# Preventing wrinkled shirts?



## ridewt (Jan 14, 2002)

I now have a job where I frequently need to wear a traditional dress shirt. I get them pressed with starch at the dry cleaners (starch may be my problem?) and have been experimenting with different ways to try to keep it from getting wrinkled on my way to work in my backpack. I've been using a plastic zippered pouch that was made for stuffing a bed down comforter into. It crushes flat but at least it is rigid up/down and sideways. That seems to help but not completely prevent wrinkled shirts. Any suggestions?


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## TWD (Feb 9, 2004)

I wear dress shirts to work about half the time (casual collared shirts the rest). 

What I do is lay the shirt out flat, fold it neatly so that it is smooth, then roll it tightly. 

That seams to keep them pretty wrinkle free if you do it right. 

Then again, I don't typically have my shirts dry cleaned (just wash and iron), and the rest of the people I work with dress like slobs (ok, I consider jeans and T-shirts a bit sloppy in a professional office but that's my opinion), so a wrinkle here and there will go un-noticed.

Oh, and I try to stay away from shirts that wrinkle excessively.


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## Chain (Dec 28, 2006)

I do the rolling thing when I have to travel. It works pretty well. For my office, I have a locker and just bring in a supply of shirts and they are always ready to go. Give the rolling a try.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*question, and suggestions*

Do you have to bring in each day's clothes every day, or is there somewhere you can leave things for a few days? If you can hang things, you can shake out the shirt and hang it up, and most of the small wrinkles will go away in a few days. My office dress code is "business casual" (button shirts but not really dress wear) and I try to bring in a week's worth of clothes at a time. But then, I have a locker where I can hang them.

If you have a place where you can leave them hanging, see if there's a dry cleaner near work, rather than using the one near home. Then you never have to carry them on the bike at all.

When packing for a long trip, I've done a variation of what others here suggest. Fold very neatly (so there are a few creases but otherwise it's flat) to a size that will fit flat in a gallon sized ziploc bag. Squeeze the bag underneath a pillow or folded blanket, get as much air out as possible and close the zipper. You'll have a very flattened shirt that is resistant to fruther wrinkling.

Less starch will help, too.


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## YuriB (Mar 24, 2005)

i have to wear collared shirts and most of my stuff is dry cleaned. i leave my stuff hanging and in the morning i fold and roll and place in teh top of my pannier or messenger bag.
if something gets a little too wrinkled is use downy wrinkle releaser on my shirts or pants while i'm showering. works pretty well.


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## ridewt (Jan 14, 2002)

*Downy?*



YuriB said:


> i have to wear collared shirts and most of my stuff is dry cleaned. i leave my stuff hanging and in the morning i fold and roll and place in teh top of my pannier or messenger bag.
> if something gets a little too wrinkled is use downy wrinkle releaser on my shirts or pants while i'm showering. works pretty well.


Is the Downy something that you spray on the shirt and then let is dry and unwrinkle?


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## YuriB (Mar 24, 2005)

ridewt said:


> Is the Downy something that you spray on the shirt and then let is dry and unwrinkle?


yup. spray, stretch, let dry. works well as a secondary resource.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

It may sound lame, but I'm a big fan of the new wrinkle-free shirts- you can stuff them in a pannier, ride for 30-40 minutes, take them out and within 10 minutes you're wrinkle free again. 

Otherwise, I roll my shirts and pants- if you do it right, you're wrinkle -free.


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

I use an Eagle Creek packing folder (https://www.eaglecreek.com/accessories/packing_folders/). 









It has a stiff plastic sheet you use as a template for folding your dress shirts and trousers. Then you pile the shirts on the plastic sheet and fold the folder around them like an envelope and dump it into your messenger bag or pannier. The plastic sheet keeps the folder from bending and crumpling or wrinkling your clothes. Shirts and trousers arrive at the office crisp.

I recently discovered that these folders are also good for keeping my papers from getting crumpled and torn when I take paperwork home from the office.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

When you take your shirts to the cleaners, have them boxed, rather than put on hangers.


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## nonsleepingjon (Oct 18, 2002)

I tend to wear polo/golf shirts that don't wrinkle too easily if they're rolled in transit and then quickly put on a hanger. For nice shirts, I'll bring them in when I drive so they are ready for days that I bike.

If there is a dry cleaners close to your office, maybe you could drop off shirts on your way home, then pick them up on your way in. It might be easier to carry them while walking, so maybe pick them up during lunch.


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## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

Fredke said:


> I use an Eagle Creek packing folder (https://www.eaglecreek.com/accessories/packing_folders/).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was going to also recommend this. I haven't used it, however it got a good write-up in the latest issue of Bicycling in an article about commuting.


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## Meat Foot (Jul 13, 2005)

ridewt said:


> Any suggestions?


I bought a travel steamer that I leave at the office. You fill it with water, plug it into the wall, and a few minutes later the water inside is boiling and fresh steam comes out the top. I take the pre-rolled dress shirt and put it on the hanger. Go up and down front and back and the sleeves with the steamer. Wrinkle free in a few minutes! Found the steamer at Goodwill for 2 bucks. Rowenta makes one for around $25, I think. Good luck!


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## MTBMaven (Dec 17, 2005)

+1 for the Eagle Creek pack-it system. My wife and I have been using them for years when traveling using our backpacks. I got my first set when working outdoor retail in '98 for a trip to Germany and Italy. 

I like the idea of the travel steamer. 

A family friend ran a dry cleaners in Texas for many years. He has told me on several occasions that the evaporation of water is what removes wrinkles. And to use a small spray bottle of water to lightly moisten the garment and let it air dry. You could spray the shirt on a hanger as soon as you arrive. The shirt should be close to dry and wrinkle free by the time you are finished showering and putting your mike away. This should be a very cheap option to try. Plus no chemicals and trash filling up a landfill with the Downey things.


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## FredA (May 23, 2007)

I am a huge fan of the 100% cotton wrinkle free shirts. LL Bean makes my favorites. For getting out the wrinkles that do appear, use a spray bottle and mist your clothing. This is essentially the same as a steamer.


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## ctxcrossx (Jul 8, 2004)

http://www.twowheelgear.com/

I have this bag and it works as advertised. The only problem I have found so far is that it's not quite as long as I would like, but still not a problem.

Chris


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