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When traveling, at the party, in the office – there are many ways in which our clothes can crumple and we don’t have an iron ready. But what do you do in such situations? Just accept the wrinkles or try to solve the problem somehow? 

Is it even possible to iron without an iron? 

Yes, it is possible! There are many tricks with which you can get rid of wrinkles without the need of actual ironWe get to the bottom of the question in this post.

The ”good” part is yes, it is possible to iron clothes without an iron. The “bad” part is not every method will work in every situation. 

Nevertheless, we would like to introduce you to some tricks that can surely help you in many situations. 

The different approaches to the problem ensure that you will find the right solution.

Trick # 1: The shower

You can use this trick, wherever there is a shower, for example:

  • In the hotel room
  • At friends
  • At the airport

In addition to moisture in the room, you also need a hanger to hang the crumpled garment properly. Attach the bracket to the window or the shower wall and turn the water in the shower to full. 

Make sure that it comes out of the tap as hot as possible. The result is that a lot of water vapor is generated in the room. 

Check out our post iron 101 here!

This humidity in clothes softens the cloth’s fabric. You can then smooth out or pull the laundry smoothly, thus removing the wrinkles.

Trick # 2: The hot pot

This is a well known and proven method of ironing clothes without the need for iron.

All you need for the “homemade iron” are:

  • A saucepan
  • Some water
  • A hot stove

The principle is almost self-explanatory: place the pot on the stove and fill it with a little water. Then turn on the stove to heat the water and pot.

After a while, take the pot off the stove, pour the water away and start smoothing your laundry with the hot pan bottom

Be careful, the hot pan means there is a risk of burning too!

Trick # 3: The hairdryer

You don’t have an iron but you have a hairdryer? 

Wonderful, because with this appliance you can remove wrinkles from your laundry. 

Let’s see how it works:

  1. Moisten laundry

Moisten the laundry lightly to soften the fabrics of your cloth

  1. Smooth out laundry

Switch on the hairdryer and keep it close to the laundry. Use your hands to smooth the areas you are blow-drying. Run your hand over and over on the laundry.

The hairdryer method is not only suitable for slightly wrinkled items of clothing, but also when the folds are visible. 

Similar to the shower trick, this is also a method that is particularly useful when traveling.

Trick # 4: The dryer

Many people swear by the dryer because it makes clothes at least a little bit less wrinkled. It is true: by choosing the right program, you can significantly decrease the wrinkles. 

It is important to note here that the temperature is not too high. It is also helpful if you put a damp cloth in the dryer.

Some people also use an ice cube. This addition also helps eliminate wrinkles.

Trick # 5: The hair straightener

What makes hair smooth can also effectively make your clothes smooth. If you have no other choice, the straightener is an excellent alternative to the iron. 

The problem with this method is that it is difficult for you to smooth the whole pieces of clothing. However, it is always sufficient to iron collars, hems and button strips.

Trick # 6: Anti-wrinkle spray

Perhaps you’ve seen it in the store before: there is an anti-wrinkle spray that you can spray on your crumpled clothes. All you have to do after is stretch it gently to remove the wrinkles.

It is important that before using the spray you should always first try on the small portion of clothing. 

Tip! In the worst case, some stains can no longer be removed. Special care should be taken with delicate fabrics such as silk or chiffon.

Trick # 7: The towel

Using a towel to iron clothes is relatively easy and gives good results. The trick works like this:

Place the garment on a smooth surface, such as a table.

Take a towel and dampen it.

Place the towel on the heavily wrinkled areas of clothing.

Press the towel firmly onto the clothing with the palm of your hand.

Alternatively (and if available) you can also use a pot or rolling bar.

Trick # 8: Mattress

Take the garment and roll it up very tightly and neatly so that it looks like a long stick or sausage. Then place the roll under a mattress and wait a while.

The result is usually mediocre satisfactory.

The method is suitable for removing large wrinkles. As an alternative to the mattress, you can, of course, place the laundry roll under other heavy objects. 

Necessity is the mother of invention!

In this post, we showed you that it is quite possible to smooth clothes even when there is no iron available. You just have to know how to help yourself and sometimes dare to take unconventional paths. 

But even if all the methods presented here deliver more or less convincing results. One thing is sure it is impossible to replace iron and it one of the important household needs.

For frequent travelers, there are small irons available in the markets which are easy to carry around. 

Advantages and disadvantages of ironing without an iron

✅ Ideal in emergency

✅ You don’t have to carry an iron

❌ Results are not comparable to the ironing device!