You know how every once in a while, a friend casually mentions a minor life tip that they just take for granted and it actually feels like a revelation to you, a stranger to said hack? That was me when I first heard of a magical spray that could 'iron' clothes without an iron.
A few months ago, I discovered crease releaser spray, and – as a life-long ironing hater – I am now hooked on this magical bottle. It was great in spring for smoothing out wrinkles in my tops to wear with jeans, but I've really put it through its paces in the past few weeks with my summer linens, summer dresses and cotton t-shirts.
Essentially, this unassuming spray does what it says on the tin: if you have creases on your clothes, it will, erm, 'release them to a better place?' – it'll get rid of them, with just a few spritzes.
I've been using mine since April and haven't yet found a crease it couldn't remove. After the satisfaction of smoothing my clothes at home (often on the run, let's face it), I've also become slightly addicted, so that's why I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my suitcase-wrinkled holiday clothes feeling unloved. Into the case it went, and I don't regret it at all.
This is the bottle I have, in the fresh but not overly floral Summer Breeze scent. Whether you're a fellow ironing-phobe, or want a way to quickly tackle a missed wrinkle in the mornings, on a warm summer's day, what could be better than avoiding extra heat sources. It's also currently discounted in the Amazon Prime Day deals and elsewhere.
How to use crease releaser spray
I followed the simple instructions on the back of the Lenor bottle, and imagine that whichever brand you buy, it'll be the same system.
- Place your item of clothing on a towel, and lay it flat on a hard surface. I admit that an ironing board would be ideal for lots of items, but for me that would miss the point of this faff-free system. So a table or bit of floor is my go-to!
- Spray fabric evenly, from a distance of 15cm or so. You want to get the fabric fairly damp for best results, but not soaking wet!
- Use your hands to smooth and pull away the creases. This bit is where I feel like a magician, and where you'll soon figure out a technique that works best for you. For me, that definitely means using two hands – one hand to hold an area down, the other hand to pull a section taut, in a sort of repetitive sweeping motion. In my demonstration video above I tried to use one hand while holding the phone in my other hand to film, but it didn't work very well.
- Hang it up to dry
I'll let you in on another little secret, though: sometimes, when I'm in a rush to get the kids and myself out the door in the mornings, I skip step one and simply put the item on and spray it while wearing it. The heat from my body soon dries it out (though I may not be as keen to do this come winter).
This method's not quite as effective, not least because I can't reach the creases on my back, but gets the worst out and is better than going out with scruffy clothes.
How effective is crease releaser?
Very effective! Just look at the results in my photos. I haven't yet come across an item it doesn't work on. I've used it on dresses that have been tucked away in storage all winter, and they've come out looking great.
It even gets rid of the little indentations that clothes pegs can leave on clothes.
What fabrics does crease releaser work on?
Before and after – the close-ups to the right show how the crease releaser smoothed sections of this poly blend top
I've used my crease releaser spray on cotton t-shirts, trousers and dresses, synthetic tops, linen shorts, and even on denim. I've just noticed that the bottle also suggests using it on bedding.
I haven't risked using it on silk items, as Lenor does advise caution with silks, nylons or other fabrics that tend to show water spots. For those fabrics it advises testing a small hidden area first, if that's possible.
