How to Pack Without Wrinkling Clothes

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes

Last Updated: February 27, 2022 References

Opening your suitcase or duffel bag and finding your clothes wrinkled is a real bummer! Fortunately, there are several solutions to this common problem. You can try using packing folders, garment bags, or even tissue paper to keep your clothes wrinkle-free. You can also bring a spritz or steamer with you on the road to get rid of wrinkles in a snap!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Folding Your Clothes to Keep Wrinkles Out

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Bring packing folders with you to keep nice clothes from crumpling. Packing folders are hand-held, briefcase-like bags that are perfect for keeping delicate tops, button-up shirts, pants, and dresses from crumpling up. An 18 in (46 cm) packing folder, which is the main size the product is sold in, can fit 8-12 items of clothing. All you need to do is fold your clothes like you normally would and stack them on top of each other. Then, close up the packing folder to compress the clothes.^{[1]
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- Packing folders are flat enough to fit inside luggage, so try and fit them in your suitcase if you can.
- You can purchase packing folders online.
Tip: In order to ensure your clothes are well-packed, button your tops and pants up. Then, place them face down on a flat surface and press away any wrinkles with your hands before packing.
2
Use garment bags to fold your clothes just once. Garment bags are incredibly convenient because all you have to do is place the clothes you want to pack on hangers, store them in the garment bag, zip up the bag, and fold the bag to fit it in your suitcase. Since you’re only folding the clothes once and securing them within the garment bag, you’ll avoid creases and wrinkles.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.} A garment bag is also incredibly easy to unpack!^{[3]
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- One downside to garment bags is that it’s tough to fit them in carry-on luggage if you’re flying. The smallest width for garment bags is about 22 inches (56 cm), which is too long for carry-on suitcases. If you don’t want to check bags in when you get to the airport, go with the packing folder method instead.
EXPERT TIP

Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer
Ashley Moon is the Founder and CEO of Creatively Neat, a virtual organizing and life coaching business based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to helping people organize their best life, she has a fabulous team of organizers ready to de-clutter your home or business. Ashley hosts workshops and speaking engagements at various venues and festivals. She has trained with Coach Approach and Heart Core for organizing and business coaching respectively. She has an MA in Human Development and Social Change from Pacific Oaks College.

Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer

Is it better to roll or fold clothes if you don't want wrinkles? You usually want to fold T-shirts, especially if you have a lot of them. Fold them so that they sit next to each other like files instead of stacking on top of each other where you can't see what you have. You should roll stretchy clothes like leggings, which are okay to stack.

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3
Wrap your clothes in a bundle to fit bulky items in your suitcase. Bundle wrapping is a bit more time-consuming than other packing methods but well worth it to keep wrinkles and creases away. First, ball up 2 pairs of socks into a shirt, place them in the middle of the shirt, and fold the shirt over the socks to create a “core” that goes in the middle of the bundle. Then, lay out a long-sleeve shirt and place it face down with the arms at the sides. Take your next shirt and lay it face up, making sure the bottom of the shirt is facing the opposite direction of the bottom of the first long-sleeve shirt. Make sure to overlap the arms of the shirts. ^{[4]
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- Next, take your heavier items, like jackets and button-up shirts, and place them directly over the original long-sleeve shirts.
- Finally, lay your pants down horizontally, followed by your shirts and shorts vertically. Take the “core” you folded earlier, put it in the middle of the pile, and start wrapping the clothes around the core one-by-one.
- Make sure not to overpack. This technique works best if you only pack the essentials.
- You will have to unpack all of your clothes every time, so this method might not be the best if you’re on a fast-paced trip or one that lasts only a few days.
4
Fold your clothes in tissue paper to reduce wrinkles. Place a sheet of tissue paper inside the sleeves of long shirts and jackets before you fold those items. Then, line your suitcase with tissue paper and place more tissue paper between each layer of clothing.^{[5]
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- Putting tissue paper in between and inside of clothes reduces wrinkles because the slippery texture of the paper lowers the friction on the fabric.
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Cover your clothes in plastic wrap to separate them from one another. Plastic wrap works the same as tissue paper in the sense that it reduces friction between clothes and keeps wrinkles away. Place a sheet of plastic wrap that covers the length and width of your suitcase in between each layer of clothing. If you plan on packing nice clothes that were just recently dry cleaned, don’t unwrap them, just lay them in your suitcase as is.^{[6]
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- Be sure to use plastic zippered bags for shoes and toiletries. This keeps them separate from your clothes and lessens the risk of your clothes getting damaged if you’re flying.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Wrinkles out of Packed Clothes

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Pack fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily. Generally speaking, clothes that have a little bit of stretch don’t wrinkle as much. To test your fabrics, give them a scrunch and pack them in a suitcase for a few hours to see how they hold up to wrinkles.^{[7]
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- There are clothing brands that specialize in making travel clothes which use wrinkle-resistant fabrics. The downside to these clothes is that many of these fabrics can’t be steamed or ironed if they do get wrinkled.
List of fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily:

Wool
Fleece
Polyester
Nylon
Rayon
Linen
Silk
2
Take a wrinkle-free spritz with you to keep clothes fresh. If you’re taking a plane, these spritzes come in travel sizes which are TSA-approved and can fit in your carry-on luggage. Not only do they release wrinkles, but they get rid of odors as well.^{[8]
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Research source} When you unpack, spritz each item of clothing lightly and let them sit for about 20 minutes before wearing them.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}
- You can purchase these spritzes at your local drug or department store or order a bottle online.
3
Bring a hand-held steamer with you to instantly freshen clothes. These steamers are perfect for suits, blouses, and delicate dresses. They are small enough to fit in your carry-on luggage if you’re flying and can get rid of wrinkles in no time. When you unpack, hang up the clothes you want to steam and run the steamer up-and-down the clothing 2-3 times. Be sure to keep the steamer at least 5 inches (13 cm) away from the clothes, as you don’t want to damage what you’ve packed.^{[10]
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- One reason a hand-held steamer is such a good travel buddy is because you never know how good the irons will be in hotel rooms. The quality of the irons could vary greatly depending on where you’re staying, so bring a steamer with you to ensure you’re getting the same results every time.
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Hang your clothes in the bathroom while you shower to get the wrinkles out. If you don’t have a steamer or spritz handy and need to get wrinkles out of your clothes, hang your clothes in the bathroom and take a hot shower.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.} In just a few minutes, the steam from the shower will get rid of the wrinkles in your clothes.^{[12]
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- If you’re traveling to a humid, tropical destination, you can hang up your clothes outside. The humidity will loosen up the wrinkles. Just make sure the weather will be nice for the next few hours if you decide to do this!
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Travel lightly to give your clothes room to breathe. Take only the clothes you truly need when you go to pack everything. Overpacking can not only wrinkle and crease clothing, but the clothes can also start to smell if they’re sitting in a suitcase for many hours.^{[13]
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- One way to determine if you’ve packed too much: bundle wrapping. If you cannot wrap your clothes in a bundle and fit them in your suitcase, you’ve packed too much clothing.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can you pack a suit for a trip?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

You can keep the suit in a garment bag. Keep the bag towards the top of the suitcase. Hang it when you get to the hotel. Putting it in the bag will prevent dust or any shoe mark from getting on to it.
Question

What mistake do people make while packing for a business trip?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

The biggest mistake people make is they do not pack an outfit. They pack tops that they like and things they usually wear to work. Instead of this, you should go day by day. That way, you will not overpack and be able to fit so much more into your suitcase.
Question

How can I keep a dress free from wrinkles?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

To keep your dress free from wrinkles, pack it towards the top of your suitcase. Unpack it as soon as you get to your hotel. You can hang it in the bathroom when you are showering. The steam will help to remove the wrinkles. You can even use a wrinkle spray or ask someone to press the dress at the hotel.