Wrinkled clothes can be a travel nightmare, making you look unkempt when you want to look your best. Fortunately, Noor de Swart – the founder and CEO of Super Label Store – has come to the rescue with four ingenious, iron-free tips to keep your clothes creaseless on the go.
The clothing guru highlights how fabric reacts to moisture, heat, and handling, and that the quality of your garments – particularly the fibre content – is critical for avoiding those dreaded wrinkles. Premium fabrics are more likely to maintain their sleek appearance, she notes. Above all, Swart insists on one golden rule: patience is a virtue.
When it’s time to unpack your suitcase once you’ve reached your holiday destination, it’s common for packed clothes to emerge looking crumpled, even after a short journey.
However, the clothing guru offers her nifty tip to ensure your attire stays pristine en route – tissue paper. “When packing, place tissue paper between layers of clothing,” she suggests. “It creates a soft buffer and helps prevent the pressure wrinkles that come from tight packing.”
She further advises rolling clothes rather than folding them in your suitcase – particularly for knitwear and casual tops. “It not only saves space, but rolling helps minimise hard crease lines that are difficult to remove while travelling,” she points out.
And remember, don’t cram too much into your bags! “Clothes packed too tightly have no room to shift, so every crease becomes set,” Swart warns. “Leaving a little space means your garments can breathe, and it’s easier to shake out any wrinkles on arrival.”
Swart also recommends immediately hanging up clothes upon arrival. “Give them a quick shake and hang them in a steamy bathroom,” she says. “This simple step relaxes the fibres and removes many creases that form during transit.”
This would mean turning on the hot water when you reach your accommodation, but Swart explains that the “steam works surprisingly well” to remove any wrinkles – “especially with lightweight or delicate fabrics”.
For optimal results, she recommends closing the door to keep the steam in and gently stretching the fabric as it loosens.
Swart also proposes bringing along a small spray bottle to spritz clothes with water before hanging them in a steamy bathroom.
“A light mist combined with gravity and steam works wonders,” she says.
Travel-savvy individuals may know that the ultimate trick is selecting garments that resist crumples in the first place, with Swart advising the use of wrinkle-resistant pieces whenever you can.
Good wrinkle-free options include clothes that have polyester blends, knits, or those tagged as “non-iron”.
For those all-important attire selections, Swart suggests: “If you need to pack formalwear, go for garments with a bit of stretch or structure.”
This is because these are more likely to maintain their shape in transit and require less attention upon reaching your destination.
Tip for wrinkle-free clothes
- Pack using tissue paper
Other useful tips
- Roll clothes
- Don’t overpack
- Hang clothes in a steamy bathroom
- Pack wrinkle-resistant clothes