This Is The Best Quick Fix For Wrinkled Clothes

You can tell by these photos that the DIY Wrinkle Release Spray really works.

Using just vinegar, hair conditioner, and distilled water, you can make an inexpensive DIY wrinkle release spray that makes wrinkles fall out of clothes with zero ironing required. No one wants to look a mess because of wrinkled clothes, but we don’t always have the time to make an outfit look absolutely perfect. This spray is ideal for getting rid of wrinkles when you’re in a hurry!

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I hate ironing, especially now that I have a few ironing hacks up my sleeve. But I will say that having a way to help remove wrinkles without an iron is a service to not only myself but the rest of my household too!

In this post, I’ll show you how to make my preferred version of my homemade wrinkle releaser spray, plus an all-natural variation I’m sure you’ll love!

After applying the DIY Wrinkle Release Spray. gently tug and smooth the garment.

Why Not Buy A Wrinkle Release Spray?

For me, the decision to make DIY wrinkle release sprays is a simple one. Where store-bought sprays cost money and contain various chemicals, my homemade sprays are simple and extremely inexpensive. In short, I prefer to make this spray for the same reasons I make homemade cleaners, fabric softeners, and laundry detergents: they save money, don’t irritate my skin, and I control what goes into them!

All it takes is vinegar, hair conditioner, and water to make a DIY Wrinkle Release Spray.

How To Make A DIY Wrinkle Release Spray

Ingredients:

Simply mix the ingredients for the DIY Wrinkle Release Spray in a spray bottle.

Directions:

Use a funnel to pour the conditioner, vinegar, and water into a spray bottle. Replace the spray top on the the bottle and shake to combine.

A woman is holding a bottle of DIY wrinkle release spray.

It’ll be even easier to make more wrinkle release spray with a set of my laundry recipe spray bottle labels. With these stick-on labels (designed for use on dark-colored bottles), you’ll never have to go searching for the recipe ever again!

The Laundry Recipes feature four labels printed with the name and recipe for my favorite DIY laundry sprays, including my ultimate stain remover spray, spray starch, and lavender linen spray.

OGT readers love these labels! Here’s what just three of them had to say:

Love these labels! They are so pretty, and practical too! I guess I’m a sucker for anything that helps me be organized. These don’t cost much but they keep me straight on what’s in which bottle, and how to make refills for my favorite cleaners.” – Kitty

“What marvelous sprayers and great information to fill them with the most effective combinations of ingredients. Thrilled to death with the bottles and labels with directions for filling!” – Andrea

“Love love them! had the black label that you can write on my bottles. Your labels are soooo much better. They go on easy and have the formula to make your spray is neatly printed on the label. Now I can refill with surety that I’m adding the correct amounts!” – Patricia

CLICK HERE TO SHOP

One DIY wrinkle release spray uses my homemade fabric softener and distilled water.

All-Natural Variation

Prefer a spray with only natural ingredients? No problem! Simply eliminate the conditioner and vinegar from the recipe, and substitute one of the cups of distilled water with one cup of DIY fabric softener. This variation is more likely to smell faintly like vinegar than the original formula (though the smell of the spray does dissipate somewhat as it dries).

To mask the vinegar smell, you can add a few drops of colorless essential oils to your spray. My favorite scents to use on fabric are Simple Clean and lavender, but you can use whatever you like!

All you have to do is mist the DIY Wrinkle Release Spray onto the wrinkled garment and smooth it out.

How To Use Your DIY Wrinkle Releaser

Make sure the nozzle on your spray bottle is set to “mist” to avoid using too much, then lightly spritz it over the wrinkled areas of the clothing item. (You’re aiming to lightly dampen the fabric, not get it wet.)

Wait a minute or two to allow the fiber relaxers time to do their thing, then gently pull at the fabric to smooth out the loosened wrinkles. Allow the garment to dry before you wear it. (You can even throw it in the dryer for a minute to get additional wrinkle-releasing benefits from the heat and steam.)

You can tell by these photos that the DIY Wrinkle Release Spray really works.

This wrinkle release spray is so handy that I’ve even started bringing a small bottle of it with me when I travel, which I highly recommend! When I get to my destination, I just give all my garments a quick spray while hanging them up, and it’s much quicker and easier than pulling out an iron or steamer!

A DIY wrinkle release spray comes in handy, but you can prevent wrinkles too -- with DIY fabric softener crystals for one thing!

BONUS: Tips For Preventing Wrinkles

While wrinkles are a common laundry problem, there are ways to prevent them from forming! Using fabric softener or homemade fabric softener crystals in your laundry can help. Removing your clothes from the dryer before they’re completely dry and hanging them up can also help, and it will cut down on static, too.

When you pull your clean laundry out of the dryer, shake it all out, then hang or fold shirts, dresses, and pants right away. Letting laundry sit in a pile in your dryer (or wherever you tend to leave it) is bound to result in wrinkles!

Have you tried using a wrinkle release spray?

Read This Next


Jill Nystul Photo

Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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40 Comments

  1. Hi! Your recipe for DIY wrinkle release spray includes natural hair conditioner. When I click on it, it doesn’t go there. Can you tell me what it is, please. Thank you!(I love all your tips and tricks)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. We have an Airbnb and I had a bottle of store bought wrinkle release that I’d been gifted. I was using it on the top sheet and pillow covers and loved the I just had to spritz and smooth with my hands. I was so happy to find this recipe when I ran out. I was concerned at first with the vinegar smell, but it really did go away, leaving only the pleasant scent of the conditioner. Thank you!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Georgia, I’m so glad to hear that you are using the Wrinkle Release for your Airbnb! I’m sure you’re saving money by making your own, too!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. I just use a spray bottle of water….even cheaper. haha

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. Febreeze spray works well as a wrinkle releaser. You can choose a scent, or use unscented.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  5. I would think that the acidic vinegar would leave spots on the fabric.

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  6. I would guess that the acidic vinegar would leave bleached spots on the clothing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Hiya! Just found this post, hoping to get fold marks out of a velvet cushion cover, will this work on velvet?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I haven’t tried this on velvet – could you possibly test it out on the underside of the cover? I don’t think anything bad would happen, but it’s better to be safe!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. I have never minded ironing, especially once I learned to set the board to chair height! Just set everything nearby and turn on my favorite TV show (or now the Hulu or Prime) and keep on. But this will help for summer when I don’t want the heat.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Will it smell of white vinegar after we spray and it can use with t-shirt only or all kind of fabric?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You can’t smell the vinegar at all once it dries! It works especially well with t-shirts, but can be used on most synthetics too. It won’t work on jeans or anything else heavy. :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  10. I have been using a spray bottle of just water for years. My family calls it the liquid iron. No need for the other ingredients. Works great.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I’ve been doing the same for years as well. Water has the added benefit of being odorless, which is important to me

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Been using distilled water for years here, with just a splash of rubbing alcohol. After spraying some fabrics will ‘release’ better if tossed back into the dryer for 5-10 minutes before hanging.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  11. Wondering how you take this with you when you travel….if you are flying you would have to pack it and, personally, I don’t want to risk having it spill all over the inside of my suitcase. MUCH easier to pack my travel steamer and that works much faster. Also not sure I’d want to be spraying this on my good silk clothing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Hi Teri! I would pack it in something like this: https://amzn.to/2HJ2nFF

      I love steamers, but this is just another option for people who don’t want to buy one. :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I’ve been using this for years when I iron. I have taken this with me traveling. I saved some of the travel size bottles of the wrinkle release by Downy. I refill them with this mixture. It’s great for traveling. I also make sure this is a resealable plastic bag, even if Im not flying.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  12. Doesn’t the hair conditioner leave some residue on the fabric? Maybe some chemical product you don’t want to have on your skin all day long…

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Hi Corinne :-) You’re only using a teaspoon of conditioner in two cups of water. The conditioner is very diluted!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  13. Luckily my laundry is large enough to have the iron permanently set up. I colour sort anything that needs ironing and use a delicate spin to leave extra moisture in the clothes. Then I iron straight from the washing machine and hang on a hanger. Once dry it’s straight to the wardrobe. This has stopped my always having a basket of ironing sitting around & the garments are crisper and far easier/quicker to iron. So much so, I don’t mind ironing anymore. It also does not leave iron marks on acrylics & pillow slips are cripser done this way (just fold over a clothes horse to dry). A light spin will also leave T-Shirts and sheets creaseless when hung out to dry. The weight of the water pulls out the creases, but don’t fold the sheets half over the line. You increase the weight by folding them in half and then hanging the two halves together.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  14. I usually throw it in the dryer for a few minutes but I like the idea of using it while traveling.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  15. Sounds like a great solution to ironing. How many days will this stay good for after you make it?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • The spray will last for months! I always run out before it goes bad :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  16. I just use a mixture of fabric softener and water. Works just as well as store bought mixture.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  17. Can this be used on a black blouse: 95% Polyester & 5% Spandex?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  18. Just get a “my little steamer.” It heats up in a minute and you just make a couple of passes and you’re done!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  19. WOW this sounds to good to be true and I certainly am going to try it.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  20. WOW! I deliberately choose clothes which I don’t have to iron, but I’m certainly going to pass this on. Thank you Jillee.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Nope! In fact, vinegar is a great at absorbing odors – and once dry, it doesn’t smell like anything!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You don’t really even need the vinegar. I just mix a little liquid fabric softener and water shaken in a spray bottle. I got the idea years ago from a popular fabric softener that started selling it. I laughed, went home and made my own.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  21. No vinegar smell in the clothes … at all??

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  22. This came at a good time as I just washed and dried a blouse that came out of the dryer wrinkled and I didn’t put it back by itself and run the dryer to try and get the wrinkles out. Will be making this solution and trying it out. Thanks for all of your great ideas.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.

Leave a Comment

40 Comments

  1. Hi! Your recipe for DIY wrinkle release spray includes natural hair conditioner. When I click on it, it doesn’t go there. Can you tell me what it is, please. Thank you!(I love all your tips and tricks)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. We have an Airbnb and I had a bottle of store bought wrinkle release that I’d been gifted. I was using it on the top sheet and pillow covers and loved the I just had to spritz and smooth with my hands. I was so happy to find this recipe when I ran out. I was concerned at first with the vinegar smell, but it really did go away, leaving only the pleasant scent of the conditioner. Thank you!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Georgia, I’m so glad to hear that you are using the Wrinkle Release for your Airbnb! I’m sure you’re saving money by making your own, too!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. I just use a spray bottle of water….even cheaper. haha

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. Febreeze spray works well as a wrinkle releaser. You can choose a scent, or use unscented.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  5. I would think that the acidic vinegar would leave spots on the fabric.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  6. I would guess that the acidic vinegar would leave bleached spots on the clothing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Hiya! Just found this post, hoping to get fold marks out of a velvet cushion cover, will this work on velvet?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I haven’t tried this on velvet – could you possibly test it out on the underside of the cover? I don’t think anything bad would happen, but it’s better to be safe!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. I have never minded ironing, especially once I learned to set the board to chair height! Just set everything nearby and turn on my favorite TV show (or now the Hulu or Prime) and keep on. But this will help for summer when I don’t want the heat.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Will it smell of white vinegar after we spray and it can use with t-shirt only or all kind of fabric?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You can’t smell the vinegar at all once it dries! It works especially well with t-shirts, but can be used on most synthetics too. It won’t work on jeans or anything else heavy. :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  10. I have been using a spray bottle of just water for years. My family calls it the liquid iron. No need for the other ingredients. Works great.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I’ve been doing the same for years as well. Water has the added benefit of being odorless, which is important to me

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Been using distilled water for years here, with just a splash of rubbing alcohol. After spraying some fabrics will ‘release’ better if tossed back into the dryer for 5-10 minutes before hanging.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  11. Wondering how you take this with you when you travel….if you are flying you would have to pack it and, personally, I don’t want to risk having it spill all over the inside of my suitcase. MUCH easier to pack my travel steamer and that works much faster. Also not sure I’d want to be spraying this on my good silk clothing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Hi Teri! I would pack it in something like this: https://amzn.to/2HJ2nFF

      I love steamers, but this is just another option for people who don’t want to buy one. :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I’ve been using this for years when I iron. I have taken this with me traveling. I saved some of the travel size bottles of the wrinkle release by Downy. I refill them with this mixture. It’s great for traveling. I also make sure this is a resealable plastic bag, even if Im not flying.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  12. Doesn’t the hair conditioner leave some residue on the fabric? Maybe some chemical product you don’t want to have on your skin all day long…

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Hi Corinne :-) You’re only using a teaspoon of conditioner in two cups of water. The conditioner is very diluted!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  13. Luckily my laundry is large enough to have the iron permanently set up. I colour sort anything that needs ironing and use a delicate spin to leave extra moisture in the clothes. Then I iron straight from the washing machine and hang on a hanger. Once dry it’s straight to the wardrobe. This has stopped my always having a basket of ironing sitting around & the garments are crisper and far easier/quicker to iron. So much so, I don’t mind ironing anymore. It also does not leave iron marks on acrylics & pillow slips are cripser done this way (just fold over a clothes horse to dry). A light spin will also leave T-Shirts and sheets creaseless when hung out to dry. The weight of the water pulls out the creases, but don’t fold the sheets half over the line. You increase the weight by folding them in half and then hanging the two halves together.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  14. I usually throw it in the dryer for a few minutes but I like the idea of using it while traveling.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  15. Sounds like a great solution to ironing. How many days will this stay good for after you make it?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • The spray will last for months! I always run out before it goes bad :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  16. I just use a mixture of fabric softener and water. Works just as well as store bought mixture.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  17. Can this be used on a black blouse: 95% Polyester & 5% Spandex?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  18. Just get a “my little steamer.” It heats up in a minute and you just make a couple of passes and you’re done!

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  19. WOW this sounds to good to be true and I certainly am going to try it.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  20. WOW! I deliberately choose clothes which I don’t have to iron, but I’m certainly going to pass this on. Thank you Jillee.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Nope! In fact, vinegar is a great at absorbing odors – and once dry, it doesn’t smell like anything!

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You don’t really even need the vinegar. I just mix a little liquid fabric softener and water shaken in a spray bottle. I got the idea years ago from a popular fabric softener that started selling it. I laughed, went home and made my own.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  21. No vinegar smell in the clothes … at all??

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  22. This came at a good time as I just washed and dried a blouse that came out of the dryer wrinkled and I didn’t put it back by itself and run the dryer to try and get the wrinkles out. Will be making this solution and trying it out. Thanks for all of your great ideas.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.