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Northern Cheapskate

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You are here: Home / DIY / DIY Projects / How to Make Homemade Wrinkle Releaser

How to Make Homemade Wrinkle Releaser

By Justin Weinger 35 Comments

Homemade Wrinkle Releaser ingredientsDid you know you can make your own homemade wrinkle releaser? Don’t get me wrong, I love Downy Wrinkle Releaser, but instead of paying around $10+ for a bottle of wrinkle releaser from a leading manufacturer, how does only 4 cents for the same size bottle sound?

I try to purchase natural and organic products when I can, but I have to admit that ironing is not something I enjoy and was willing to purchase and use this product in order to avoid ironing whenever possible.

I decided it was finally time to find or create an alternative that was greener and saved me some money, once I bought some new clothes for the upcoming summer months than seemed to wrinkle more frequently.

I chose to reuse the bottle I had just emptied and washed out. The recipe is simple as the only ingredients you need is water (distilled preferred, if you have it) and fabric softener.

Before Homemade Wrinkle ReleaserHomemade Wrinkle Releaser Recipe

1 C water

1 tsp fabric softener

To fill my bottle I doubled this recipe. Just pour both ingredients in to your bottle using a funnel to keep from spilling, then shake to mix together and now it is ready to use.

At left is a picture of an old wrinkled shirt belonging to my husband. I didn’t take a picture until I had already made a couple squirts, as you can see in the left shoulder area. But I wanted you to see a before picture of all the wrinkles, so you can see how well it worked.

I prefer Seventh Generation fabric softener, when I use it, so that is what I based my cost comparison on. The retail price of this bottle is $4.99 for 40 ounces. Two teaspoons of fabric softener is .33 ounces, which makes it cost about 4-cents to make this bottle of wrinkle releaser if you use tap water.

After Homemade Wrinkle ReleaserPictured at right is the after picture (complete with stains on the old shirt, but not from the wrinkle releaser.) I was really amazed that it worked as well as the version I previously purchased. After I finished releasing the wrinkles in this shirt I went on to spray down another shirt belonging to my husband, two shirts of mine and a pair of my shorts. All of the wrinkles were released beautifully in each garment.

To release the wrinkles, just spray a mist over the wrinkled areas and tug on the fabric and then hang to let dry and the wrinkles will continue to release as it dries. I like to grab an end of a garment and shake it to help release the wrinkles. I find that shaking the garment works faster when I have wrinkles over the entire garment, which is what usually happens.

This new recipe of mine pleases me greatly because for mere pennies I can remove the wrinkles out of many garments and I am using a product that I feel good about.

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Greener Cleaners

Comments

  1. Tiffany says

    June 14, 2011 at 7:36 am

    I should have read this sooner. Just bought a big bottle of wrinkle release and it was pricey. thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • nora z says

      September 21, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      I currently just emptied a bottle of ‘Revive’ that I believe I paid about $11.00 for, when I checked again, it’s now $22.00!!!!!!!! So VERY happy to find this recipe.

      Reply
  2. Amy says

    June 14, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    Thank you Jessica. I have a small bottle of wrinkle release, but when it’s empty I’m going to fill it with the homemade version.

    Reply
  3. Jessica says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    I have been making this for well over a year now. My DH and I used to go through a bottle a month and it was adding up quickly but neither of us like ti iron and both wear office clothes (ex. dress shirts, slacks, etc.) daily. I had a medium size wrinkle releaser bottle and I mix in 3 TBS of fabric softener with a full bottle of water based on another recipe I found for it. I have never had an issue with spotting and I think it works as well as the original formula. I’ll never go back to paying $4 a bottle again!

    Reply
  4. Misty says

    June 18, 2011 at 12:42 pm

    Love it! My husband has sort of been doing this a while, he adds more fabric softener and throws it in the dryer, I will show him this blog so that we can save on $$$ and electricity. Thank you so much for your crafty ideas to save!

    Reply
  5. Sarah K says

    June 22, 2011 at 11:37 am

    Thanks so much for posting this. I’m loooking forward to using it and saving some money.

    Reply
  6. Mel H says

    June 28, 2011 at 7:33 am

    Love it~ As soon as my bottle is done, I am so making it! Perfect for that “I don’t have enough for another load” moment..

    Reply
  7. Coupon Amy says

    June 28, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    I also use this trick in the dryer. Instead of putting liquid softener in the washing machine (in the wasteful quantities the manufacturers recommend), once I put my clean, wet (non-liquid softenered) clothes in the dryer, I spray maybe 8-10 sprays of this mixture onto the pile o wet clothes and turn the dryer on. I get the exact same results as I get when I use it ‘in wash.’ I’m still using the original bottle of fabric softener from over a year ago! Major savings!

    Reply
    • Nancy McManus says

      July 18, 2013 at 6:36 pm

      If you like fabric softener for your laundry, you’ll love this: I just tried a pinterest idea which duplicates the fabric softener crystals that are big now. One quarter cup of epsom salt in the wash cycle. It works great! If you like scent (I don’t) it recommends 8-10 drops of essential oil in a batch of the “softener.”

      Reply
      • Lynn says

        June 24, 2014 at 1:57 am

        Just always be careful of fabric softeners in the wash. I’m in the textile business, and with good fabrics, fabric softener tends to wear out the fabric quicker. It’s like the old trick of not putting towels with anything else but towels, as they are too abrasive on clothing, and cause early wear & pilling. I’m going to try the Epsom salt additive in my wash, as we have very hard water, so this may be a good alternative, as I won’t use fabric softener in the wash due to the wear of the yarns in the fabric.

        Reply
        • Christina Brown says

          June 24, 2014 at 10:28 am

          A little bit of vinegar in the wash is a good, cheap softener that won’t be as hard on fabric as the commercial stuff.

          Reply
  8. Instant Effect says

    November 18, 2011 at 6:25 am

    Wow.. will try it..
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. debi c says

    February 14, 2012 at 11:18 am

    You can also add a bit of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to the mixture. It makes the material dry faster.

    Reply
    • Mary Smith says

      May 20, 2012 at 4:36 am

      How much isopropyl alcohol do you add for the ratio of 1c H20: 1tsp softner?

      Thanks a bunch and have a nice weekend.

      Reply
  10. Mae says

    June 8, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Happy to see this tip since I just found out that Downy Wrinkle Releaser has been discontinued!

    Reply
    • Nancy McManus says

      June 3, 2013 at 8:56 am

      Probably because we’re all making our own! I love to hang my boys’ (husband and sons) khakis outside to dry, then “wrinkle release” them. They look starched and pressed!

      Reply
  11. Cynthia B. Phillips says

    February 17, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    I’m so glad that I found your site! I am anxious to make this I hate to iron and feel the store-bought version is a bit pricey. Thanks! Looking forward to more useful tidbits.

    Reply
  12. lisa says

    February 19, 2013 at 4:50 pm

    I have been using wrinkle releasrr for years..I have on several occasions had family members bring bottles and bottles to call from OK where it is 2 bucks a bottle. When I went on to see if I could get it shipped from the ole Dollar General I found this recipe.. at the store now getting. A 4.99 brittle of softener and am soooo excited…thanks !

    Reply
  13. Patricia D says

    September 11, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Thank you for this! My husband has severe perfume allergies which means no ready-made wrinkle release.

    Reply
  14. Kathy says

    September 17, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    Thank You! I have been using this for months now and it absolutely works like a charm.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 17, 2013 at 9:08 pm

      You are most welcome! Glad you are finding it helpful!

      Reply
  15. Jerry says

    October 28, 2013 at 12:31 pm

    thanks very much for the tip. no fan of ironing my own shirts! I used to buy bottles and bottles of this. Live in Mexico now, and we do not have this product around. so, this is fantastic!!! GRACIAS!!

    Reply
    • Christina Brown says

      October 28, 2013 at 1:29 pm

      You’re welcome! Glad we could help!

      Reply
  16. nadine says

    December 16, 2013 at 11:07 am

    oh my goodness, thanks so much for posting this! I was looking everywhere for the Downey wrinkle releaser and couldn’t find it!

    Reply
  17. Lynn says

    June 24, 2014 at 1:51 am

    Thank you for the tip! I’ve been using Downy Wrinkle Release for years and spending up to $8+ per a 33 oz. bottle at least 4 times a month. I just found your article and tried it. WOW, it actually works better, no stains, no sticky/slippery residue on my floor, and a fresher scent (as I use those pretty scented Downy fabric softeners). It’s worth every penny to treat myself to a sweet smelling fabric softener as I figured I’m saving a ton for the 33 oz. bottle I keep refilling with your mix! For my family, I was using 4+ bottles of Downy Wrinkle Release a month, that’s a min of $32 a month, and I have enough fabric softener to make over 15 bottles which would total around $120! So for a $4.99 bottle of yummy fabric softener, it’s worth the investment!

    Reply
    • Christina Brown says

      June 24, 2014 at 10:29 am

      That’s awesome, Lynn! I’m glad the recipe is working well for you AND saving you money!

      Reply
  18. Barbara says

    October 9, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    I tried it and it did NOT work for me. :-(

    Reply
    • Christina Brown says

      October 10, 2014 at 8:44 am

      I’m sorry to hear that, Barbara. Sometimes if I have a little time (but not enough time to iron!), I’ll lightly mist a shirt with water and smooth out the wrinkles and let it air dry. Or, if it can go in the dryer, throw the item in the dryer for a few minutes with a damp washcloth.

      Reply
  19. Debi says

    February 20, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    I have dated/old outfits and costumes for my theater business that cannot or should not be ironed and was wondering how in the world to get the wrinkles out. Fantastic! I do think I will do this with the costumes turned inside out, just so I don’t have any staining issues. Great tip and thank you.

    Reply
  20. victor says

    May 1, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    The one I made does not work on nylon or polyester. I’m I doing something wrong.

    Reply
    • Christina Brown says

      May 2, 2015 at 12:11 pm

      I’m sorry it didn’t work the way you wanted it to. I don’t think you’re doing something wrong – some fabrics are just fussier to work with. Sometimes you can get away with just misting the item with plain water and then smoothing out the wrinkles and letting it dry.

      Reply
  21. Maryann Clark says

    June 18, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    I don’t have liquid fabric softener
    , is there anything else you can use?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 18, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      I have only ever made it this way, so I don’t know if there is anything.

      Reply
    • Christina Brown says

      June 19, 2016 at 11:56 am

      One trick I have done is just to spray the shirt with a light mist of plain water and then lay it out on the bed and smooth it out. When it dries, the wrinkles are gone. It takes a bit longer than this method, but it usually works!

      Reply
  22. Tina says

    September 12, 2016 at 5:09 pm

    I just discovered Wrinkle Release last month via a good friend. Because it smelled just like fabric softener, I began to wonder…used up thar bottle – works like a charm! Today I went to buy another bottle but at $8.00 a pop plus tax, it is pricey. So I got on the Web and found your site. Thankfully, I kept the empty bottle! Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

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