How to pack clothes so they don’t wrinkle during your house move

Packing for moving is a difficult task – there are so many tricky items to handle, important rules to observe, and rookie mistakes to avoid that you may feel overwhelmed and even panicked by the complexity and inherent risk of the process. You need to harness all your energy and efforts in order to achieve success and ensure the safety of your belongings – and especially the safety of your difficult-to-pack items.

So, after you’ve braved the challenge and successfully dealt with all sorts of fragile items, awkwardly-shaped items, and bulky items, packing something “simple”, like books or clothes, will probably seem quite straightforward. All you need to do is put these items in boxes (or suitcases, or bags, etc.) and they’re ready to go – they don’t break and don’t require special packing supplies or packing techniques.

Yet, you probably don’t want to find your garments in a crumpled pile when you start unpacking at your new home – after all, ironing will be the last thing on your wish list after the exhausting moving process. So, what can you do to keep your clothes from creasing during the move? How to pack wrinkle free and ensure that your garments arrive at your new place in perfect condition?

Read on to find out how to pack clothes without wrinkles when moving house:

Wrinkle-free packing methods

The best way to pack without wrinkles is to prevent friction between clothes (it is the friction created when two items of clothing rub against each other that produces wrinkles and creases in your garments). There are several efficient ways to reduce friction when packing clothes for moving:

1) Bundle wrapping

When wondering how to pack shirts without wrinkles (or dresses, or suits, or other delicate garments), bundle wrapping is your best bet.

The bundle warp technique involves layering your clothes, then gently folding them around a central core item to form a bundle that keeps the garments free of wrinkles and creases:

1. Spread out a pair of jeans, a jacket, or another large, wrinkle-prone clothing item (the outer layer of the bundle should be formed from larger, easily wrinkled clothes);
2. Put dresses and long skirts on top;
3. Place long-sleeved shirts and blouses next – layer them so that the collars align with the top edge of the suitcase/box and the sleeves hang over the side edges;
4. Lay out short-sleeved shirts and T-shirts over the long-sleeved shirts;
5. Put pants and short skirts next;
6. Spread out sweaters and knits;
7. Place the “core” (a small bundle of soft items like socks and undergarments) in the center of the layered clothes;
8. Start wrapping the clothes around the core – fold pant legs and sleeves horizontally overlapping each other so that they wrap around the core and form one big bundle.

This smart packing method prevents creases and wrinkles and keeps your clothes compact and ordered. To make the most out of bundle wrapping, however, you’re advised to:

• Wrap your clothes in the right order, so that more tailored and more wrinkle-prone garments end up on the outside of the bundle (where the radius of curvature is larger) and more wrinkle-resistant pieces are packed closer to the core;
• Place pants horizontally, folded lengthwise;
• Spread out shirts with arms out and collars up;
• Button all buttons and close all zippers;
• Smooth out the fabrics as you go;
• Make sure the clothes are pulled taut to reduce the chance of wrinkling, but be careful not to stretch out the fabric;
• Pack your bundle-wrapped clothes in sturdy moving boxes or suitcases (structured suitcases with internal traps work best);
• Tuck the edges with smaller items like bathing suits so that no empty space remains in the suitcase (or moving box) and the clothing bundle is snugly secured inside.

2) Overlapping

The overlapping technique is very similar to bundle wrapping – the principle remains the same, but the packing method is simpler (and the result isn’t as efficient):

• Place the bottom halves of delicate, wrinkle-prone garments in a suitcase or box;
• Put smaller, wrinkle-resistant clothes on top to form a cushion;
• Fold the top halves of the delicate clothes over the cushion.

Your garments won’t crease in the middle, but they won’t be as smooth as they would be with bundle-wrapping.

3) Rolling

Rolling your clothes instead of folding them when packing them for moving allows you to save space and reduce wrinkles at the same time. Rolling is the best solution when it comes to packing more casual fabrics and garments, such as jeans and cotton T-shirts.

So, how to pack T-shirts without wrinkles? Place the T-shirt face down on a bed or table, fold it vertically so the two sleeves match, then fold them over to form a long rectangle. Roll up from the bottom.

How to pack pants without wrinkles? Fold jeans and other types of trousers lengthwise so that the legs are on top of one another. Start from the cuffs and roll all the way up to the waistband.

Place rolled T-shirts and leggings side-by-side in a suitcase or packing box.

4) Squaring

Even though rolling is more space-efficient and more effective for preventing wrinkles than folding, you may still want to use a folding technique for clothes that don’t roll evenly (like bulky knits) and pieces that are better kept flat (like shirts). To make the perfect square fold and avoid wrinkles when packing your clothes for moving, you’re recommended to:

• Button all buttons, lay the garment face down on a bed or table, and smooth out the fabric;
• Pull each shoulder towards the center and create a vertical fold on each side, laying the sleeves flat along the edges (there should be a narrow overlap of material on both sides and the shape should be rectangular);
• Fold up a third of the garment from the bottom;
• Fold down the top third of the garment to get a flat square.

When folding sweaters and other knits, it is easier to just make matching vertical folds along each side of the neck, cross the sweater sleeves across the front of the garment, and fold the bottom half up.

Good to know: When folding clothes, add tissue paper in between the folds to avoid creases. (Tissue paper will reduce the friction of the fabric rubbing against itself – which is what causes wrinkles.) It is also a good idea to fold shirts with a piece of cardboard in the middle – like they’re sold in stores.

5) Using plastic

How to pack to avoid wrinkles? As already mentioned above, it is friction that causes wrinkling. The best way to prevent friction and avoid creases is to create a layer of air around your clothes, so they don’t rub against themselves or against each other. And the easiest way to achieve this is to use plastic dry-cleaner bags.

Pack hanging clothes (shirts, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, etc.) in individual bags (one outfit per dry-cleaner bag), so that each item has a protective layer of plastic and air. Then fold the bags with the clothing in them and place them in a large sturdy moving box or suitcase. The plastic bags will be sliding against each other and against the fabric, preventing your clothes from creasing.

Now that you know how to keep clothes from wrinkling in a suitcase or moving box, you may be interested to learn that there are some specialized packing containers designed to keep clothes wrinkle-free during a house move (or a trip).

Special containers for wrinkle-free packing

How to pack clothes without creases when moving house? Use one of the specialized packing containers described below:

Wardrobe boxes

Wardrobe boxes offer the perfect solution for packing clothes without wrinkles and provide the best possible protection to delicate and designer garments. They are tall and equipped with a hanging rack on the top, so you can transfer your clothes directly from the closet or wardrobe together with their hangers.

Wardrobe boxes are designed to provide ultimate protection against dust, dirt, and damage and to keep garments wrinkle-free and in excellent condition during a move. What’s more, packing in these specialty boxes takes only a few minutes. The only drawbacks are that wardrobe boxes are quite expensive (up to $20 a piece) and take up a lot of space.

See also: What specialty boxes do you need when packing for a move

Garment bags

Garment bags are protective sleeves that come in a variety of sizes. They feature a clasp that secures individual hangers, so you can simply take your hanging clothes from the closet, place them in the garment bag, and zip it up. You can then place the garment bags on the back seat of your vehicle (if you’re driving to your new home) or over some flat-topped items (like tables or horizontal dressers) in the moving truck (be sure to secure the bags in place so they don’t slip to the floor during transit). You can also fold the bag in a suitcase or moving box. Your clothes will be kept securely in place within the garment bag and will be folded only once (or not at all), so they won’t wrinkle or crease during the move. And it will be super fast and easy to pack and unpack them.

Just make sure you choose an appropriate size garment bag, pack your hanging clothes facing the back of the bag, and attach the hangers in the clip at the top (this will secure both the hangers and the clothes, stabilizing them in the bag so they won’t be moving around during transit).

See also: How to pack hanging clothes for moving

Garment folders

Garment folders contain individual folder compartments that help organize clothes and keep them wrinkle-free during travel. Convenient and efficient, garment folders provide the best packing solution for shirts, blouses, and other formal attire. Just be sure to button up your clothes, smooth away any wrinkles before packing, and pick the right size packing folder.

Efficient strategies to avoid wrinkles when packing clothes for moving

Here are some bonus tips for packing clothes so they don’t wrinkle during the moving process:

• Pack light. Don’t overfill the boxes, bags, and suitcases – give your clothes room to breathe. The more clothing items you put in a packing container, the more wrinkles will form as the garments start shifting around and rubbing against each other during transit. Also, be sure to roll and fold your clothes loosely so that they don’t crease along the folds;
• Keep items from shifting around. Most clothing items will stay in good shape as long as they aren’t allowed to flop around in the suitcase. So, be sure to pack your clothes tightly, so there are no empty spaces in the moving boxes or suitcases and items don’t shift around during transit (which can inadvertently crush your clothing). Place the square folded clothes in the packing container first, then put rolled clothing along the sides. Use socks or lingerie tucked into mesh laundry bags to fill in remaining holes. When your base is ready, place your plastic-packed clothing items on top;
• Distribute the weight carefully. Heavy items placed over your clothes in the suitcases or moving boxes will cause wrinkles. So, be careful never to put accessories, toiletry kits, or other items on top of your garments (to avoid pressure on the clothes). Also, think about the position of suitcases in transit – put your heavier items at what will be the bottom of the suitcase when it’s loaded in the moving truck, so they don’t crush other items during transit.

Now that you know how to how to pack without wrinkling your clothes, you won’t have to worry about you’ll wear after the move – your garments will arrive in your new home in perfect condition and you’ll be able to wear them from day 1 of your new life. Congratulations on a job well done!