adminWhether it’s your first day of college or a job interview, nothing creates a bad impression like a wrinkled outfit. But what can you do? Your room in a ladies’ PG in Hadapsar is tiny enough already without you cramming a huge ironing board in there. Not to mention the time and hassle involved in learning how to iron different fabrics so that you don’t run the risk of burning a hole through your favourite tops. But don’t worry. Not having an iron doesn’t mean you’re doomed to have shabby clothes forever. And we’re not just suggesting that you send out your clothes to professional laundry services to do the job for you. Thankfully, there are some easy and inexpensive hacks that can help you de-wrinkle your clothes in a pinch. So, the next time you’re looking at a crumpled shirt, you don’t have to hide it behind layers of scarves and sweaters. Let’s get started.
Create a DIY iron
No you don’t need a degree in engineering to help you out here. Any clean saucepan or kettle with a flat side will do the job. Boil some water in the pan until it gets steamy, then empty it. Using the hot pan as your instrument, “iron” your wrinkled clothes on a flat surface like a table top. Keep in mind that your pan won’t stay hot for long so you might have to repeat the process a couple of times to get the best results. This hack does have some caveats though. Make sure you don’t let the hot pan come in contact with clothes that have vinyl lettering or plastic embellishments as it could make them melt and ruin the fabric. And always be careful while handling the hot pan as you wouldn’t want to hurt yourself.
Discover the wonders of your washing machine
Your washing machine has a dryer function that could help you get rid of the pesky wrinkles in your clothes, especially if they’re made of cotton and cotton blend fabrics. For this hack all you need to do is place your garment in the washing machine with a small damp towel or washcloth. Then turn it on to the dryer setting for five to ten minutes. The dampness of the cloth will release steam in the dryer and help to smooth out the wrinkles. Act fast once the cycle is complete and remove the clothes immediately to stop them from wrinkling again. You can now put on your crumple-free clothes or place them on hangers to retain their neatness for future wears.
Take a shower
This is a great hack for when you’re about to get ready and you realise your favourite dress actually has a lot of wrinkles. You can multitask and “iron” out the wrinkles in the shower. Simply hang the item of clothing from a clothes hanger and place it in your bathroom such that it can hang flat but not get wet. Behind the shower door, on the towel rack or near the mirror could work best. Then turn your shower onto its hottest setting (or as hot as you’re able to tolerate) and go about taking your bath. The steam created from the heat will help to unwrinkle the fabric within ten minutes. Of course, this isn’t the most environmentally friendly method, but it can be a quick way to multitask if you’re already about to shower.
Use your hair straightener
If you’re working with only a crumpled collar or a few wrinkles between buttons or near the hem, your hair straightener can actually work really well as an iron. Simply place the fabric between the plates and straighten as usual. Just make sure that the hair straightener is clean before you attempt to iron your clothes. And keep an eye on the temperature setting as well: start low for fabrics like silk and build up to higher temperatures for sweaters of thick fabrics.
Blast your hair dryer
Here’s another handy repurposing hack that’ll help you de-wrinkle your clothes, even from a ladies’ hostel in Akurdi. First, place your item of clothing on a hanger and lay it flat. Sprinkle the wrinkled areas with some water so that it becomes damp, not sopping wet. Now blast your hair dryer (on the hot air setting) on the areas that are most crumpled. Do this in bursts of 30-40 seconds, smoothing the sections with your hands if required. Just be mindful that you don’t hold the hair dryer super close to the fabric or you could run the risk of burning your clothes.
And those are our easy hacks to “iron” your clothes even when you don’t have an iron. These are bound to come in handy for anyone living in a hostel or PG in Delhi. So the next time you find a crumpled mess at the bottom of your wardrobe, don’t pretend you can’t see it. Try one of these hacks out and see the difference for yourself.
Carmel Denesik
Clare Louise
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Skyla Pouros