We Tried Removing Wrinkles From Laundry Using Ice Cubes With Lukewarm Results

Imagine this: You wake up for work only to find that your best pants are covered in wrinkles, and you only have 30 minutes before you need to run out the door. If you've ever found yourself in a situation like this, you could try using the ice cube dryer hack. All you need to do is place a few ice cubes inside the dryer with your wrinkled item and start a short cycle. As the ice cubes melt, they will transform your appliance into a large steamer that gently eases out creases. 

This hack could be a lifesaver, as unlike ironing or steaming, the dryer can run while you complete other tasks. This means that the ice cubes can work their magic while you brush your teeth and comb your hair, saving you time in the morning. Another benefit of this trick is that if you forget a load of laundry in the dryer, you can simply pop a few ice cubes inside the appliance and run it again to remove wrinkles quickly. After testing this hack, we can say that while it can work in certain scenarios, there are a number of factors that could make it less effective. 

Setting up for this hack was extremely easy and cost-effective (since it was essentially free). We just had to find some wrinkly items to test and get a few ice cubes from our refrigerator's ice cube maker. We utilized our small, rented dryer in our apartment, which is part of a stackable GE washer and dryer. This dryer has a 10-minute "quick fluff" setting, which is what we tried at first (but we also had to use other settings; more on that later).

To see if this hack would work on many different types of fabrics, we tested it on three items. First, a cream-colored cotton fitted bed sheet, because who wants to iron something so big? Second, a white polo shirt made out of woven cotton to see if the ice cubes could steam something thicker. And finally, a pastel skirt made out of a blend of rayon and linen, which had been shoved into the back of a dresser for ages. Each item was dried individually, without anything else in the dryer.

We started with the fitted bed sheet, which we ended up drying three times. For the first attempt, we placed it into the dryer with four regular-sized ice cubes and set the appliance to "quick fluff" for 10 minutes. The ice cubes rattled loudly at first (which probably disturbed some neighbors), but they melted in about 3 minutes. When the time was up, the sheet was still covered in wrinkles, and the ice cubes had melted into small, cold patches along the surface. For our second try, we set the dryer to "low dry," which took 25 minutes, and didn't add any additional ice cubes. This was also a fail, so in a last-ditch attempt, we tried it on the same setting but added about eight ice cubes. While it was perhaps slightly less wrinkly, there were still lots of creases in the fabric, so the fitted sheet was a bust. 

Next, we tried the thick polo shirt — this time, we learned our lesson and set the dryer to "low dry" right away with four ice cubes. However, it still came out wrinkly, so this didn't work either. For the final attempt, we tried the hack on the flowy skirt and added four ice cubes, but we set the dryer to "more dry" this time, which took about 35 minutes. This method was most effective, as most creases were removed. In our book, this piece was a success. 

Even though this hack didn't work on the fitted bed sheet or the thick polo shirt, we would still recommend trying it out for yourself. This is because there are a number of reasons why the hack may not have worked for the first two items. Perhaps the fabrics were too thick or too large, but more likely, the settings we used were probably too low and not long enough. Another factor to consider is that we used a small, rented dryer that (frankly) doesn't work all that well, but if you have a higher-end appliance, this hack may work better for you. 

If you really hate ironing or don't have a steamer, this trick could benefit you greatly. Those who want to attempt it should learn from our mistakes and choose a higher and longer dryer setting. Further, keep in mind that it may work best on thinner pieces like those made out of linen. It also took 35 minutes to remove the wrinkles from the skirt, so this hack can only be used when you have at least this much time.