How to Get Wrinkles Out of Sheets Without Ironing

Few things undo a freshly changed bed faster than pulling sheets out of the dryer covered in creases. The good news is you almost never need an iron to fix it. Knowing how to get wrinkles out of sheets comes down to a few quick habits, most of which happen while the sheets are already on the bed.

Why sheets wrinkle in the first place

Wrinkles are just fibers that dried while folded or bunched. Three habits cause most of them. Leaving sheets sitting in the washer sets creases as they cool. Over-drying on high heat bakes those creases in hard. And pulling a fully dry, tangled load out of the dryer and dropping it in a basket lets it set again. Fix those three points and wrinkled sheets mostly stop being a problem.

How to get wrinkles out of sheets without ironing

Here are the methods that actually work, from the easiest to the ones for badly creased sheets.

1. Pull them out damp and dress the bed

This is the single best trick. Take the sheets out of the dryer while they are still a touch damp, carry them straight to the bed, and put them on right away. Smooth the fitted sheet tight across the mattress and run your palms over the flat sheet. As the last bit of moisture dries in place, the surface sets smooth on its own.

2. Steam them on the bed

For sheets that are already made up and looking creased, a handheld garment steamer is your friend. Hold it a couple of inches off the fabric and move in slow passes. The heat relaxes the fibers without any board or pressing, and it works on the duvet and pillowcases too.

3. Give them a short damp tumble

If the sheets came out of the dryer wrinkled and cold, toss them back in with a single damp washcloth or a couple of ice cubes and run 10 to 15 minutes on medium. The burst of steam shakes the creases loose. Pull them out the moment it stops and fold or lay them flat right away.

4. Mist and hand-smooth

No steamer? Fill a spray bottle with water, mist the creased areas lightly until just damp, and smooth with your hands or a flat book. For a gentle homemade wrinkle release, add a single drop of fabric softener to the water. Let the bed air a few minutes and the lines fall out.

How to stop sheets wrinkling in the first place

Prevention beats fixing every time. A few small changes to your laundry routine keep wrinkled sheets from happening at all.

• ✓Do not overload the machine. Sheets need room to move. A crammed drum tangles them into rope and dries in creases.
• ✓Dry on medium, not high. High heat sets wrinkles hard and wears the fibers out faster. Medium is gentler and smooths better.
• ✓Take them out promptly. Do not let sheets sit in the washer or cool in a heap in the dryer. Move them the moment each cycle ends.
• ✓Choose a sateen weave. A smooth sateen-finish cotton lies flatter and shrugs off creases more than a rough, loose weave does.

That last point is worth a note. Weave changes how much a sheet wrinkles, which is why our percale vs sateen guide is useful if you want a smoother finish from the start. And since a wrinkle-free bed is really the last step of making it well, our walkthrough on how to make a bed like a pro pairs perfectly with this.

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A few common questions

How do you get wrinkles out of sheets fast?

The quickest way to get wrinkles out of sheets is a handheld steamer over the made bed, or a 10-minute tumble in the dryer with a damp cloth. Both relax the fibers in minutes with no ironing.

Can you get wrinkles out of sheets without a dryer?

Yes. Mist the creased areas lightly with water and smooth by hand, or run a steamer over them. Line-drying sheets pulled taut on the line also dries them fairly smooth.

Why do my sheets wrinkle so badly in the dryer?

Usually from overloading, drying on high heat, or leaving them to cool in a heap. Dry on medium with room to move and remove them the moment the cycle ends.

Do all sheets wrinkle the same amount?

No. A smooth sateen-weave cotton lies flatter and creases less than a rough or loosely woven sheet, so the fabric you start with makes a real difference.