Laundry Mistakes That Are Causing Your Clothes To Wrinkle

Few things are more annoying than pulling a fresh load of laundry out of the dryer only to realize that everything is wrinkled. Although crushed clothes are wearable, they can make you come across as messy and unpolished, so most people want to avoid them. Fortunately, wrinkles are often the result of easy-to-fix laundry mistakes, like overloading your machine or using the wrong water temperature. With proper care, you can avoid these errors and reduce the chances of your clothes wrinkling. 

Before getting into how to avoid wrinkles, it's useful to break down what makes them happen. Basically, wrinkles are caused by heat and water that mess with the polymers, or bonds, in your clothes. This makes the fabric less rigid and allows it to shift during the wash or drying process. Once it cools back down, the material will try returning to its original state. This is why drying your clothes in super hot temperatures often causes wrinkles. But, the dryer isn't your only issue. 

Your washer can exacerbate the problem if you're using hot water because it wrinkles your fabric more than warm or cool water. Plus, high heat can be too harsh on delicate fabrics, like silk, lace, and cashmere. In addition, overloading your machine will cause wrinkles because your clothes don't have enough room to move. That may seem counter intuitive. Less space should mean the clothes can't shift around enough to actually wrinkle, right? Except, your clothes do need to be able to move freely to avoid getting tangled or creased.

In addition to not overstuffing the washer and being mindful of your water temperature, you can try using the gentle or delicate cycle on your washer. This process involves using cold water followed by a slow spin cycle that reduces the amount of agitation used. Dryer balls are another effective way to get wrinkle-free laundry. Commonly made of wool, plastic, or rubber, these neat tools stop your laundry from clumping together by getting between layers of fabric. They are also handy for preventing static and potentially reducing drying times. Further, removing your clothes from the washer or dryer right away, and using the cool down cycle, will also help minimize creases. 

At the end of the day, wrinkles can't always be avoided. Some fabrics, like linen, cotton, and rayon, are more prone to creasing than others. Plus, sometimes, you just forget a load in the washer or dryer. That's when the trusty iron comes in handy. However, you can get rid of wrinkles without an iron, too. A common alternative is wrinkle-release sprays. All you need to do is spray your clothing down, shake it out, and then let it hang dry. You can also easily DIY a wrinkle releaser at home with distilled vinegar, fabric softener, and rubbing alcohol.