Wrinkled clothes can be one of the most frustrating parts of travel, especially when you step off a plane or out of a car and need to look polished fast.

Luckily, clothing expert Noor de Swart, founder and CEO of Super Label Store, has shared four smart, travel-friendly tips that help keep your wardrobe fresh and wrinkle-free without ever touching an iron.

The expert explains that different fabrics respond differently to moisture, heat, and handling. Clothing quality also plays a significant role in wrinkle resistance, with higher-quality fabrics that have good fiber content typically resisting wrinkling and holding their shape better.  

Overall, de Swart reveals that patience makes the biggest difference. “Most wrinkles happen when we rush the drying process. Taking a few extra minutes during laundry day saves hours of ironing time later.” 

Shake and smooth straight from your suitcase

Proper handling is key to preventing stubborn wrinkles from forming in the first place, even after clothes have been folded and packed tight.

If you’re living out of a suitcase or hotel room, de Swart advises hanging your clothes as soon as you arrive. “Give them a quick shake and hang them in a steamy bathroom. This simple step relaxes the fibers and removes many creases that form during transit. Most people unpack and immediately fold or stack their clothing again, which just sets in the wrinkles,” she explains.

Skip hotel irons: Use steam to your advantage

Travelers often rely on a hotel iron to remove wrinkles from their clothes, but de Swart suggests another approach: steam.

“Hang the garment in the bathroom while taking a hot shower. The steam works surprisingly well, especially with lightweight or delicate fabrics,” she says. For best results, close the door to trap the steam, and gently pull on hems and seams as the fibers relax.

She also suggests packing a travel-size spray bottle to lightly mist clothes with water before hanging them up. “A light mist combined with gravity and steam works wonders, especially when you don’t have access to a dryer.”

Smart packing strategies

You may have already noticed that your clothes are usually wrinkled after traveling, even if it’s just a couple of hours. But the clothing expert has a simple trick that will help your clothes arrive in better shape at your destination – tissue paper. 

“When packing, place tissue paper between layers of clothing. It creates a soft buffer and helps prevent the pressure wrinkles that come from tight packing,” she explains.

She also recommends rolling garments instead of folding when packing a suitcase – especially for knitwear and casual shirts. “It not only saves space, but rolling helps minimize hard crease lines that are tough to shake out on the road,” she adds.

Don’t overpack

It’s may be tempting to fill every inch of a carry-on, but overpacking doesn’t help your clothes. “Clothes packed too tightly have no room to shift, so every crease becomes set,” de Swart warns. “Leaving a little space means your garments can breathe, and it’s easier to shake out any wrinkles on arrival.”

Another tip: use packing cubes. “They’re a game changer when used right. Pack cubes loosely and sort by fabric type so you’re not compressing wrinkle-prone items like linen with heavier ones like denim.”

De Swart also recommends packing wrinkle-resistant pieces when possible, such as polyester blends, knits, or items labeled as ‘non-iron.’

“If you need to pack formalwear, go for garments with a bit of stretch or structure,” she adds. “They’ll hold up better in a suitcase and require less fixing when you arrive.”