Want that fresh pressed look

April 4, 2007 10:09 PM

How can I get that fresh pressed look for my clothes without breaking the bank?

My laundry bill is running neck and neck with my mortgage. It’s not that I dry clean my clothes as much as have them laundered with light starch. Most of my clothes are natural fabrics. Wool looks great using my home clothes steamer, along with heavier winter fabrics and sweaters.

It’s the summer stuff that is causing my budget to bust. The cotton, linen, rayon and now modal is a bitch to iron.

I am looking into a clothes press. Watching the laundry ladies, it looks so easy, lay the shirt, press the lid, and takes just a few seconds. I’ve seen some on the web that are running $150 or so.

I am just wondering if a clothes press is more trouble than it’s worth. Will it become my next boat anchor?

Has anyone purchased one of these? Are they worth the trouble? What brand or features would you recommend?

posted by JujuB to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

What about those home dry cleaning kits, where you throw your dry-clean-only clothes in the dryer with a special wrinkle-removing/smell-enhancing sheet? I've freshened a big pile of otherwise-unstained dry-clean-only clothes this way and it's a few dollars for a pack of ten. Here's an article, though the kit I use doesn't use a bag.
posted by mdonley at 10:44 PM on April 4, 2007

Stop buying fabrics that are so difficult to maintain. Linen? Come on now, you're just a glutton for punishment. Many clothing lines make nice summery wrinkle-proof clothing in natural fibers like cotton with a touch of polyester, enough to keep you cool and maintain their shape as well.
posted by Brittanie at 10:47 PM on April 4, 2007

I am just wondering if a clothes press is more trouble than it’s worth. Will it become my next boat anchor?

The biggest problem I can predict is if you don't lay the garment perfectly flat, and a slight fold becomes a near permanent wrinkle (at least, until you wash/press again). Also, aren't you still going to have at least one really hard wrinkle on the edges? This might work for 75% of your clothing, but some items (like skirts or dresses) will get a nasty "seam" when pressed flat.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:59 PM on April 4, 2007

You could try a garment steamer. They are available now in places like Target, for half of what you say a press costs. I bought one last year for a dance company I do costumes for, and it seems to be holding up well and it puts out a ton of steam. The brand name was Shark, but I don't know the model off hand. Simple to use and takes out wrinkles quickly and easily. Unlike the press though, you won't have any hard edges.
posted by jvilter at 3:26 AM on April 5, 2007

By steamer; take steamy showers and leave your clothes in the bathroom while doing so.
posted by chunking express at 6:35 AM on April 5, 2007

Some have a sort of nasty polyester look even when they're all cotton, but I admit to getting a lot of mileage out of the one 'no-iron' (cotton) shirt I have. From Eddie Bauer, I think. Might be worth a try?
posted by kmennie at 8:21 AM on April 5, 2007

I've never used a press, but I use a decent iron, a water sprayer, and a starch sprayer. The labels always say iron on cool so you can't blame them if you scorch something, but for cotton and linen, I use the highest setting. Linen does better if you spray it with water and let it relax for 15 minutes or so.
posted by theora55 at 9:24 AM on April 5, 2007

You need a good, steamy iron. My mom and I are both obsessed with the Panasonic Cordless Steam Iron. It's so easy to use, gets nice and hot really fast, and has conveniences like a retractable cord.
posted by radioamy at 12:46 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've totally given myself over to EddieBauer's Wrinkle Resistant and NanoCard lines. They're a little bit more expensive, but I haven't touched an iron in years or paid for dry-cleaning.
posted by frogan at 3:44 PM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

NanoCard = NanoCare
posted by frogan at 3:44 PM on April 5, 2007