..and of course aslo non-houswives who can help me with this :-)

I bought this nice black top for my girlfriend.
But it is made out of polyester... And has severe folds/wrinkels from the way it was packaged..

I've tried washing it gently a few times, tried ironing at a medium heat, but the folds remain

Does anyone here have a good way/clue/remedy to get rid of the folds/wrinkles? ah..without ruining the garment , of course...:tongue:

Washing instructions say:
100% Polyester
Max water temperature = 40 degr. C
No tumble drying
Iron at max 180 degr. Centigrade
Dry cleaning letter: P
No bleach

Yes, I actually do know what all those symbols on the label mean.. I do all my own washing/ironing AND my girlfriend's clothes, but the wrinkles/folds in this one seem unbeatable so far...

Any help appreciated, as usual !

Perhaps take it to the dry cleaners? I'm no expert on getting wrinkles out of anything...out here wrinkles in people and clothes is sort of the norm....but perhaps the Pros at the Cleaners might be able to help....Tom

I had considered that, but unfortunately no dry cleaner within a 50 mile radius has a turnaround time of less than 3 days, and I'm leaving for the UK Monday morning very early.

I'm not sure it would work but have you tried using steam? but be careful.

try dampening the crease with vinegar and then press using a med heat.

Steam might work... Maybe iron it through a damp cloth?

Not sure about the vinegar...won't that do something bad to the colors?

the vinear probably won't hurt anything. in fact, vinegar is sometimes used to set dyes.

you might want to try it in an area that won't show.....maybe a seam allowance or hem on the inside.

i know it's used is dressmaking to help set creases in trousers, so it should also work to 'un-set' a crease.

a press cloth might be a good idea.

This reminds me I want to buy some of that spray stuff they advertise for removing wrinkles with no ironing :)

(can you tell I'm a bachelor?)

I haven't seen that. Is that one of those new anti-age things? :D

Ed

Originally posted by Doug Nelson
This reminds me I want to buy some of that spray stuff they advertise for removing wrinkles with no ironing :)

(can you tell I'm a bachelor?)

What is it called? ...I need this!

I don't recall the particular name, but a quick search came up with this (http://www.downy.com/releaser/) and this (http://www.safetycentral.com/wrinfreclots.html) and this (http://www.menda.com.au/travelmate/prod181.htm) (but none of these sound like the one I saw advertised).

Hmmmm...... so far 4 men answer and only 2 girls. Where have all the house wives gone? :lol:

I was going to say steam also.
DJ

Well, it's 99% crease-free now.

I soaked the garment in warm water for 5 minutes and then ironed it at medium heat with a wet teacloth on top.

This creates steam too, and it worked...a bit :)

I had to repeat the process 5 times, taking about 1,5 hours in total..But the garment looks very good now, only a hint of a crease on the places with the most severe folds. What can I say...she's worth it :wink:

I always thought the big selling point on Polyester was it's wash and wear with no wrinkles claim to fame. Are you sure she won't have to do the same thing after every washing? If so she may only wear it once.
DJ

Originally posted by PixelMover

I had to repeat the process 5 times, taking about 1,5 hours in total..

I hope she appreciates what you have done! You just did 1.5 hours of ironing for your girlfriend ...we should bestow knighthood upon you for this chivalrous act of self sacrifice! Poor Ed is doomed if his wife should read this!

Doug - Thanks for the links!

Originally posted by DJ Dubovsky
I always thought the big selling point on Polyester was it's wash and wear with no wrinkles claim to fame. Are you sure she won't have to do the same thing after every washing? If so she may only wear it once.
DJ

DJ, You're right, up to a point..
polyester is very hard to get wrinkled and thus is easy to maintain and wear often.
However, once you DO have deep creases in it, they are as difficult to get out as it was to get them in in the first place.

The garment I bought had been folded around a cardboard board, then shrink-wrapped for easy display/storage.. looks great in the shop, but when you unwrap them at home it's a nightmare...
So next time, buy fromt the hanger, not the pre-packed ones. :tongue:

Note: This applies to 100% polyester garments, may differ for other blends.

The stuff to remove wrinkles is Downy Wrinkle Releaser . It's in a spray bottle and it's where the the laundry products are in my local supermarket. But in my opinion it doesn't work very well and I wouldn't buy it again. It's abit sticky when you spray it and has too strong of a floral smell. I found it quicker to press something off than deal with he spraying and drying. As someone who hates to iron, the best way to deal with not ironing is just remove stuff from the dryer immediately and hang. When you must iron use a steam iron( best brand is Rowenta-very expensive but worth it) .Also look for clothes made with "microfiber". You can do almost anything to them and they stay nice looking.

Paulete

Paulette,
I use that stuff all the time and it works great but I'm not sure that stuff is available in the Netherlands.
DJ

Originally posted by G. Couch


Poor Ed is doomed if his wife should read this!



Hey Greg! I just saw this post. It's okay....I have a bad finger, so my house chores are very limited. :D I probably wouldn't know what she was talking about anyway. :)

Ed

Ed...you are still able to use the "bad finger" excuse to get out of chores? ...that has to be an all time record! :D I know what you mean though..ironing is an alien concept to me as well. (you can use steam? ;) )