Keep Your Pants Wrinkle-Free With This Easy Bubble Wrap Hack

When you're already running late for work or a busy day completing errands, an accidental fashion faux pas is the last thing you want to deal with. As you pull on your last clean pair of pants and reach for your socks, you might notice that there's a big crease running straight across your thigh — undoubtedly a crease left behind by the hanger. This is a common issue if the pants have been hanging for months or even years, as is often the case with more formal pants and suit trousers. "[Wire hangers] often create creases because they're too thin. So the thicker the bar you have, the better to prevent creases in your pants" says Karol Caballero, director of product development for closet organization brand Hayden Hill and an expert on how to fold and store clothes to minimize wrinkles (via Youtube). To remedy pant creases, you need to make the bottom bar thicker, and padding it with bubble wrap is a simple way to do so. 

You might the able to get away with pant creases on casual friday, but visible wrinkles are even worse if you're headed to a significant occasion like a wedding, holiday party, or funeral. Save that sheet of bubble wrap from your next online shopping spree and put it to good use protecting your clothes so they're ready to wear when you need them. Here's how you can transform spare bubble wrap into a handy, crease-free hanger.

To make a crease-free pants hanger, you'll need a sheet of bubble wrap that's slightly narrower than the hanger's bottom bar. If you need to, you can cut the bubble wrap down to size, but the exact width won't matter too much, so there's no need to get "hung up" on the details. What matters more than the width is that the bubble wrap sheet is long enough to roll over itself and create 2 to 3 layers of padding between the hanger bar and your garment. To wrap the hanger, place one end of the bubble wrap sheet under the hanger's bottom bar, then begin rolling much like you would a yoga mat, making sure that the bubble wrap rolls evenly. Secure the end of the bubble wrap with a piece of tape, and you're done. 

Now you can fold and hang your pants over the padded hanger, ensuring the fabric rests on a curve instead of a thin line. As gravity pulls the pants downward, the bubble wrap padding will distribute pressure so that the pants won't crease. Hanging pants this way may take up a little bit more horizontal real estate in your closet, but it's worth the trade-off to save time on ironing and avoid any embarrassing wrinkles. Fresh out of bubble wrap? A pool noodle can also revolutionize the way you hang your laundry.