8 Tips & Tricks to Keep Your Clothes Free From Wrinkles

When you take your clothes out of the dryer and find that they are wrinkled, it can be quite annoying, especially if you are in a hurry and do not have time to set up your ironing board and smooth out the wrinkles. Although some clothes are bound to wrinkle after a long stay in the dryer, the way you dry your clothes can actually be the cause of the wrinkles. Most people can admit to leaving the house with more wrinkles on their clothes than they would like. So today, I have put together a few simple tips that you can incorporate into your drying process to reduce those unwanted wrinkles in your clothes!

1. Sort each wash accordingly.

Whether it's a wash or dry cycle, it's important to sort your clothes properly. Separate your clothes by fabric type and weight to make sure you can choose the right wash cycle for each load. For example, if you wash lightweight shirts along with jeans, the shirts may be crushed by the jeans, preventing them from drying properly. Look at the labels on your clothes to make sure you are putting them in the right wash cycle.

2. Do not fill your washing machine too full.

You should not overload the dryer. If too many clothes are stuffed into the dryer, the heat will not have enough room to circulate. This makes the clothes damp and increases the likelihood of wrinkles.

3. Allow for the clothing to breathe. 

If your clothing is still damp after a drying cycle, do not fold them up or put them away yet. Wrinkles form more easily on wet pieces of clothing. Place any damp pieces of clothing on a flat surface and allow for them to air dry completely before folding and putting them away.

4. Don’t forget to use fabric softener. 

Fabric softeners are great for softening your clothing, as the chemicals from the detergent can cause them to harden. They also help to prevent static cling and reduce the amount of wrinkles that form on your clothing. Just remember to clean out the lint filter after every cycle.

5. Shake out your clothes before placing them in the dryer. 

When you are removing your clothes from the washer, you will notice that they are all twisted and distorted. Rather than tossing them straight into the dryer, shake them out first. This can help reduce wrinkles and speed up the drying process.

6. Don’t leave your clothing in the dryer. 

Your clothes will still wrinkle after a proper drying cycle if you leave them sitting in the dryer. When the dryer stops moving, your clothes also stop moving, and they end up layered and crumpled up on top of each other. The weight of all the clothing will cause wrinkles if they aren’t aired out. Remove the clothes soon after the drying cycle is over to avoid this.

7. Ice Cube Hack. If your clothing is coming out of the dryer wrinkled, and you don’t have the time to iron it, throw in a few ice cubes into the dryer along with your crumpled clothing and run it on the hottest cycle. The steam that is produced by the heat of the dryer and ice cubes will help smooth out the creases on your clothing. This lifehack works great with smaller dryer loads. However, this method is not applicable with larger loads or heavy fabric such as jeans.

8. Shower Hack. 

An old, yet effective, drying hack that has been circulating for a long time is using steam to unwrinkled clothing. This is a method is commonly used by people who don’t own a steamer. Start by turning on the shower and run hot water, so steam is produced. Once steam has been produced, shut off the water and hang your clothing in the shower. Block off all open airways and allow your clothing to steam for about 15 minutes. The steam will help smooth out the creases on your clothing. If you already take hot showers, you can leave your wrinkled clothing hanging on the bathroom door while you shower; this will smooth out your clothing while you shower, so you’re not wasting water.