How to Get Wrinkles Out of a Duvet Cover

You’ve just stripped the bed and you head to the drawer to grab some fresh new sheets.

As you redress the bed you notice some pretty deep creases in your bedding and it just makes the bed look… well, not great.

Many people yearn to have bedrooms that look as pristine as a swish hotel room and having smooth, wrinkle-free bedsheets is one of the best ways to improve the aesthetics of your bedroom.

So how do you go about getting these unsightly wrinkles out of your duvet cover?

 

Can You Iron a Duvet on the Bed?

First thoughts will always land on the iron – after all, they are built to get creases out of fabrics and yes, you can, of course, iron your duvet cover before you put it on the bed (more on that later).

But can duvets be ironed on the bed? This seems like the most practical option, so there has to be a way to do it… doesn’t there?

Well, yes. You can iron your duvet cover while it’s on the bed, but there are a couple of things you will want to consider before taking the iron straight to your bedding:

• Will heat damage your mattress? – Always check the label on your mattress or consult the manufacturer if you are unsure about whether an iron could damage your mattress. As a rule of thumb, don’t iron on the bed if you have a memory foam or latex mattress.
• Keep it quick – Moving quickly over the surface with your iron will ensure that no burning occurs and will ensure your quilt won’t melt or clump.

If you know your mattress won’t get ruined by ironing bedsheets on the bed, then here’s the quickest way to do it.

Spritz a little bit of water over your duvet cover – don’t be heavy-handed with this as it will soak through to the duvet – then use quick sweeping motions to iron over your sheets. Pull the material taught to help pull out more creases as you go.

This is a great option for a speedy solution to wrinkle-free duvet covers, but if you want to maintain this look, there are other ways to go about removing creases from your bedsheets.

 

Set Your Bedding up for Easy Crease Removal

This can start as early as when you go shopping for your bedding. Opt for cotton-polyester blends which tend to crease less readily than 100% cotton or linen fabrics and they are much easier to iron.

Most bedding starts life a little starchy and stiff straight from the packet, so wash bedding before using it. This should soften the fabric a bit and it gives you the chance to tackle all of those big creases from being folded up in a pack.

Washing tips to remove wrinkles

During a wash cycle, bedding can get super twisted and tangled, leaving it pretty creased when it comes out of the machine. So to reduce this crinkling a bit, make sure to add fabric softener to your wash load.

Also, make sure to empty your washer as soon as the cycle finishes – sheets left in the drum will end up with deeper set wrinkles which will make your ironing job harder to do.

 

Drying tips to remove creases

Hanging bedsheets on a washing line is a great technique for keeping away wrinkles as the constant movement of the sheets in the breeze combined with the weight pulling them taught creates the perfect conditions for natural crease removal.

If you have a tumble dryer, you can use dryer balls in with your bedding, this will help to create movement inside the drum to stop things from tangling up together and will hinder a lot of wrinkles from forming.

Create your very own steamer in your tumble dryer to help loosen up creases. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes into the dryer drum with your bedding and set to high for around 15 minutes.

This high heat and the steam combined will give great de-creasing results and you can put your feet up for a few minutes while the tumble dryer does the work for you.

Popping a clean damp cloth in the dryer with your sheets will also have the same steamy effect as the ice cubes.

When it comes to ironing, leave your bedsheets the slightest bit damp, as this extra moisture will cause a steaming effect and help to soften the fabric as you smooth it with the iron.

 

Iron Out the Wrinkles

As we mentioned at the beginning, ironing is the number 1 – most practical – way to get smooth, crease-free duvet covers.

It can seem like a bit of a chore, especially when we’re talking king and super king duvet covers and maybe even a whole household of bedding to get through.

But don’t fear, there is a quicker way to get duvet covers flat than laying the entire thing out and doing it in sections.

Folding it up and ironing it! This may sound counter-intuitive but it works and makes things much easier. Make sure to do up buttons or poppers before you start folding – this will help to keep it in shape.

You will want to aim for a neat square before you start ironing, so pull the corners taught as you fold, to make sure no sneaky creases occur in between layers.

Just a couple of folds will do – check out the video in this article from This Morning where Lyndsey ‘Queen of Clean’ shows you how.

Once you have your flat square, you can start ironing!

Set your iron to the highest setting and make sure there is plenty of water in your iron to get the maximum steam power.

You could use ironing water, like Comfort Vaporess, to gently scent your bedding as you iron for that extra touch of luxury when you climb into your fresh, clean bed.

 

Can You Remove Wrinkles From Bedding Without an Iron?

We would definitely recommend a steamer, as this combination of heat and steam is what packs that crease removing punch!

However, there are a few different ways that you can de-wrinkle bedsheets without an iron, some more practical than others, but each has its own merit.

Here are a few ideas that may work for you:

• Use a metal pan – Sounds strange, but this creates a handy portable iron that can be used to smooth your sheets. Boil some water in a metal pan (insulated or plastic handled) and then tip away the water to leave you with a hot pan. Run this over your sheets to smooth away creases! Make sure the bottom of your pan is clean before doing this… or it could get messy!

• Roll up sheets and put under the mattress – The trick to this is getting your roll as smooth and tight as possible to eliminate any folds or deep creases from being formed. Once under the mattress, you could apply some weight on top to truly press this sheet roll.
• Hairdryer and water spritz – Just like a steamer, this method applies heat and creates steam from the addition of water before using the hairdryer. Spritz the duvet cover with water – you can do this when the bed is made – then start applying hot air from your hairdryer. Make sure to move around a lot to avoid the hairdryer overheating and to allow the cover to move a bit, adding to the drying power.
• DIY wrinkle release spray – There are sprays available on the market which are used to remove wrinkles from fabrics, but you could try making your own. The video below shows you how to make a simple spray which is great for on-the-go wrinkle removal. If you don’t fancy getting your DIY on, then you might want to invest in a wrinkle release like this one from Downy or this plant-based one from Cold Iron.

 

How Do I Keep My Bed Sheets Wrinkle Free?

Now you’ve got your bedding flat and unwrinkled, you will more than likely want to keep it that way.

The best way to keep your bedding crinkle and crease-free now is to not sleep in it… no, we’re just kidding, although that would keep it looking pristine!

Of course, as you use your bed, it might get scrunched up, folded and end up looking like a twisted mess. But if you make sure to straighten it out each morning and pull the corners taught as much as you can, this should help to make it look pretty decent again.

One trick which is actually highly recommended anyway is to wash your bedding frequently. Not only is this great for hygiene reasons, but washing will help to soften the fabric (especially cotton) and help it to be less starchy and not hold creases as freely.

Every week, change up your bedding and make sure to add fabric softener to your bedsheet wash.

Use your wrinkle release spray to get rid of any annoying crinkles that crop up in between washes, or opt for the hot metal pan method – whichever suits you best. Now enjoy your lovely smooth, wrinkle-free duvet cover!