1. Author Collette J on August 17, 2016 at 3:25 pm

      Hey Hanna, thanks for the comment. I'm glad you appreciate the tips, I don't actually own an iron either and it's made my life easier so hopefully it will help you too! :)

    Reply
  2. Author Alexandra on August 16, 2016 at 9:08 am

    This is genius!!!

    1. Author Collette J on August 17, 2016 at 3:24 pm

      Thanks Alexandra! Glad you like :)

    Reply
  3. Author JONH on August 16, 2016 at 9:32 am

    Most of those tips would be more work to complete than use the trusty method of iron and ironing board, maybe a couple of tips would work if you only have a couple of items to deal with. If you have a laundry basket full of items to deal with you could be there for a week.

    1. Author Collette J on August 17, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Hey Jon, yes it's aimed more at those who don't own an iron or only want to de-wrinkle a few pieces of clothing at once :)

    Reply
  4. Author Nina Zimin on August 16, 2016 at 11:50 am

    Or you could always get the iron and board out. Will take less time than heating saucepans, wasting electricity with the tumble drier. You won't stink of vinegar. Hair straighteners also take time to heat up and don't always have a temperature control (heating element = more electricity wasted). The iron was designed to iron clothes... hey, why not use that instead.

    1. Author Collette J on August 17, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      Hey Nina, that's true... This post is more for people who don't own an iron or for in-between big ironing sessions! If you find it easier using an iron, go ahead :)

    2. Author Anietie Essien on April 10, 2022 at 11:44 pm

      I have used a steam iron at maximum adjustment but the wrinkles are still there. In fact I don’t know what to do because I like the dress.

    3. Author Joanne A on January 24, 2023 at 12:07 pm

      Try ironing the dress inside out and use a damp cloth or spray bottle to add moisture to the dress before ironing. If the dress is made of a delicate fabric like silk, consider taking it to a professional cleaner or tailor for specialized care.

    Reply
  5. Author Brian Goodspeed on August 16, 2016 at 5:15 pm

    When I was in the RAF we used to keep the creases in our trousers by putting them under the mattress at night.

    1. Author Collette J on August 17, 2016 at 3:17 pm

      Ahh very interesting Brian! We love old school tips like that :)

    Reply
  6. Author Debbie on August 31, 2016 at 9:32 am

    To try to do the ironing faster, i took the pot I used for pasta, thought it was a good idea, but in the end - alas, oh dear, I forgot what I had done, believe me it is not much fun, and wrong, in oh, so many ways, eating Sweater Bolognese! :-)

    1. Author Collette J on September 6, 2016 at 9:04 am

      Love this! Thanks for sharing, Deb. I look forward to more :)

    Reply
  7. Author Katherine Hooper on August 31, 2016 at 9:37 am

    Hi, Is the vinegar you use the white distilled type you can buy from the supermarket as you say it doesn't smell like normal vinegar but that does smell pretty strong? Thanks. Love reading your tips.☺️

    1. Author Collette J on September 6, 2016 at 9:03 am

      Hi Katherine, yes I use white distilled vinegar. It does smell pretty strong when you're using it but once it's dry the smell vanishes which is pretty great :) hope this helps! Glad you enjoy our tips, we love writing them too.

    Reply
  8. Author Carolyn Collins on September 1, 2016 at 7:14 am

    Thank you. I have shared this on Twitter.

    1. Author Collette J on September 6, 2016 at 9:01 am

      Thanks for the mention, Carolyn! :)

    Reply
  9. Author Rona on September 11, 2016 at 3:49 am

    My best friend's 9 yr. old daughter came out of the spare bedroom one day, holding an iron aloft, and asking "What is this?" to her mom. Without batting an eyelash, my friend says "A doorstop!" lol

    1. Author Collette J on September 14, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Haha thanks for this Rona, it really made me chuckle! Irons are quite hefty hahaha :)

    2. Author Divine -oscar on February 24, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      Cool

    Reply
  10. Author D.Lindsey on December 13, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    I always enjoy reading your tips. However, these seem to me to be harder work than using an iron...and using a hot pot is still ironing in a way isn't it? As for vinegar I'd be scared to smell like I work in a chip shop! Thanks anyway for sharing these tips. Could be that one day my iron packs up!

    1. Author Stephanie C on December 19, 2017 at 10:04 am

      Hi D.Lindsey. I must admit, I see what you mean. I think rather than making life easier, these tips are for when you don't have an iron to hand, or indeed, like you say, your iron breaks. I do, however, think the shower-method is genus and it's helped me make it to work on time many a time!

    2. Author kimby on February 20, 2019 at 1:47 am

      If you work in a coal mine no one will notice

    Reply
  11. Author Lesley Reeves on December 15, 2017 at 11:36 am

    Going to try no 5 on my work shirts, thanks for the tips. Laughed at Rona's friend quip, thanks for the anecdote Rona.

    1. Author Stephanie C on December 19, 2017 at 9:56 am

      Hi Lesley. Let us know how you get on! We love that tip. :)

    Reply
  12. Author iron clothes on December 20, 2018 at 10:22 am

    Great Blog Thank You

    1. Author Stephanie C on December 20, 2018 at 10:28 am

      You're welcome!

    Reply
  13. Author Diane McCool on May 18, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    Hemm a wedding dress, 7 layers. Use roll hem . it's very wavey. I want it to hang straight down .is there any thing I can do.

    1. Author Joanne A on May 20, 2019 at 10:39 am

      Hi Diane! You could add some small weights inside of the hem or try ironing the waviness out with one of the above methods.

    Reply
  14. Author Bob on May 29, 2019 at 4:58 am

    1, 2, 4, and 6 didn’t work at all.

    1. Author Joanne A on May 29, 2019 at 12:23 pm

      Hi Bob! What material are you trying to de-wrinkle? This can have an impact on the effectiveness of the method. Did you find a method that worked in the end?

    Reply
  15. Author Penny on August 20, 2019 at 9:27 am

    I spend a little time folding my clothes before tumble drying them. It really works to reduce wrinkles. Sometimes they don’t need ironing at all!

    1. Author Joanne A on August 20, 2019 at 9:58 am

      That's interesting, Penny! How do you fold them?

    Reply
  16. Author Sam on April 4, 2021 at 6:29 am

    Great one but...... Takes a lot of time

    1. Author Joanne A on April 16, 2021 at 4:10 pm

      If only we had more of it!

    Reply
  17. Author Florie on January 9, 2023 at 6:21 pm

    Hi am florie, I really hope this will work my child has to go to school ?????

    1. Author Joanne A on January 10, 2023 at 9:03 am

      We hope it helped!

    Reply

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