No iron? No problem! Surprisingly, there are lots of ways you can de-wrinkle clothes without getting out the ironing board.
1. Use steam in the bathroom – or from the kettle
The steam-in-the-shower trick may be an oldie, but it’s a goodie. Before you have a hot shower (or bath, for that matter), make sure your doors and windows are closed and hang your creased clothes up. The steam should get to work as you wash – but we’d recommend only using this trick for minor wrinkles if you need good results. You can also get rid of small creases while you make your morning cuppa. Just hold the spout of a steaming kettle about a foot away from any problem areas on your clothes. By the way, steam is also an excellent, chemical-free way to clean your whole home – discover why you need a steam cleaner in your life.
2. Blow-dry away those creases
Got an annoying couple of creases on your dress or shirt? Simply blast them away using the hot setting on a hairdryer. Lay the fabric on a flat surface, hold the hairdryer a couple of inches away from the wrinkles and watch them disappear – just be careful not to scorch the fabric.
3. Roll and squish with a mattress
Lay out your item on a flat surface and smooth out the wrinkled areas. Then roll it up tightly and put under a mattress for about half an hour. The weight of the mattress should work like a clothes press and get rid of any stubborn kinks.
4. How to unwrinkle clothes in the dryer
Anyone who’s taken bedsheets out of the tumble dryer and seen the resulting creasy mess won’t quite believe this one, but bear with us. Spritz the item with water, put it in the dryer with something damp like a towel or sock (even ice cubes), spin for 15 minutes and say hello to a crease-free item of clothing.
5. Use a damp towel
If you don’t have a tumble dryer, you can put a damp towel to work. Simply press down and smooth out deep wrinkles before hanging to air dry.
6. Spray with vinegar
Need to know how to unwrinkle a shirt? Our old friend vinegar is back (you can also use vinegar to clean various things around the house). It’s cheap, chemical-free and works well on lighter creases. Just mix up one part vinegar to three parts water in a spray bottle, give the creases a spritz and leave to air dry.
7. Hair straighteners on your shirt collar
This is a bit of a cheat, as you’re using an iron of sorts – but it’s still a great hack for smoothing out those pesky shirt collars. Just make sure you give the plates a quick wipe before you start and use the correct heat setting (cotton should be fine with a high heat, while you should only use a low heat on delicate fabrics like silk). Then simply press down on the collar. While you’re at it, you can also use this method on small wrinkles elsewhere on your shirt. Of course, there are some items that you still may want to iron – check out our speedy ironing hacks.
