How to Keep Sweaters From Wrinkling

Keep your closet organized and your clothes wrinkle-free.

The soft fabric of sweaters isn't prone to wrinkling. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take a few precautions to keep sweaters free of lines and creases, especially if you're packing them up to store them over the summer. Start preventing wrinkles immediately after your sweater comes out of the wash. If you dedicate a few minutes as soon as your sweater is clean and dry, you won't have to spend time later on trying to remove set-in wrinkles and creases.

Things You'll Need

• Iron
• Hanger

Instructions

1. Allow your sweaters to dry completely before storing them. If your sweater is dryer-safe, remove it from the dryer as soon as it's dry and smooth out any wrinkles with your hands. If it's not, lay the sweater out on a flat, clean surface until it's dry to prevent stretching and wrinkles.

2. Remove any wrinkles that do appear according to your sweater's care instructions. If it's appropriate, gently iron the sweater If you can't use an iron, place your sweater on a hanger in the bathroom while you shower. Once the bathroom is full of steam, tug the sweater until any wrinkles dissipate.

3. Roll your sweaters instead of folding them to prevent creases from setting in during storage. Lay the sweater face down, fold the arms back, then roll the sweater from the bottom up.

4. Arrange the rolled sweaters in a drawer or on a closet shelf with plenty of space. Squeezing sweaters together too tightly will cause creases to form and wrinkles to set.

References

• "Real Simple"; What's the Best Way to Store Sweaters?
• Men's Flair; Tips to Keep Clothes Wrinkle Free; Meieli Saywer Detoni; October 2007