How to Avoid Ironing — An Expert Guide

Everyone loves to look good, and ironing clothes is one of the ways to get you to look and feel great every day. No one should hate ironing, because nothing beats smooth dress shirts with sharp edges. But, you may not be able to press your clothes every time you need to. So, you have to figure out how to avoid ironing.

Also, there are people who get so distracted very easily. They have an ironing board in front of the television. So, as they are pressing their clothes, they are sipping a glass of wine and watching television. Ironing in this instance is very distracting, and just watching TV and relaxing is what they really want to do.

In this article, you’ll discover several practices you can adopt to cut your ironing time and still look great as usual.

10 Tips to Follow to Avoid Ironing

What are the tips to follow to avoid ironing?

The following are the tips to follow to avoid ironing:

1. Use the steam feature on the dryer.

2. Buy wrinkle-free clothes.

3. Make sure your cloth does not dry completely in the dryer.

4. Use a hairdryer.

5. Hang your clothes.

6. Use a wrinkle-release product.

7. Try a flat iron.

8. Fold clothes neatly.

9. Buy a steamer.

10. Don’t put too many clothes in your washing machine.

1. Use the steam feature on the dryer

For people who have a lot of work to do and don’t find time to work with an ironing board, a dryer with a steam feature will be of great help. Not all dryers have this feature, so you may have to study the products properly before purchasing the dryer you want.

So, when you forget your clothes in the washing machine/ dryer after spinning them, they most likely will be wrinkled when you finally get them out. Instead of taking them out to perform another procedure on them, just turn on the steaming settings on your dryer. You’ll discover that your shirts would look fresh and neat as if you just washed them.

2. Buy wrinkle-free clothes

If you want to forget about the stress of ironing forever, fill your wardrobe with wrinkle-free clothes. These clothes are made of fabric that is wrinkle-resistant. So, even when you wash these clothes and leave them in the dryer to dry completely, they won’t develop wrinkles. If they do, these wrinkles would be gone once you put the clothes on. They don’t stay there forever on many occasions.

One occasion where your wrinkle-free clothes would be wrinkled for a long time is when you squeeze it roughly and put it in a tight corner. For example, placing it beneath your mattress.

So, even though your clothes are wrinkle-free, wash them, dry, and hang or fold them properly. Make sure you keep them in the right place.

3.  Make sure your cloth does not dry completely in the dryer

One way to make your clothes last longer and also prevent hundreds of wrinkles from forming on your dress shirts is by not drying them completely in the dryer. Once the dryer has dried your clothes to a certain stage (if measurable, 80%), bring out the clothes and spread it on the lines to air dry. Before spreading it, you can try to flap it to get rid of some wrinkles that may have already formed.

Also, you can decide to skip the dryer completely. Get some strong ropes and make lines to spread your clothes under the sun.

4. Use a hairdryer

Do you have a hairdryer sitting on the counter in the bathroom? If yes, then you have the solution to the wrinkled clothes in your wardrobe. To do this, set the hairdryer to the hottest level and place it close to your clothes. Make sure you don’t put it too close. So, your clothes won’t get burnt.

For it to work better and more effectively, sprinkle some water on the cloth first to get it a bit cold, not wet. Then dry it once again with the hairdryer. This does not completely take care of wrinkled clothes. It only makes the wrinkles less visible. So, you still look good wearing clothes you didn’t iron.

5. Hang your clothes

This one is a trick I stick with every time. If you don’t have a big wardrobe where your clothes can be folded very neatly without disturbance, hanging is the best option. Get a cloth rack and some hangers for all your clothes.

After washing and drying almost-completely with the dryer, arrange your clothes properly on the rack. You can decide to organize the clothes based on your preference, but make sure it stays properly on the hanger. Sometimes, even with enough space to fold your clothes, they still get wrinkles. So, hanging is a more preferable option. It prevents wrinkles completely.

6. Use a wrinkle-release product

There are various wrinkle-release products on Amazon. Many of these products work in a few seconds. So, there’s not so much work for you to do to get the wrinkles on your clothes gone. Just purchase your spray, and spray in on the wrinkled parts of your clothes.

Wrinkle-releaser sprays are not so expensive. One of them which can be found on Amazon is the Cold Iron Wrinkle Releaser. After spraying, all you have to do is smoothen the clothes with your hands. They might not completely take care of wrinkles if they’re so terrible, but they’ll definitely reduce it.

7. Try a flat iron

Have you seen some people using electric iron which is meant for clothes on their hair? Yes, they are trying to straighten their hair and get rid of the curls or tangles. Do you know that it also works the other way around?

Flat irons can be used to straighten wrinkled clothes. If you’re in a rush, you’ll find this option very useful. It is particularly helpful for areas on your clothes like the buttons and terrible collars. When doing your hair in the morning, you can quickly do this before stepping out of the house.

Meanwhile, ensure that the flat iron is not too hot. Also, have a feel of the fabric first. So, you’ll know what temperature is best.

8. Fold clothes neatly

Immediately your dryer finishes handling your clothes, prepare to fold them (if you do not want to air dry, and if you have a large wardrobe to occupy the clothes. When you finish drying your clothes, they are still warm. But, if you leave the clothes to get cold before even taking them out of the drier, then you’ll have to deal with the wrinkles that form during that period.

Since wrinkles don’t form on clothes when they’re warm, it is the best time to fold them. That way, the fold lines are the only lines you may find on your clothes.

9. Buy a steamer

A steamer is a much better option than using an iron, for those who hate ironing. Steamers are very easy to use. To use one, firstly, make sure your cloth is hanging on the wall or door. Then, press the steamer onto the surface, run the steamer around and over the clothes. You would notice the smoothness after a very short while.

Moreover, if your clothes have funny smells out sitting in the closet for too long, the steamer could also help take them away.

10. Don’t put too many clothes in your washing machine

Have you ever washed the way your clothes get washed in the washing machine? You’ll see that the usually move around when being washed. When the machine is filled to the brim, it becomes difficult for the clothes to move around. Because of this, these soaked clothes are jam-packed. After spinning, your clothes will have become extra wrinkled. You may then need to put an iron on them.

Conclusion

These tips on how to avoid ironing are pretty easy. If done properly, you are likely to stick with one method that takes most of the wrinkles out of your clothes.

More so, if you take care of your fabrics well, a piece of clothing that you wear may even look like it was ironed before you wore it.

For some of these methods involving the flat iron, hairdryer, and steamer in a dryer, you will need a power source to get your clothes looking neat. But, if you get a wrinkle-release spray, you won’t need electricity to get the job done. The same applies to when you fold or hang your clothes neatly.

Think you want to stick to the no-ironing policy? You can also learn how to wash dress shirts without ironing and how to remove wrinkles from tablecloths without ironing.

How to Avoid Ironing — Related FAQs

How Do You Dry Clothes So They Do Not Need Ironing?

To dry clothes so that they do not need ironing, do the following:

1. Do not allow the cloth to completely before removing it from the dryer then hang it to dry.

2. After drying clothes in a cloth dryer, when they are still warm, fold them at once before the wrinkles set in.

3. You can wash clothes and hang them without wringing them.  Do not throw the clothes over the clothing line. Use cloth pegs to hold the end of the clothes to the clothing line to avoid wrinkles.

What Should You Do To Have Smooth and Easy Ironing?

To have smooth and easy ironing, do the following:

1. Spray wrinkle-release liquid on your cloth and allow it to soak it for few minutes before ironing. You can make wrinkle release spray by mixing clean water with an equal amount of white vinegar.

2. You can spread aluminum foil over your ironing board with the shiny side up. Lay your cotton fabric over it and iron your clothes. The shiny foil will reflect moisture and heat to the cloth. This makes both sides of the cloth to be ironed at the same time.

Is It Better To Iron Clothes Wet Or Dry?

It is best to iron clothes when they are wet since it is easier to remove wrinkles. Heat and steam work better in removing wrinkles together than heat only.

However, the cloth to be ironed should not be dripping wet. After washing your clothes, it is best to spin them to remove most of the water before ironing. 

Alternatively, you can toss your cloth into the cloth dryer and remove them before they are completely dry. You can also spread your cloth out in the sun and iron them before they are completely dry.

Is Ironing Better Than Steaming?

Steaming is mostly considered to be better than ironing.

There are some reasons steaming is better than ironing. Some of them are:

1. It does not require an ironing board or a flat surface and thus, does not occupy space.

2. It does not take as much time and energy as ironing does.

3. You just need water and a source of energy to heat up the water to make steam.

4. You can iron drapes and heavy clothing while it is hanging.

5. It can be done anywhere.

6. Steam can help straighten fabrics that are sensitive to heat.

Does Fabric Softener Prevent Wrinkles?

Apart from preventing static and make your cloth smell nice, fabric softener can remove wrinkles caused by washing.

Although it does not make clothes smooth as ironed clothes, it can be worn without being ironed.

You can use a fabric softener to make a wrinkle release spray to be used in ironing. To do this, add a tablespoon of fabric softener to a cup of water and mix well. 

Some fabric types like linen and wool that are heavily creased cannot be smoothened by the use of a fabric softener. Other methods such as ironing and steaming should be used to make them smoother.

Can You Iron Clothes Straight From the Washing Machine?

You can iron wet clothes just removed from the washing machine. However, if they are dripping wet, you should spin them a little to remove the excess moisture. You can also hang them on the cloth line to dry a little before ironing.

Ironing clothes straight from the washing machine is most suitable for clothes that are lightweight.

After ironing clothes from the dryer, they might not be completely dry. If this is the case, you should not fold or stack them together. Hang them to dry properly to prevent wrinkles from forming on them even after ironing.

Can You Steam Clothes Instead of Washing Them?

You can steam clothes instead of washing them, but they have to be clothes that can be dry cleaned.

If your cloth has a queer odor on it and you do not want to give it a full wash, you can steam it. Some washing machines have these steaming features on them. The fabric soaks up the steam and it is refreshed. 

Ensure that there are no stains on the clothes you intend to steam as the steam might set the stain and make it harder to wash off eventually.

Is It Better To Roll Clothes Or Fold?

Rolling clothes is better than folding clothes. It is best for shirts, trousers, pajamas, and sweaters. However, it is not the best if they are button-up shirts.

It is most suitable if there are creases on the clothes and the fabrics will be pressed against each other tightly. If clothes with creases are folded and packed against each other tightly, they are more likely to develop more wrinkles when in storage.

Also, rolling clothes allow more quantity of clothes to be packed in a suitcase than folded clothes.