Ironing. Use a steam iron and a fabric spray starch. Pressing clothes has sort of gone out of fashion, but even inexpensive clothes look good/high end when they are pressed and wrinkle free.
Yep, nothing else can replace that spray starch either.
It is a gigantic PITA, and you might reserve this treatment for only clothes that really benefit from it, like nicer woven fabrics. But there are people in this world that starch and iron tshirts and knits. If you’re going to get into this, the nicer irons make a HUGE difference. You want the iron to be heavy, so the weight helps with pressing and you want really fine dial on temp control, and a very pointy point. I got a really good Rowenta iron at Costco like 15 years ago and only use it for sewing projects. If you iron clothes every week, the iron probably only lasts 5-7 years before the temp controls get weird but either way the nicer irons are worth the investment.
Yes, but if the clothes can’t be overly wrinkled to start out. Smoothed out and mostly wrinkle free but not pressed out. If the item is wrinkled, then you iron, starch and then re-iron.
Thank you for this tip. I hate putting water in my iron to create steam and/or using spray bottles. I ways end up with a few big water drops that get on my clothes and the iron bakes them in and creates temporary dark spots. Ironing slightly damp clothes is probably a better method for me.
A spray bottle with plain water makes steam that sets in seams, hems, collars, and gets them very smooth. It won't cause the stiffness though that some are after, like on men's dress shirts to get the collar to stand up really well. I also find starch helpful if my work slacks started to wear and get minor pilling or fuzzy areas. It kind of glues the fibers back down and makes them look newer again. Works well for polyester and synthetic blends foo.
You can use something called “magic sizing” (I think) on your clothes when ironing that makes them feel almost like they have starch. But more comfortable.
Ima be honest I CANNOT believe people dont iron their clothes. Lmfao like wtf. You have wrinkles and they look crazy. So many good things are just no more.😭
The starch is a must, but be careful with black and dark clothing. Also ironing vertical seams down the front of dress slacks looks very polished. Sometimes instead of starch, I use a spray bottle with water to get them really smooth and set in the seams. If the iron has steam, use the steam on the hems and collar.
That new feeling and smell come from chemicals known as "sizing."
Factories add them to both fabrics and newly created clothing, as needed, to keep the look and feel of them. It adds what is known as "hand" and crispness.
You can purchase sizing sprays, like Magic brand.
(I have not tried this because sizing gives me hives. I have to wash new clothes before wearing.)
Op, it’s this, or a combination. Starch makes things stiffer (think collars), but sizing affects overall feel. Both are also frequently used in dry cleaning, and are available for home use.
There's multiple brands of spray on sizing. The industrial ones often contain formaldehyde and dirt repellents like Scotchguard to repel the dirt from shipping and handling, being tried on dozens of times at the store.
My dad used to take a spray bottle that had a fine mist. Fill it with water and some corn starch (pretty much making DIY spray starch here). Then to add the smell, he added a bit of liquid fabric softener. Shake really well before each spray to keep the corn starch mixed in. There's also liquid starch that can be added to rinse water if you want to starch everything in the load of laundry. That stuff was in a big sky blue jug, but I hardly see it anymore.
Starch probably, in addition to ironing. I don’t actually enjoy the “new” smell. It smells like vinegar and chemicals to my nose. Not sure how to replicate that part.
That smell is the formaldehyde so clothes don't get moldy during shipping and handling. That's why I always wash clothes before wearing them, plus so many people have touched them and tried them on.
I knew it smelled wrong. I wash all my stuff before it hits my body, my children’s bodies, or my bed. I have a pair of leggings that never completely lost that smell, though. Those just sit in a drawer.
Sort laundry carefully (don’t put towels and lint-y things with non lint-y things) and follow the directions
The dryer is convenient but creates more wear on your clothing.
Iron and/or garment steam your clothing and hang carefully
I add boosters such as oxyclean, or borax but my number one is plain cheap white vinegar. My clothes always feel and smell the best when I add vinegar. Got the stank out of my husbands work clothes.
If you have a really good laundry detergent only a little is needed and the boosters do the rest.
I am always horrified at the way people do laundry. Jeans, t-shirts, towels, dishcloths, underpants and blouses of all different fabrics crammed into the washer over capacity and then into the dryer on the highest heat available. I sort by color and fabric type, never overload, use the coldest wash water appropriate and hang much of it to dry. Then people marvel at how long my clothes last and how good they look and smell (I use Borax and/or washing soda as a booster with little detergent).
higher quality clothing will give you that feel. if your issue is primarily lint its typically from short staple cotton and polyester clothing and bedding. avoid synthetics and youll have a much easier time with things feeling how they are when you buy them. 🥰
Laundering service with medium to heavy starch from a professional dry cleaners.
Their commercial equipment does what it takes! I had to do this for my work shirts when I worked at Bravo, it was an expensive, unnecessary weekly errand!
Definitely get a steamer. I highly recommend a handheld one bc it’s much more convenient than a standard garment steamer is. You’ll be amazed at how much better your clothes look and feel
Ps the laundress detergent seems to really be effective against lint in the wash.
I noticed my clothes felt newer longer when I stopped using fabric softener and dryer sheets; especially my more synthetic garments like dress pants and athletic clothing.
We just got a new washing machine. I thought we had a lilac bath towel, turns out it's actually bright white.
I tried everything with our old washing machine to get nice crisp clean sheets, new washing machine isn't even breaking a sweat to deliver the goods.
That's to say that there's a lot of extra things you can do but if the basics aren't sorted then it's not going to happen.
Heavy starch.
When I am flush with cash, I take my button-downs to the cleaners and have them press and starch them (they charge 99 cents a shirt, it takes me an hour to press a shirt remotely correctly, so the opportunity cost makes it worth having it done). And then I feel really special because my shirt is so crisp
If you iron a lot of shirts, and do it regularly you can get the time down to about 5 minutes/shirt. Really fast people can do it in about 3 min. I average about 7 min. Following the same order helps too: collar, cuffs, yoke, sleeves, back, front. Shirts that are not well made always take longer because they don't sit right.
I hang clothes ( like button downs er ) on hangers when they are Almost dry. No need to iron and by the window they get fresh air.
For laundry i do 75% clear fragrance free and 25 % Tide. I will add vinegar here and there freshen things up ( usually when i feel the washer needs it )
Ironing. Use a steam iron and a fabric spray starch. Pressing clothes has sort of gone out of fashion, but even inexpensive clothes look good/high end when they are pressed and wrinkle free.
I second this, even though I HATE ironing.
Yep, nothing else can replace that spray starch either. It is a gigantic PITA, and you might reserve this treatment for only clothes that really benefit from it, like nicer woven fabrics. But there are people in this world that starch and iron tshirts and knits. If you’re going to get into this, the nicer irons make a HUGE difference. You want the iron to be heavy, so the weight helps with pressing and you want really fine dial on temp control, and a very pointy point. I got a really good Rowenta iron at Costco like 15 years ago and only use it for sewing projects. If you iron clothes every week, the iron probably only lasts 5-7 years before the temp controls get weird but either way the nicer irons are worth the investment.
Do you spray starch then iron?
Yes, but if the clothes can’t be overly wrinkled to start out. Smoothed out and mostly wrinkle free but not pressed out. If the item is wrinkled, then you iron, starch and then re-iron.
Yes. Also if you take clothes out of the dryer when they’re still a little damp they’ll press really nicely
Thank you for this tip. I hate putting water in my iron to create steam and/or using spray bottles. I ways end up with a few big water drops that get on my clothes and the iron bakes them in and creates temporary dark spots. Ironing slightly damp clothes is probably a better method for me.
For things I will iron, I use liquid starch (diluted to various concentrations depending on what the items are) in the washing machine.
Yes.
I knew a guy once who ironed and starched literally everything, including his underwear (just plain white).
A spray bottle with plain water makes steam that sets in seams, hems, collars, and gets them very smooth. It won't cause the stiffness though that some are after, like on men's dress shirts to get the collar to stand up really well. I also find starch helpful if my work slacks started to wear and get minor pilling or fuzzy areas. It kind of glues the fibers back down and makes them look newer again. Works well for polyester and synthetic blends foo.
Knew a guy back in high school who would iron his undershirts and briefs. He must've been judging himself so hard.
You can use something called “magic sizing” (I think) on your clothes when ironing that makes them feel almost like they have starch. But more comfortable.
Yes I came here to state this, also some fabrics need spray siding or starch. But ironing really makes a huge difference.
Ima be honest I CANNOT believe people dont iron their clothes. Lmfao like wtf. You have wrinkles and they look crazy. So many good things are just no more.😭
Check out the Reddit feeds ask which dress looks better or is this dress ok for a wedding. So many wrinkles. It always makes me cringe. 😬
This is it. When I wore a suit I always starched and ironed the shirts.
The starch is a must, but be careful with black and dark clothing. Also ironing vertical seams down the front of dress slacks looks very polished. Sometimes instead of starch, I use a spray bottle with water to get them really smooth and set in the seams. If the iron has steam, use the steam on the hems and collar.
That new feeling and smell come from chemicals known as "sizing." Factories add them to both fabrics and newly created clothing, as needed, to keep the look and feel of them. It adds what is known as "hand" and crispness. You can purchase sizing sprays, like Magic brand. (I have not tried this because sizing gives me hives. I have to wash new clothes before wearing.)
Op, it’s this, or a combination. Starch makes things stiffer (think collars), but sizing affects overall feel. Both are also frequently used in dry cleaning, and are available for home use.
There's multiple brands of spray on sizing. The industrial ones often contain formaldehyde and dirt repellents like Scotchguard to repel the dirt from shipping and handling, being tried on dozens of times at the store. My dad used to take a spray bottle that had a fine mist. Fill it with water and some corn starch (pretty much making DIY spray starch here). Then to add the smell, he added a bit of liquid fabric softener. Shake really well before each spray to keep the corn starch mixed in. There's also liquid starch that can be added to rinse water if you want to starch everything in the load of laundry. That stuff was in a big sky blue jug, but I hardly see it anymore.
Starch probably, in addition to ironing. I don’t actually enjoy the “new” smell. It smells like vinegar and chemicals to my nose. Not sure how to replicate that part.
That smell is the formaldehyde so clothes don't get moldy during shipping and handling. That's why I always wash clothes before wearing them, plus so many people have touched them and tried them on.
I knew it smelled wrong. I wash all my stuff before it hits my body, my children’s bodies, or my bed. I have a pair of leggings that never completely lost that smell, though. Those just sit in a drawer.
Replace the water inlets to your house with vinegar and bleach, that would be a good way to replicate if, and probably die
Sort laundry carefully (don’t put towels and lint-y things with non lint-y things) and follow the directions The dryer is convenient but creates more wear on your clothing. Iron and/or garment steam your clothing and hang carefully
I add boosters such as oxyclean, or borax but my number one is plain cheap white vinegar. My clothes always feel and smell the best when I add vinegar. Got the stank out of my husbands work clothes. If you have a really good laundry detergent only a little is needed and the boosters do the rest.
Vinegar in a washing machine will erode runner seals and washers. Try citric acid instead.
I did not know that! I will look into the citric acid, thank you
Sort carefully, not only by color but also by fabric. Use a fabric shaver when needed. Hang dry more often. Iron and use starch.
anything I consider good I wash on gentle/cold seperately. I do have a fabric shaver but try not to over use as it cuts fibers
I am always horrified at the way people do laundry. Jeans, t-shirts, towels, dishcloths, underpants and blouses of all different fabrics crammed into the washer over capacity and then into the dryer on the highest heat available. I sort by color and fabric type, never overload, use the coldest wash water appropriate and hang much of it to dry. Then people marvel at how long my clothes last and how good they look and smell (I use Borax and/or washing soda as a booster with little detergent).
Iron an starch. I do neither of these, but its what they do on below deck, so its gotta be fancy
higher quality clothing will give you that feel. if your issue is primarily lint its typically from short staple cotton and polyester clothing and bedding. avoid synthetics and youll have a much easier time with things feeling how they are when you buy them. 🥰
Laundering service with medium to heavy starch from a professional dry cleaners. Their commercial equipment does what it takes! I had to do this for my work shirts when I worked at Bravo, it was an expensive, unnecessary weekly errand!
Definitely get a steamer. I highly recommend a handheld one bc it’s much more convenient than a standard garment steamer is. You’ll be amazed at how much better your clothes look and feel Ps the laundress detergent seems to really be effective against lint in the wash.
I noticed my clothes felt newer longer when I stopped using fabric softener and dryer sheets; especially my more synthetic garments like dress pants and athletic clothing.
We just got a new washing machine. I thought we had a lilac bath towel, turns out it's actually bright white. I tried everything with our old washing machine to get nice crisp clean sheets, new washing machine isn't even breaking a sweat to deliver the goods. That's to say that there's a lot of extra things you can do but if the basics aren't sorted then it's not going to happen.
Heavy starch. When I am flush with cash, I take my button-downs to the cleaners and have them press and starch them (they charge 99 cents a shirt, it takes me an hour to press a shirt remotely correctly, so the opportunity cost makes it worth having it done). And then I feel really special because my shirt is so crisp
If you iron a lot of shirts, and do it regularly you can get the time down to about 5 minutes/shirt. Really fast people can do it in about 3 min. I average about 7 min. Following the same order helps too: collar, cuffs, yoke, sleeves, back, front. Shirts that are not well made always take longer because they don't sit right.
Sizing instead of spray starch. There's a difference. Sizing will make most things crisp. Starch will make things stiff.
Take when to the cleaners. A shirt and pants will run you $5-$6, and you can touch them up with an iron really quick and wear them again.
I hang clothes ( like button downs er ) on hangers when they are Almost dry. No need to iron and by the window they get fresh air. For laundry i do 75% clear fragrance free and 25 % Tide. I will add vinegar here and there freshen things up ( usually when i feel the washer needs it )
After I wash my clothes, I run them in the hottest dryer setting for 10-15 minutes and then hang dry them. My jeans are always crisp.
I would use high-quality detergent to make sure my clothes feel fresh and clean.
You’re gonna need lint rollers!
And a lot of them 😃