HOW TO AVOID WRINKLED CLOTHES WHEN PACKING (2024)

FAQs

HOW TO AVOID WRINKLED CLOTHES WHEN PACKING? ›

Rolling Clothes

Cold Water Wash: Hot water might be great for cleaning, but it's not so kind to your clothes. It can cause fibers to swell and wrinkle. Opt for cold or lukewarm water, especially for wrinkle-prone fabrics. Shake Before Drying: Before transferring clothes to the dryer or hanging them up, give each piece a good shake.

Iron Before You Pack

This goes without saying, but ironing or dry cleaning your formal wear before packing will go a long way in helping your clothes stay wrinkle-free.

Placing too many items in a garment bag often causes the clothing to lose shape. Putting white tissue paper inside the arms and legs of a garment helps it keep its structure and prevents wrinkling.

The first thing you'll notice about them is that many possess that quintessential “fresh laundry” scent, but dryer sheets do more than simply make your laundry smell nice. They can also help eliminate static electricity, reduce wrinkling, and help your garments and linens feel softer.

Cross-linking is the chemical process to produce textiles with wrinkle resistance. Wrinkle resistance is achieved by the crosslinking of cellulose chains to stop the molecules from moving when in contact with water or other environmental stress.

Softener, you say? It's not a necessary step, but think of it this way: fabric softener is to your clothes what conditioner is to your hair. It makes fabrics feel softer, reduces wrinkles and static, plus leaves behind a nice, long-lasting scent.

Generally, it's better to roll clothes because it takes up less space and allows you to pack more while reducing wrinkles. However, rolling clothes is time-consuming, so folding can also be efficient depending on the type of clothes you're packing and your available space.

Vertical folding is the best compromise for those short on time, while bundling is the ultimate technique if you have an hour or two at your disposal and want to maximize space without creating wrinkles.

How to prevent wrinkles when packing? ›

The Rolling Method

Rolling clothing tightly prevents wrinkles while allowing you to maximize space in your luggage. To roll clothes for travel, fold along the seams and smooth out any wrinkles, then roll as tightly as possible without making any hard creases.

What items can be rolled for packing? Most clothing — like tops, jeans, athleisure pieces, and underwear — can be rolled. But if it seems hard to roll, then you probably shouldn't. “Avoid rolling any items that are overly bulky or have a lot of structure,” says Bier.

If you're packing delicate fabrics, dresses, dress pants, or skirts, try overlapping your garments. Lay the bottom half of the garment flat into the suitcase, and then layer other clothing on top. This can include your rolled jeans and folded knits.

Rather than organizing the items inside your luggage, a compression bag will compress bulky items, usually clothing, to help you save space in your luggage. Compression often—but not always—lack the organization features of packing cubes. They are also more likely to wrinkle your clothes because of the compression.

Unlike folding, which can crease clothes, rolling minimizes the points of contact and thus, the potential for wrinkles. While rolling clothes can be effective, it's not the only solution. Enter packing cubes. These small, lightweight organizers are a game-changer for many travelers.

Garment bags help keep your clothing pressed and wrinkle-free while traveling, so you can just take out and hang clothing once upon arrival. They're ideal for clothing you don't want to fold or roll into a suitcase, like a suit, dress shirts, dresses and skirts.