Smooth wrinkles out of clothes before you pack them If your clothes are already wrinkly when you pack them, a long stint in a suitcase isn't going to do them any favors. Iron wrinkled clothing before you pack them. (If you use a steam setting, double-check your clothes are bone-dry before they go in your bags.)
1. Wash and iron clothing before packing. The purpose of using a garment bag rather than a suitcase to transport clothing is to minimize wrinkling. To achieve that goal, you should launder and iron clothing before packing.
Iron Before You Pack
This goes without saying, but ironing or dry cleaning your formal wear before packing will go a long way in helping your clothes stay wrinkle-free.
Rolling your clothes in your suitcase will generally save space. This is because it squeezes air from between folds and means the most of available space is used. If done correctly, rolling can also ensure less wrinkles in your clothes.
Do the clothing countdown: If you need a mantra to help streamline your wardrobe, use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule for a weeklong trip: Limit yourself to no more than five sets of socks and underwear, four tops, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. The list should be adjusted to suit your needs.
Rolling Clothes
My favorite packing method is rolling. Rolling is the best way to keep your clothes wrinkle-free since your clothes are tightly rolled without any hard creases. To avoid creases, fold your clothes along the seams and smooth out any wrinkles. Then roll your clothes.
Rolling is great for T-shirts, pants, casual dresses, swimsuits, and pajamas, but not so good for bulky clothes, like sweaters. They can take up more space when rolled versus folded. It's harder to roll button-up shirts, and rolling is more likely to cause creases in them because the fabric gets bunched up as it rolls.
When folding clothes to save space, it's best to work with items that are freshly cleaned and ironed to ensure crisp, wrinkle-free results. Ironing your clothes after washing them will also make the process of folding shirts and T-shirts easier.
Back in the day, the rolls might have been put into the refrigerator to keep the fabric from becoming mildewed and smelly. And after letting the fabrics sit for a few hours, ironing was so much easier. Good bye wrinkled fabric.
Rolling clothes really can save space in your luggage. This is partly because as you begin to pack rolled items into your bag, it gives the appearance of having additional room versus adding folded items.
Regular ironing your clothes can help strengthen and rejuvenate the fibers of your clothes not only preventing your clothes from shrinking but help restore their ordinary shape, size, and appearance as well.
Ironing gives your clothes a fresh and better look
Believe it or not, the washing alone is not enough to make your clothes look fresh, neat and stylish. Ironing them, though, will achieve the goal by removing all the wrinkles and giving your shirts, trousers and dresses a more sophisticated look.
Use wardrobe boxes
If you're pressed for time, you're likely wondering, “What is the most efficient way to pack clothes?” The answer: wardrobe boxes. Take your hanging items, put them directly in a wardrobe box, and — boom! — you're done.
Two weeks will give you enough time to test out lip colors, launder your sweats, or order that cozy new sweater. If you need to stop thinking about this situation for a while, a two-week packing strategy gives you space to do that.
Yes. Packing cubes are worth it. They help you stay organized, keep your clothes wrinkle-free, and save space in your luggage. They also make packing and unpacking a bit quicker and easier.
Even if you're a staunch roller, you may want to bring one or two packing cubes along on your next trip. You can use them to contain your dirty clothing and keep it neatly separated from your clean items. If you want to cram as much into your suitcase as possible, go for nothing but rolls of clothing.
Friction is the number one enemy of travel clothing. A little-known trick is placing tissue paper in the centre of your clothing item before folding it. This should keep the layers from clashing in transport. Less friction means lower chances of wrinkles.
Pants like jeans, leggings, and workout pants won't wrinkle easily and can be rolled. Tip #2 - Fold formal (nice fabric) pants! Generally, suit pants and other formal pants that are made of 100% cotton and non-stretchy fabrics that get creases easily should be folded, not rolled.