How to get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron – 5 alternative methods that will get your clothes crease-free

Ironing is a bit like the marmite of household chores, with most of us falling into one of two camps. Whether you love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of our to-do lists, because wearing wrinkly clothes simply isn't chic.

That being said, next time we go to wear a shirt and notice it's heavily creased, it might not be necessary to reach for one of the best steam irons in a frantic bid to make ourselves more presentable. Once you know how to get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron, you'll have a few tricks up your sleeve that will get your garments looking practically crease-free.

Some of these hacks might surprise you, like putting ice cubes and tennis balls in the tumble dryer, while others, like using a garment steamer, will make a lot more sense.

Either way, we've asked experts to share their tips for how to get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron, to give you just a little bit more time when getting your clothes ready for the week.

1. Pop ice cubes in the tumble dryer

For clothes that are safe to dry in a tumble dryer, you can try popping a couple of ice cubes in the drum alongside them. Decreasing clothes with ice cubes was a hack that went viral not too long ago, and many swear by its effectiveness.

'Putting ice cubes into your dryer creates steam which can help to smooth out any wrinkles in your clothing,' Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance repair expert at Domestic & General explains. 'You can get quick results by adding a few pieces of already dry, lightweight clothing into your dryer with some ice and running a short cycle; two or three cubes should be enough.'

Note that this hack won't work as well on heavier items of clothing. But Ian confirms that it is safe and won't damage your tumble dryer in any way.

'But I wouldn't recommend using this hack every wash as it will eventually start to accelerate corrosion,' he adds. 'And make sure to check your dryer’s manual beforehand to make sure it is safe to add ice to your appliance.'

2. Use dryer (or tennis) balls

Aside from the surprising things you can clean with a tennis ball, these handy balls are great for preventing clothes from getting wrinkly in the tumble dryer. You can buy a pack of four organic wool dryer balls for £7.99 on Amazon, which will also collect fluff and hair from your clothes and leave them smelling fresher.

Or, simply stick a couple of tennis balls in the drum and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the difference they make in terms of creases.

'As the dryer balls move around the tumble dryer, they separate the clothes, allowing warm air to reach all areas,' Chloe Blanchfield, Product Marketing Manager for Hisense UK explains.

'As a result, the clothes dry faster and with less clumping, therefore reducing the chance of creased clothes.'

3. Hang them up while showering

'I always recommend hanging creased clothes in a warm bathroom whilst you're having a bath or shower,' stylist Ali Lees from Inspired Styling says. 'The steam will help remove the creases and the clothing will naturally smooth out better when you're wearing the garment.'

This is definitely a good one to try, and surprisingly effective. The steam created by the shower is perfect for releasing wrinkles on clothes, especially when they're on a hanger.

4. Use a handheld steamer

A handheld steamer is probably the quickest way to get creases out of clothes without an iron. These handy little devices produce a lot of steam and target this directly on to garments, leaving them pretty much wrinkle-free.

'Handheld steamers are compact, easy to use and brilliant for delicate fabrics like silk,' Izzy Forgione, small appliances expert at AO.com says. 'To use one like a pro, wave your steamer over your clothes while they’re hanging and watch the wrinkles melt away.'

Portable clothes steamers are ideal for clothes that crease easily in a suitcase. I use the Tefal Pure Pop, £49.99 at John Lewis, which is lightweight enough to take on holiday, but powerful enough to do a good job.

We're also fans of the Tefal AeroSteam clothes steamer, which is bigger than the Pure Pop and packs a more powerful punch.

5. Try crease release spray

Crease release spray is perfect for when you've thrown an outfit on and realised it has wrinkles, but you don't have enough time to try the hacks above. It does a pretty good job of smoothing out larger creases, and is often scented, so will leave your clothes smelling fresher as well.

I use the Lenor Crease Release spray in the scent spring awakening, which you can buy as a 2-pack for £10.90 on Amazon. It doesn't leave my clothes completely crease-free, but there's always a huge improvement. I also spritz it over bedding that's come out the tumble dryer looking particularly creased.

FAQs

Does hanging clothes remove wrinkles?

Hanging clothes can definitely help with removing wrinkles. 'The best way to do this is to hang your clothes straight after they’ve been in the washing machine to hopefully prevent wrinkles from forming in the first place,' Izzy advises.

'The weight of your clothes will do most of the heavy lifting as this will pull out minor creases naturally as they dry.'

Dry clothes with wrinkles will need a little extra help. Hang them in the bathroom while the shower is running, or spritz them with some crease release spray while they're on the hanger. You should see a noticeable improvement.

Can you iron a shirt with a hairdryer?

'Technically speaking, a hairdryer can double up as a mini clothes steamer,' Izzy says. 'To do this effectively, hang up your wrinkled shirt up and blow warm, not hot, air over the fabric. Hold your hair dryer about 10cm away and use your free hand to gently smooth your shirt fabric as you go along.'

A hairdryer can act as a stand-in for a handheld steamer when used in this way, but it won't remove wrinkles quite as effectively. Warm air isn't as hot as steam, so there will likely still be some creases at the end. It can't really be used as a substitute for an iron because you shouldn't run the hairdryer over the fabric directly, for safety reasons.

'A word of caution – never use high heat on embellishments or prints and avoid overheating your delicate fabrics like polyester or silk,' Izzy adds.

Knowing how to get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron should save you heaps of time. While you might not want to part with your iron completely, these handy hacks will definitely mean you need to reach for it less often.