Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
If you’re getting ready to head into the office for a big meeting or presentation, the last thing you need to worry about is a wrinkled outfit.
Maybe you're on a trip, and your carry-on was not kind to your blouse, and the iron in your hotel room is broken. Or, maybe you’re at home, but you don’t actually own an iron.
Every now and then, you need a quick wrinkle release before heading out the door. Of course garment steamers are on the list, but there are other options that aren’t so front of mind.
Here are six easy iron substitutes for getting wrinkles out of clothes without an iron.
1. Use a flat iron
A flat iron is good for more than just styling frizzy hair. A flat iron is great for smoothing out a shirt’s collar and cuffs.
Take a damp cloth to wipe any product off the flat iron before heating it up, so it won’t transfer to your clothing.
It can straighten clothes just as well as it can straighten hair.
2. Use a hairdryer
Here's another beauty tool that will blow wrinkles right out of clothes—a hair dryer.
In a pinch, ironing clothes with your hair dryer works well with items like a knit dress that may have shoulder dents from wire hangers. In this case, all you have to do is drape the dress over a shower curtain rod or a chair (or lay it out flat), and aim the stream of hot air over the wrinkles, from about two inches away.
A blow dryer may take a while to work, but it can get rid of wrinkles.
3. Spray wrinkles away
If you travel a lot, it’s a good idea to keep a travel-size bottle in your suitcase.
If you don’t discover your wrinkled clothing until you get where you're going, Downy offers its Wrinkle Releaser spray.
All you need to do is spritz the problem areas and let them dry. It also gets rid of static and odors along with wrinkles. If you travel a lot, it’s a good idea to keep a travel-size bottle in your suitcase.
If you don’t have this product handy, a clean spray bottle filled with water is another way to smooth out wrinkles. Mist the wrinkled areas, being careful not to get the fabric too wet. Then, hang up the garment and let it air dry.
Wrinkle removal doesn't get much simpler, but it’s not your best bet if you’re in a hurry—unless you’re willing to wear damp clothes.
This spray is designed to help loosen up wrinkles.
4. Hang clothes in a steamy bathroom
The shower should be your first line of wrinkle attack when you hit the business conference hotel. It's often more effective than using an iron.
If you need to release some wrinkles, try hanging your wrinkled clothes in the bathroom while you shower. The hot steam that engulfs the room helps your clothes release any stubborn wrinkles—and, bonus!, it also clears your sinuses.
If your clothes feel damp afterwards, let them hang in the closet with the door open until they dry.
5. Use your laundry dryer to create steam
Throw your clothes in the dryer on the steam setting to immediately release wrinkles.
The steam setting on a laundry dryer can launch a burst of steam at your clothing, and as it tosses it around, the dryer will quickly remove any wrinkles. This works best on small loads, and it doesn’t give clothes that crisp, straight from the cleaners look, but it smooths everything out acceptably.
Even if your dryer doesn’t have a steam cycle, you can still use it as a wrinkle remover. Toss the wrinkled clothes and a couple of ice cubes into the dryer, and run it on high heat for a few minutes. The ice melts, turning into steam, which then releases the wrinkles from your clothes.
6. Get a good clothes steamer
A clothes steamer is the most efficient way to unwrinkle and freshen clothes
A clothes steamer is the most efficient way to de-wrinkle and freshen clothes. It's easier to use than any iron, works on all kinds of clothing, and heats up quickly.
We’ve tested lots of steamers, and our favorite is the PurSteam PS-937, which got wrinkles out of all of the fabrics, when we tested it in our lab.
If you frequently find yourself needing your suit jacket straightened out, a dedicated steamer like this can help.
If you wear suits that need to look fresh and crisp every day, consider investing in an LG Styler.
The Styler can live right in your closet or somewhere in your bedroom or laundry room. Inside, you can hang clothes to refresh them of wrinkles and odors; it’s also a great sanitization option without having to run your clothes through the wash or bring them to a dry cleaner.
Though expensive, if you frequently need dry cleaning, it may make sense to invest in the LG Styler.
Related content
-
The Best Dryers of 2024
best-right-now
-
The Best Clothes Steamers of 2024
best-right-now
