There’s nothing more irritating, than searching for something to wear and then realizing that it has wrinkles.
So, Is It Okay to Wear Wrinkled Clothes?
There is no rule starting on whether one should wear ironed clothes. However, most of us feel embarrassed in wrinkled outfits. Imagine having going to a job interview without having time to iron your outfit. The stares you’ll get will be uncomfortable. Well, wearing wrinkled clothes or not always an individual choice.
Why Might You NOT Want to Wear a Wrinkled Outfit?
Creases on your outfit can ruin your day in several ways.
For example, if you are attending a formal meeting, date, or interview, everyone’s attention will be on your wrinkles, and you will get stares you don’t want.
Also, if you go to a store looking for something, you may get weird suggestions about iron sales.
Everyone has a favorite outfit that they can’t wait to wear.
But, if that outfit is creased, it’s better to avoid it entirely. But, this also depends on the occasion.
Of course, you don’t need to iron your clothes if you are just in the house or visiting a friend who lives nearby for an afternoon chitchat.
But, it’s best to avoid a wrinkled outfit if you are attending a special event or going to the office.
Why Do Some People Wear Wrinkled Clothes?
A lot of us are uncomfortable wearing clothes with creases.
But, ironing is such a chore, and many people don’t like it.
So, many people buy plastic and chemically treated clothes as they don’t need to be ironed.
As a result, some people have accepted and are proud of wearing wrinkled clothes.
Now, society perceives individuals wearing wrinkled clothes as lazy and negligent.
However, this isn’t always true. In this case, it means that the material wasn’t treated with chemicals in the first place.
How Do Clothes Get Wrinkled?
Creases on clothes seem like a complex concept to understand, but it’s not.
Water and heat are the two reasons clothes get wrinkled.
When these factors interact with the cloth’s building blocks, wrinkles will start forming. Now, that is the short answer. But let us explain further.
Our clothes are made of fabric which comes in various forms like cotton, silk, and denim.
When the fabrics interact with water and heat, they produce a reaction that varies depending on the type.
It’s why silk clothes can get wrinkled easily, unlike denim jeans.
What we need to know is that fabrics contain polymers held by hydrogen bonds that connect molecules of water.
When a fabric comes in contact with heat, the bonds are broken, and the fibers shift to different positions. Once the fabric cools down, new bonds start forming.
Therefore, the clothing takes a new shape.
Clothes that sit in a dryer for a long time have many wrinkles.
Also, when washing our clothes with water, the molecules are absorbed and penetrate the polymer chains.
So, when we hang our clothes to dry, the heat loosens the current hydrogen bonds and lets new ones form.
As the water evaporates and the fabric starts cooling, the cloth will take the shape of whatever it’s left in.
How Do You Stop Wrinkling? Three Ways
Well, even if clothes form wrinkles, worry not as there are ways to stop the wrinkling.
The best method is to dry them smartly. Remember to shake them out when you move them from your washer to the dryer to loosen the fabric.
It’s also advisable to hang or fold clothes immediately after they dry. This will make them take good shape and prevent wrinkles.
Alternatively, you can also decide to buy clothes that resist wrinkles.
These types are designed with permanent press fabrics. Instead of having hydrogen bonds, they come with water-resistant bonds that prevent water from entering the polymers.
Therefore, they are unlikely to wrinkle.
There are also various ways you can reduce wrinkling in clothes, including;
1. Sort Out Clothes When Doing Laundry
Sorting your laundry load is among the first things you should do before throwing your clothes in the washer or dryer.
You need to separate clothes by their color. White clothes should not mix with dark ones.
Apart from color, you also need to separate by fabric content and weight.
For example, if you wash a lightweight dark-colored t-shirt with heavy light-colored jeans, it can crush in the washer due to the weight of the jeans. This increases wrinkling.
The more time a garment spends in the dryer, the higher the risk of overheating, which means wrinkles will likely set in deeply.
2. Choose the Right Cycle in Your Dryer
All dryers function the same way.
They heat air, and its drum tumbles the clothing in warm air. Then, the present exhaust system removes moisture from the fabric.
However, the heat and cool-down cycles can significantly affect the number of wrinkles your clothes will come out with.
If using the permanent press cycle, the cooling period is slightly gentle and hence suitable for synthetic fabrics that do not need high heat.
This will let the fabric rest and cool down to its original shape.
But even cotton and linen should not be dried under extremely high heat to prevent wrinkles from setting in deeply.
It’s also wise to remove your clothes when they are slightly damp and allow them to air dry.
3. Organize Your Closets and Drawers
Please do not store clothes in an overcrowded drawer or closet immediately after washing.
Warm or damp fibers are more prone to wrinkles. Allow space for air to circulate through your closet.
Remember to keep clothes as neat as possible when returning them to your closet or drawer.
Shirts and pants can be worn several times before washing them, but it depends on the situation.
After wearing them, please hang them to allow air circulation, removing moisture while relaxing fibers. As a result, it can reduce wrinkles.
Three Methods to Remove Wrinkles Without an Iron
If your clothes have creases, ironing is the first thing that comes to mind.
However, if you don’t have an iron or don’t feel like ironing, there are still plenty of ways to remove wrinkling from your clothes.
These include;
1. Use The Dryer
This method is suggested for shirts and pants with creases all over. It works best for cotton fabric and cotton blends.
Place your cloth in a dryer with a slightly damp towel to create steam that releases the wrinkles.
Then, set your dryer to a high heat setting for 5-10 minutes.
Once this time lapses, remove it immediately to prevent re-wrinkling and wear or hang it.
2. Use a Flat Iron
This technique works best for creases on small areas such as collars or spaces between buttons.
Check your flat iron to ensure that its plates are clean and have no hair product that can stain your garment.
As a precaution, rub some alcohol over before you start using the iron.
Then, ensure that you use the correct setting. A low temperature works well for silk and delicate clothes, while a warm temperature is recommended for thick fabrics and sweaters.
3. Use A Hair Dryer
Hang your wrinkled clothes and wet the creased areas with water.
Turn on your hair dryer and apply the heat to the wrinkled parts.
Please hold the dryer at a distance from your cloth to prevent burning it.
References
https://ohsospotless.com/keep-clothes-from-wrinkling/