10 Mar 2025
- Wash similar fabric types and weights together
- Cooler washes can help prevent fibres from creasing
- Fabric conditioner helps smooth and soften fibres
- Don't overload your tumble dryer
- Give clothes a good shake before drying
- Fold or hang laundry as soon as it's dry
- Air drying can help keep creases at bay too
Want 5 clever tips to stop creases and wrinkles in your laundry (without ALL that ironing!)? You’ve come to the right place…
About 30% of 18 to 34 year-olds do not own an iron¹ and therefore never iron their clothes, so a few easy hacks to reduce clothing creases are surely worth a try?
And even if you're an iron-lover nobody wants MORE wrinkles and creases in their clothes; so let’s take a peek at some clever hacks to stop wrinkles in their tracks. Here's how you can keep your clothes looking smooth without ironing...
5 smoothly does it steps.
1. Sort it out.
Disorganisation can bring creases. So, in the battle against lines you should sort your clothes not just by colour, but by fabric type and weight.
Washing lightweight tee-shirts with heavy jeans? Recipe for wrinkle disaster. The jeans will crush your tees in the wash creating creases that you didn’t bargain on. Washing similar fabrics and weights together will lessen this considerably.
2. Cold water washing.
It used to be the case that a hot wash got things cleaner… but things have changed thank goodness because hot water = wrinkly nightmare! Higher temperatures can swell up clothing fibres and make them crease. Cooler washes prevent this issue.
Thankfully smol capsules use incredible cold wash power to deliver deep hygienic cleaning even when washing at 20°C. So not only will you lose the wrinkles, you’ll save money and use less energy with no loss of cleaning performance!
3. Use fabric conditioner.
Fabric Conditioner isn't just about soft clothes and lovely smells. It can help with wrinkles too.
They help smooth clothing fibres, leaving laundry softer and less prone to creases.
And smol Fabric Conditioner’s new and improved formula is now double the softness after just 3 washes², all from the same tiny 8ml dose.
Choose between:
- The Outdoorsy One, with apple & orange blossom
- Sensitive Peach & Jasmine, which is exceptionally gentle, dermatologically tested and accredited by the Skin Health Alliance
Both come with long-lasting, touch-activated fragrance, and plant-based softening ingredients with no animal fat.
Soft on clothes. Tough on crinkles.
4. Dryer do’s & don’ts.
Your dryer is not a clown car. Overload it, and your clothes will just spin in a wrinkly ball of doom. Clothes will dry far more quickly and have fewer wrinkles if the tumble isn't crammed full.
Give your wet clothes a good shake to get rid of any wrinkles from the wash - before tossing them in. Once they are dry, fold or hang them immediately – leaving them in a pile only invites wrinkles to settle in deeper.
5. Air dry alternative.
Air-drying? Great for the environment, great for your clothes. Shake items out before hanging them up as this relaxes the fibres and gets rid of any static. Then for the best wrinkle-busting tricks, hang them strategically:
- Trousers: Match seams, then peg from the bottom hems.
- Tops: Peg from the bottom hem.
- Socks: Peg by the toes.
- Bedding: Fold, peg, and give them plenty of space.
Outdoor or indoor line drying can mean fewer wrinkles AND more freshness.
And that’s it! Wrinkle-free clothes, all for no real extra effort. It’s all smooth sailing from here.
¹ Lakeland research 2023
² After 3 washes, based on panel testing vs previous smol Fabric Conditioner.
Catherine Green, Cleaning Expert
Catherine has been on a mission to revolutionise the way we tackle chores since the dawn of smol and is an advocate for making more sustainable living accessible to all, with a strong focus in cleaning that’s heavy on dirt, lighter on the planet and gentle on the skin. Catherine has tested hundreds of hacks to make tackling chores easier, safer, and better for the planet and our homes.
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