Care
How to Get Wrinkles Out of Clothes Without an Iron
Seven methods, ranked honestly. Three of them work and two of them are folklore.
By Scooter M., enthusiast, crease control · Published
This page is about fabric wrinkles — clothes, not skin. Ranked by how well they actually work: a garment steamer first, then a tumble dryer with a damp towel, then hanging in a steamy bathroom, then a damp cloth and a hair dryer, then wrinkle release spray, then weight and time, and last the kettle trick, which is mostly folklore and slightly dangerous.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which steamer we rank first — the ranking comes from published specifications and the arithmetic on our method page. We have not tested these units. Full disclosure.
The methods, ranked
1. A garment steamer — the honest first answer
It is the tool designed for exactly this, it works in two minutes, and it needs no board. If you are reading this because you do not own an iron and do not want one, the answer is a steamer rather than a technique. The roundup starts here.
2. Tumble dryer with a damp towel
Genuinely effective and widely underrated. Put the wrinkled garment in the dryer with a clean, wrung-out damp towel and run fifteen minutes on medium. The towel supplies moisture, the drum supplies tumbling, and the two together do most of what a steamer does. Take the garment out immediately and hang it, or you will replace one set of wrinkles with another.
3. Hanging in a steamy bathroom
Works, slowly, and better than most people expect on polyester and knits. Hang the garment clear of the shower — not in the spray — run the shower hot with the door closed, and give it twenty minutes. It will not touch cotton shirting or linen, and it works because the ambient humidity relaxes fibers, so it needs time rather than heat.
4. A damp cloth and a hair dryer
Effective on a small area — a collar point, a cuff, a fold line. Dampen the spot lightly, hold the fabric taut, and dry it on medium heat while keeping the tension. You are improvising steam plus tension, which is the whole mechanism. Impractical for a whole garment.
5. Wrinkle release spray
Works modestly on light synthetics and knits, and is close to useless on cotton and linen. The full page on it is here, including how to make a version at home for almost nothing.
6. Weight, tension and time
Hanging a garment properly overnight does more than people credit, particularly on wool, which has genuine elastic recovery. A damp garment hung and pulled gently into shape will dry substantially straighter. Free, slow, and the only method on this list that improves the garment while you sleep.
7. The kettle trick
Holding a garment over a boiling kettle is the internet's favorite suggestion and the worst one here. The steam is unregulated, it condenses immediately as hot water onto the fabric, and you are holding cloth over an appliance ejecting steam at boiling point toward your hands. It half-works and it is not worth the burn risk.
What works on which fabric
| Method | Knits and [polyester](/fabrics/polyester) | [Cotton](/fabrics/cotton) shirting | [Linen](/fabrics/linen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garment steamer | Excellent | Good | Softens only |
| Dryer + damp towel | Excellent | Good | Softens only |
| Steamy bathroom | Good | Poor | No |
| Damp cloth + hair dryer | Good, small areas | Fair, small areas | No |
| Wrinkle release spray | Fair | Poor | No |
| Hanging overnight | Fair | Fair | Poor |
If you decide to buy the right tool
Ranked on published specifications. Tap a row for the full write-up; the price button goes to Amazon.
| # | Product | Best for | Spec score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam GS59The most-bought handheld in the category, and its published specs explain that rather than contradict it. | The default handheld | 6.5/10 | |
| 2 |  Jack & Rose K1 Travel SteamerTrue 100-240V, 15 seconds to steam, 1.6 pounds — the travel spec sheet done right. | Travel abroad | 6.2/10 |
Questions people actually ask
+How do you get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron?
A garment steamer is the direct answer. Without one, a tumble dryer with a clean damp towel for fifteen minutes is the most effective method, followed by hanging the garment in a steamy bathroom for twenty minutes.
+Does hanging clothes in the shower remove wrinkles?
Slowly, and better on polyester and knits than on cotton. Hang the garment clear of the spray, run the shower hot with the door closed, and give it twenty minutes. It will not touch linen.
+How do you get wrinkles out of clothes in the dryer?
Add a clean, wrung-out damp towel and run fifteen minutes on medium. The towel provides moisture and the drum provides tumbling. Remove and hang the garment immediately or it will re-wrinkle as it cools.
+Does the kettle trick work for wrinkles?
Partly, and it is not worth it. Unregulated steam condenses straight onto the fabric as hot water, and you are holding cloth over an appliance venting steam at boiling point toward your hands.