How to Dry Shirts Without Creases

Here is something most people do not realise: shirts mostly get creased while they dry, not while they wash. A shirt that dries crumpled in the drum or folded over a radiator sets those creases into the fabric, and then you have to iron them out. Dry it the right way, and there is far less to iron, or nothing at all.

Why shirts crease as they dry

Cotton fibres are flexible when wet. As the water evaporates, the fibres stiffen in whatever shape they are in at that moment. If the shirt is twisted or folded, those folds become creases. If it is smooth and slightly stretched, it dries smooth.

Step by step: drying a shirt with as few creases as possible

1. Use a gentle spin. A very fast spin crushes shirts against the drum. A lower spin leaves them slightly wetter but much less creased.
2. Take it out straight away. A shirt left in the drum for an hour will crease while it waits.
3. Shake it out firmly. Hold it by the shoulders and give it two or three sharp shakes to straighten the fabric.
4. Smooth the seams and collar. Run your hands along the placket, the cuffs and the collar while it is still damp.
5. Hang it on a wide hanger. Button the top button so it keeps its shape, and use a hanger that supports the shoulders.
6. Give it space. Air needs to move around the shirt, so do not squeeze it between other clothes.

What about the tumble dryer?

A tumble dryer can work for some shirts if you take them out while they are still slightly damp and hang them immediately. Leaving them to dry fully in the drum, or worse, leaving them in there afterwards, almost guarantees creases. Always check the care label first, because some fabrics shrink.

The easiest way: dry and iron in one step

An automatic ironing machine is built around exactly this idea. Instead of letting the shirt dry however it lands, you put it on damp, straight from the washing machine. Warm air inflates the shirt from the inside while clips keep the fabric taut, so it dries in a smooth, stretched shape. The result is a dry, wrinkle-free shirt in around 8 to 12 minutes, without ever picking up an iron.

Customers who use it find the best results come from shirts that are still wet from the wash. As one put it:

"Best results you will get when you use shirt directly from washing machine so it's still wet."

Quick recap

• Use a gentler spin and take shirts out promptly.
• Shake, smooth and hang them while damp.
• Give them room to dry and a hanger that supports the shoulders.
• Or let a machine dry them smooth for you.

Once the shirt is dry, keep it that way with a good hanger. Here is how to stop hangers leaving bumps on your shirts.