How to Get Wrinkles Out of Neckties | Dewrinkle a Tie

By: Annabel Love Clothing Care
9 minute read

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Getting the wrinkles out of everyday clothes like t-shirts, jackets, and pants is a breeze once you get the hang of it. But when it comes to other accessories, such as ties, it can sometimes be a bit intimidating.

Luckily, it’s nothing to be too stressed about. With the right care and instructions, you’ll be able to smooth out any unwanted fabric creases in no time. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to dewrinkle a tie.

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Dewrinkling a Tie

When it comes to business meetings or fancy parties, wrinkles are your worst nightmare. Showing up in a disheveled tie screams unprofessional, which is just a recipe for disaster at any event.

If you’ve managed to dewrinkle the rest of your attire, smoothing out your tie creases should be a piece of cake. Here, we highlight the steps you should take to dewrinkle your tie and pull together your look for the evening.

Should You Use an Iron or Steam?

Before you turn on the heat and get to dewrinkling, you have to determine which tool you should use: an iron or a steamer.

Although similar in function, an iron uses hot soleplates and heavy pressure to smooth out wrinkles, whereas steamers relax the fibers of the clothing using high-temperature steam.

Ironing can effectively and easily remove wrinkles from your tie. However, the heat has the potential to scorch and damage the material, and it can leave your tie looking lifeless and flat. Steaming is usually the better option because it’s much gentler on the fabric and can tackle the most stubborn wrinkles. Keep in mind that the material also plays a role in what appliance you should use (but we’ll get to that later).

But ultimately, both can be useful when dewrinkling a tie, so long as you go about it properly.

When Ironing a Tie

A general rule of thumb to follow is to keep the temperature on the cooler side to avoid scorching it, especially if it’s a delicate material. Additionally, it’s better to apply gentle pressure rather than ironing forcefully. This also helps prevent damage to the material as you iron out the wrinkles.

For additional security, you can place towels on both sides of the tie to help prevent scorching. If you forget this step and end up damaging your tie, it’s not the end of the world. There are steps you can take to remove the marks that are left.

When Steaming a Tie

It’s important to make sure the steamer isn’t coming in direct contact with the tie. After the steamer is heated up, hold it about four inches away from the tie and allow the steam to waft upwards around it for a few minutes. This ensures that there is no excessive dripping while you smooth out the wrinkles.

Of course, the process looks a little different with certain modern versions of steamers and irons. For example, the Nori Press doesn’t take on the traditional structure of dewrinkling appliances. The product is resemblant of a hair straightener—in fact, that’s what inspired the design!

The Nori Press is actually perfect for the size and width of neckties. That is, the steamer’s shape and clamp-like mechanism allow you to easily glide over the entire tie and tackle wrinkles on both sides simultaneously. The product can also double as a dry iron and a steamer depending on your preferences and needs, which is a versatility that is sure to come in handy.

When using the Nori Press, all you need to do is turn the device on, place the fabric between its aluminum plates, and use the clamping mechanism to go over the wrinkles. If you’re using the steam setting, it’s still important to make sure the tip of the device is pointing upward while you dewrinkle your tie.

Consider the Material, Adjust Temperature

Most if not all clothing items and accessories such as ties come with a label sewn below the keeper loop that indicates the type of material it’s made of. Some even include additional details and information about the material, such as which laundry settings work best on it. Typically, neckties are made up of one or more fibers, including silk, cotton, wool, linen, polyester, and microfiber—all of which require different care and attention.

For example, silk is a delicate material that could easily be damaged by a steamer. It retains its shape and resists wrinkling significantly more than fabrics such as cotton and linen, so a dry iron is best at gently and efficiently removing wrinkles. On the other hand, wool is a thicker material than the other fabrics, so it may require the extra help of a steamer to remove wrinkles.

Regardless of whether you’re using a steamer or an iron, you need to consider the material that your tie is made of to make sure you’re going about the dewrinkling process in the best way possible. After all, the only thing worse than a wrinkled tie is a wrinkled tie with scorch marks.

With modern-day devices, you don’t have to worry too much about adjusting and monitoring the temperature, as some come with heat settings. The Nori Press, for example, features six heat settings that are fabric specific, which include Poly, Silk, Wool, Cotton, Denim, and Linen. Depending on the material that your tie is made of, just select the corresponding setting, glide the steamer across the tie, and it’ll be wrinkle-free in no time!

Cleaning and Storing Your Tie

While steamers and irons are great for removing wrinkles from your ties and other clothes, it’s best to avoid frequently doing so as it can damage the fabric over time. Therefore, proactively trying to reduce or prevent the formation of wrinkles goes a long way.

One of the best ways to ensure that your ties stay as wrinkle-free as possible is by being mindful about how you clean and store them. As mentioned earlier, the label sewn on the tie indicates how you should go about cleaning the tie based on the material.

For delicate materials such as silk, the process usually involves soaking the tie in water and allowing it to air dry. If you lay it on a clothing hanger or tie rack overnight, most of the wrinkles loosen and come out naturally on their own.

With this trick, you won’t have to rely too heavily on the steamer or iron to eliminate wrinkles. Similarly, how you store your ties daily can play a major role in preventing unwanted wrinkles.

Here we highlight some of the best tips and tricks to use when tucking them away:

Undo The Knot

When you leave any material in a bent or curled position, you’ll be left with a nightmare of inevitable wrinkles the next morning. One of the best ways to address this is by undoing the knot in your tie after you’re done wearing it. This serves to prevent permanent creases as well as already existing wrinkles.

Wrap It Around Your Hand

Tossing your tie into a drawer after taking it off for the evening defeats the whole purpose of undoing the knot, as that just causes more wrinkles to form. If you prefer storing your ties in drawers, we recommend wrapping them around your hand to create a rolled structure. Ideal for tackling stubborn wrinkles, this method ensures that the tie is sitting in a way that’s not too tight but still holds a subtle tension to hold it together and combat potential creases.

Place On Flat Surface

With the wrap around the hand method, it’s important to also place the newly rolled ties on a flat surface, like a drawer. That way, you don’t have to worry about the ties getting knocked over and unrolled and consequently losing their anti-wrinkle form. Thankfully, ties don’t occupy too much space, so if you don’t have any drawer space, you could place them on a countertop or table where they can safely remain.

Hang Them Up

If drawers and countertops aren’t your favorite organization method, that’s okay. Alternatively, hanging up your ties can prevent wrinkles just as effectively. When doing this, try to avoid using regular clothing hangers, as your ties could easily slip off and fall on the floor.

Instead, opt for a tie rack or tie hangers that are specifically designed to hold them. Make sure they lay untied and flat in order to keep them in the best shape possible.

Easy and Wrinkle-Free

Now that was nothing to be intimidated by, right? Like with any task, dewrinkling a tie and keeping it in its best shape just takes some thought and consideration. But at the end of the day, it’s no harder than smoothing out any other item of clothing. With all of this in mind, you’ll be sure to be entering every black-tie event or a casual day at the office in professional and fully wrinkle-free attire!

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