We tested seven sprays by Downy, Grove, The Laundress, and others, and found just one significantly improved the look of very wrinkled dress shirts
Just one of the wrinkle release sprays we tried wowed our testers.
By Jodhaira Rodriguez
When traveling, I try my best to avoid packing wrinkle-prone garments. Even at home I have resorted to placing a wrinkly dress in a steamy bathroom, crossing my fingers that the shower’s steam will be enough to help me avoid having to use a clothes steamer or iron.
Wrinkle release sprays claim to be a convenient solution for wrinkled outfits, but do they work? After testing seven products in our lab, we found there’s only one product worth buying.
We used cotton-polyester-blend men’s dress shirts to test the sprays and considered how well they removed wrinkles, how long the garments took to dry, and how the shirts smelled and felt after spraying.
Sneak Peek: Every wrinkle release spray we tested lightened the wrinkles we made in cotton-polyester-blend dress shirts at least a little, but only one left the shirt in a condition that could be deemed wearable. Our Top Pick costs just 62 cents per ounce, leaves garments with a pleasant floral scent, and is available in a TSA-friendly size.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus
Performance: The polyester-cotton-blend dress shirts had deep, set-in wrinkles even before we purposely wrinkled them. This is the only wrinkle release spray we tested that significantly lightened both the original set-in wrinkles and the wrinkles we added. It’s best to spray your garments at least 45 minutes before you plan to wear them, as it took about that long for them to fully dry after treatment.
It was one of the most heavily scented products we tested and is not available in a fragrance-free version. The smell dissipates quite a bit as garments dry and leaves behind a pleasant, light floral scent.
Ease of Use: It has a wide spray pattern that covers a large surface with just one spray. The trigger is a spray-and-release, which is inconvenient if you’re doing more than one garment at a time. You have to press and release the trigger over and over, which gets tiring after a few presses.
The instructions on the back of the bottle are very clear. It includes the spray distance (6 to 8 inches) and instructions for tugging the fabric for better results.
This product is not in the SkinSafe database.
Other Wrinkle Release Sprays We Tested
Every other wrinkle release spray we tested improved the new wrinkles we added overnight to dress shirts, but failed to address the deep wrinkles the shirts developed during storage. You likely won’t get as neat a fix with these, but if you’re faced with one while traveling, it won’t be a total lost cause.
Begley’s 3-in-1 Wrinkle Release
Performance: Begley’s improved the look of the lighter wrinkles on our test garments, but did not affect the deeper wrinkles. The dress shirt we treated with the spray took almost 2 hours to dry.
Ease of Use: We tested the unscented version of this spray. It is also available in lavender and citrus scents, and in a travel size. It can be sprayed in a concentrated stream or a wide spray. The trigger is a spray-and-release, not a continuous spray.
The instructions don’t specify a spray distance, but do mention tugging and smoothing with hands for the best results.
This product is not in the SkinSafe database.
Grove Co. Wrinkle Release
Performance: As with every other model we tested, the lighter wrinkles on the dress shirt we treated improved slightly after treatment, but the shirt remained unwearable. Almost two hours later, the shirt was still damp.
Ease of Use: The instructions don’t specify a spray distance, whether tugging and pulling with your hands is necessary, or whether to spray until damp; instead, instructions say to spray and hang to dry. The spray-and-release trigger was messy, spilling liquid all over our tester’s hands.
The SkinSafe database gives the Grove Co. Wrinkle Release spray a rating of 100. It does not contain any of the top 11 most common allergens, determined by the Mayo Clinic.
Bounce Instant Static Remover+
Product: This spray removed the lighter, superficial wrinkles in a dress shirt, but did nothing for the set-in wrinkles. It was also the second most heavily scented product we tested. It has a traditional, clean scent that lightens, then lingers on treated garments.
It took just under an hour for a dress shirt to fully dry after treatment.
Ease of Use: Its continuous spray trigger is easy to use and covers a wide area with just one spray at a distance of 6 to 8 inches away. Instructions were very clear.
It is also available in a travel size.
According to SkinSafe, this is 91 percent free of the top allergens. It contains fragrance.
deCrease Spray
Performance: A dress shirt sprayed with deCrease Spray took nearly an hour to dry. The deep wrinkles in the shirt remained the same after treatment, but some of the lighter ones looked better, not great.
Though the formula is fragrance-free, we found it leaves behind a faint clean-laundry scent.
Ease of Use: The spray pattern is light and more akin to an aerosol. The continuous spray trigger is comfortable to use. The instructions on the label are very clear.
It is also available in a travel size and is the most expensive product we tested. You can only purchase this product as part of a set.
This product is not in SkinSafe’s database.
Clean Boss Wrinkle Boss
Performance: This was another product that reduced the lighter wrinkles in a dress shirt, but did not leave the garment wearable post-treatment. Just over an hour after spraying, the shirt was totally dry.
Its scent is described as “clean” on the Clean Boss site, but was described as “soapy” in our lab.
Ease of Use: The instructions are very clear. The spray-and-release trigger isn’t the most comfortable to use. Its spray pattern can be set to a concentrated stream or a wide spray. The liquid appears soapy when it comes into contact with soft surfaces.
This wrinkle release spray can only be purchased as a pack containing two 12-fluid-ounce bottles and one travel-sized bottle.
SkinSafe rates this wrinkle release spray a 91. It contains fragrance.
The Laundress Classic Fabric Spray
Performance: This was the second most expensive wrinkle release spray we tested. It performed as well as most of the others, failing to remedy the deeper wrinkles in a dress shirt.
The shirt dried in just 40 minutes after treatment.
Ease of Use: Of the seven models we tried, this one had the most uncomfortable bottle design. The bottle is very small, the trigger requires pressing down over and over to dispense, and the spray pattern is not very wide, so you have to press more than with others to dampen the garments enough to work.
The instructions are very clear. We tested the classic clean laundry scent, but it is available in other scents. There are no travel sizes on the brand’s site.
SkinSafe rates this spray a 91. It contains fragrance.
How We Tested Wrinkle Release Sprays
To test wrinkle release sprays, we needed to get clothing really wrinkled. So, we balled up men’s polyester-cotton-blend dress shirts and placed 10-pound weights on them overnight. Once the shirts were wrinkled, they were placed on hangers, and each spray was tested on a clean, wrinkled shirt.
We assessed each wrinkle releaser on how well it removed wrinkles, how long it took the shirts to dry after spraying, and whether the shirts had any odor, stiffness, or stains. We also considered the clarity of instructions printed on the labels, the spread of their sprays, and how easy they were to dispense.
*Calculations for price per fluid ounce based on pricing at the time of testing.
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