Packing and unpacking can lead to wrinkled business attire, leading to a rumpled first impression. Using one of the hotel de-wrinkling strategies can help you show up to travel meetings looking sharp and presentable.
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Why take my advice on how to de-wrinkle clothing?
I’ve been traveling for work for more than a decade and have figured out my own system to stay sane and look presentable. I have been documenting these business travel techniques on the Effective Exec website to help others and refine my own techniques and tools for travel. My focus is on effectiveness, fitness, and well-being, despite the pressures of the modern workplace.
Why is de-wrinkling clothes in a hotel room important?
In the post-COVID era, business travel is becoming more rare (at least compared to pre-COVID) and therefore more important. When you’re actually with colleagues, clients, suppliers, or customers, you want to make the best possible impression and part of that is looking sharp. Even as the business world becomes more casual (read jacket and tie not required), dressing the part is still a vital portion of making a good impression.
Clothing wrinkles seem to develop magically, but there’s actually a bit of science as to why they develop.
Strategies to de-wrinkle clothing in a hotel room
For me, there’s nothing worse than finishing my morning workout and when I go to get dressed, realizing that my work clothes are all wrinkled. With that in mind, a bit of preparation goes a long way to starting your business day off on the right foot.
In addition to these strategies, selection and care of your business clothing is essential. I’m a big fan of dress shirts (Charles T) and pants (Bonobos) that can be laundered at home (do not require dry cleaning). If your shirts or slacks do require dry cleaning, be sure to keep that rotation going so that you have fresh clothing that will require a minimal amount of dewrinkling.
Hang and wait strategy
This is the “hope is a strategy” approach to de-wrinkling clothing. Essentially, you remove your clothes from your carry on bag, hand them in the hotel closet, and hope that when you wake up from your restful hotel sleep, they will be fully de-wrinkled.
The problem with this method is that is doesn’t work in most climates and even in super humid places, only takes care of the lightest wrinkles. Unless the uniform for your meeting is tech formal (hoodie and jeans), this strategy is unlikely to result in an impressive appearance in the morning.
Shower steam method for removing wrinkles
The next step up the hierarchy of de-wrinkling strategies from the hang and wait is the shower steam method. This strategy involves running your hotel shower in a closed bathroom and leveraging the ambient humidity to release wrinkles in your business attire.
I really like the simplicity and low packing requirement of this method, but it can have varying degrees of success with wrinkles. I’ve generally found that shower steam works best with tech and no-iron fabrics, but you’re at the mercy of the hotel setup. For best results, place the garments to be de-wrinkled into the hotel shower and run it at it’s hottest setting with the bathroom door closed.
One additionally downside of the shower steam de-wrinkling method is that it’s incredibly wasteful from a water and energy standpoint. You’re basically running the hot water in your room at full blast while only utilizing a fraction of the steam to straighten your clothing.
The pants are Brooks Brothers.
Hotel iron method for flattening wrinkles
Moving up the ladder from shower steam, is the use of the provided hotel iron. The trusty hotel iron is a stable in almost every hotel room in the United States. These devices are very effective at flattening the most stubborn of wrinkles and generally have a variety of fabric settings.
The main disadvantages to hotel irons are their variable quality as well as potentially disaserous results if the water system contains rust. Some irons run too hot or cold, providing an inappropriate or insuffucient amount of steam to fully de-wrinkle fabrics. Additionally, if water has been left for long periods of time in irons that have metal components in their water system, you could be left with ugly rust stains on your business attire.
Portable steamer to de-wrinkle business clothing
Packing a portable steamer in your carryon luggage is my preferred method because there’s little risk of rust stains, it’s incredibly easy to use, and you always have it with you on business trips.
Portable steamers boil water from their reservoir with an electric heating element and then route the produced steam through a brush nozzle. This allows the steamer to release wrinkles on clothes while also brushing off any dirt or fuzz on the garment.
In my experience, travel steamers are extremely effective, as well as affordable. I’ve been traveling with a portable steamer in my carryon bag for the past decade and have never had a problem with TSA. My recommended steamer is the Polardo Travel Steamer, due to it’s affordability, durability, and overall performance.
Old school note: use the hotel laundry
One additional method that many younger business travelers may not consider, is using the hotel’s laundry service to launder or dry clean articles of clothing. You can either refer to the laundry tag in the hotel closet, a brochure in your room, or the advice of the front desk
Interested in gifts for your business traveler (other than a portable steamer)? Check out our latest business traveler gift suggestions.
