Your clothes are your form of expression. But keeping your clothes free of wrinkles when traveling? That’s a challenge!
How many times have you opened up your suitcase to find your elegantly pressed clothing in shambles once you arrived at your destination?
If you’re anything like me, that answer is probably: always. If that’s the case, we got you covered. This article will offer several tips on how you can keep your clothes free from creases inside your luggage, even after hours of traveling.
As a bonus, we will also give you a few recommendations on how you can address minor wrinkling on the road.
Tips for Wrinkle-Free Packing
Keep your travel clothes picture-perfect by taking the time to learn how to pack correctly. Instead of folding and shoving your clothing items inside your suitcase, be intentional in your approach.
From choosing suitable garments to using packing tools, here are several tips you may want to consider to prevent wrinkle issues while you are on a trip:
Choose Wrinkle-Resistant Clothes
Perhaps the best way to ensure that you have wrinkle-free clothes while traveling is to choose travel outfits made of wrinkle-resistant fabrics like denim blends. Rather than packing your linen cigarette pants, you can opt for denim or jean leggings. After all, wearing denim leggings is as flattering as linen pants, and you don’t have to worry about them creasing.
If you are unsure which items from your closet can hold their shape well, look at the labels. Clothes made of wrinkle-resistant materials are usually marketed as non-iron, wash-and-wear, and easy-care.
If you can’t tell from the label, do a quick test to see if they are prone to wrinkling. Just grab a part of the fabric and crush it using your fist for half a minute.
If the material remains crease-free or the wrinkles disappear after a minute or so, you have found a travel-worthy option.
Use Packing Tools
You can also prevent wrinkle woes and keep your luggage organized by using different types of packing tools. Here are some products you may want to invest in:
- Packing folders. These items are helpful if you need to bring delicate tops, skirts, dresses, and other items for business trips and fancy occasions. Just fold your clothes against the sturdy plastic sheet and secure the folder shut to prevent creases and folds from forming.
- Packing cubes. A simple strategy to minimize unwanted creases in your travel clothes is to reduce friction between clothing. You can do this by placing your garments inside packing cubes. You can also use dry-cleaning bags for this purpose. You may want to pack one delicate outfit per bag to keep creases to a minimum.
- Garment bag. For dressier and more sensitive clothing items that you absolutely want to remain crisp and wrinkle-free, using a garment bag is your best option. Be sure to invest in a high-quality, sturdy garment bag that does not crease even when folded in half to protect your clothes better.
Try the Bundle Wrap Method
Another effective way to pack clothes without wrinkles is to use the bundle wrap method. This strategy requires you to wrap clothing pieces around each other to create a tight bundle. Essentially, the tension created by wrapping everything together and the absence of folds considerably deter wrinkles. Follow these steps if you want to bundle wrap like a pro:
- Step 1: Create a “core” by filling a pouch or suitcase organizer with soft clothing items until you have something similar to a firm pillow. This core will be at the center of your bundle.
- Step 2: Spread out a jacket or a long-sleeve shirt on a flat surface and smooth out any creases using your hands. Make sure the collar is facing down.
- Step 3: Lay your second long-sleeve shirt 180 degrees to the first garment and smooth it out flat with the sleeves out and collars up. Be sure that you arrange the clothes in such a way that both collars merely touch the edge of where the core will go.
- Step 4: Do the same with your remaining clothing pieces. Arrange from the most tailored to the least with shirts on the vertical and pants on the horizontal. Below is the ideal order when layering your clothes
- Jacket
- Long skirts or dresses
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Short-sleeved shirts
- Pants
- Sweaters
- Shorts
- T-shirts
- Step 5: Place the core in the center, and start wrapping each garment around the core until you reach the final outer clothing piece.
Consider Rolling Your Clothes
You can also roll your clothes before packing them to minimize creases. Just make sure to smooth out any wrinkles before rolling your garments tightly. Remember, if you miss this crucial step, you will end up with wrinkly travel clothes even if you pack them meticulously.
Unlike bundle packing, the rolling technique is simple. Just fold your tops and bottoms vertically to create a rectangle. Afterward, roll and arrange them neatly in your suitcase. When you adopt this packing method, you can save valuable luggage space and keep your belongings in order, as well.
Choose Your Suitcase Wisely
You also need to choose the right suitcase to keep your clothes wrinkle-free.
Opt for a structured bag that offers multiple compartments, padding, straps, and just enough room to hold your clothing in place. It will also help to use a sturdier suitcase to lessen the risk of your garments changing positions or getting wrinkled when hit accidentally.
If you travel often, you may want to invest in top-quality luggage with features that can help you avoid creases.
How to Get Rid of Wrinkles While Traveling
Despite all of this, you may still notice a few creases and folds in some of your travel outfits. If so, here are some helpful options:
- Bring a portable steamer. Using a travel-sized steamer is the best solution to eliminate the toughest wrinkles in a flash. This item is particularly useful if you frequently travel for business and you need to wear freshly-ironed blouses, blazers, pants, and dresses.
- Hang your wrinkled clothes in the bathroom. If you don’t have a portable steamer on hand, you can hang your clothing pieces in the bathroom and take a hot shower. The steam from the hot water will release wrinkling as a travel steamer.
- Spray creases with a de-wrinkling solution. Wrinkle releasers or de-wrinkling sprays are the perfect travel partner to keep your clothes fresh and crease-free. Just hang your garments or lay them flat on the bed, spray the wrinkled area with the de-wrinkling solution, and you are done. Your clothes will look good and smell incredible, too.
- Use a blow-dryer. Your handy blow-dryer can be used to release creases from your travel clothes. All you need to do is dampen the wrinkled area and allow the heat from the dryer to complete the job.
Listen, sometimes you just can’t shake a wrinkle. But hopefully, this article gave you tons of ideas on how to keep your travel clothes in perfect shape and condition. Try these tips on your next trip!
