Jun 12, 2018

Too Lazy to Iron? 5 Easy Ways to Unwrinkle Clothes

by Brett Mirman

On the list of dreaded household chores, ironing clothes falls somewhere in between cleaning the toilets and doing the dishes. After all, the process—setting up the board, waiting for the iron to heat up, and meticulously going over every inch of fabric to get rid of those creases—is both time-consuming and tedious. But what if there effective alternatives to ironing when you just don’t feel like dealing with all the hassle or (even better) when you’re traveling and don’t even have access to the device? We found five clever methods that remove wrinkles—sans iron. Scroll down to read all about them.

1. Flatten with a damp towel

You can try this simple, convenient trick even when you’re not at home. For best results, lay your wrinkled item on a flat surface and put a damp cloth towel (or if that isn’t an option, a paper towel) on top of it. Press down and smooth out the creased area. Let it dry and you’re all set!

2. Your hair dryer: Not just for blowouts

This method, by far the easiest, can be accomplished in just three simple steps: Hang your wrinkled item, stand one to two inches away, and blow-dry it until the wrinkles disappear.

3. The shower method

This method may take a little longer than the others, but it’s the most popular—and effective—alternative to ironing. First, seal your bathroom windows and doors to prevent air leaks, and then take your wrinkled item and hang it on either the shower rod or showerhead. Make sure to adjust the showerhead so that water doesn’t get on your clothes, and then hop in the shower like you normally would. By the time you’re finished showering, the steam will have loosened up the wrinkles.

4. Use a spray bottle

Hang the wrinkled item up in an open area. Standing approximately 12 inches away, lightly mist with water from a spray bottle. (You can add a little fabric softener to the mix if you really want to change the game.) The wrinkles will start to vanish as the clothing item dries.

5. Steam with a kettle

The concept behind the kettle steam is similar to the shower method, but it’s more effective for smaller, lighter creases. Heat up a tea kettle until the water is boiling and hold up the wrinkled portion of your clothes about a foot away from the steaming spout until the wrinkles fade away.

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