Expert-Approved Tips for Hanging Shirts and Pants That Never Wrinkle or Crease
Getty / Kristina Strasunske
If you're someone who only folds your shirts and pants, there's a good reason to start hanging them, instead: "Hanging your shirts and pants prevents wrinkles, especially if you tend to stack these items or are less than a perfect folder," says Laura Johnson, consumer analyst at LG research and development lab.
But you shouldn't simply slap your clothes on hangers—instead, read these insider tips from Johnson, which will help keep your clothes in tip-top shape.
Related: The Best Hangers for Every Clothing Type
Choose the Right Hangers
Velvet Hangers
Delicate items—such as silk shirts or spaghetti-strapped tops—tend to slip off hangers, says Johnson, and that's why she recommends using velvet, no-slip hangers.
Padded Hangers
Extra-delicate items, like almost-weightless chiffon or lace-laden shirts, might benefit from padded hangers, says Johnson, "because they help the prevent snagging of materials."
Wooden Hangers
Use wooden—not wire—hangers for your heaviest shirts. "They can rust, and they also distort clothing more easily," says Johnson.
When it comes to pants, whether you fold them over wooden hangers or clip them onto clamped iterations mostly comes down to preference. But, "with clamps, there's virtually no chance of wrinkling," Johnson says, while wood hangers might leave a crease at the pants' fold.
Hang Your Shirts
Shirts should always be buttoned on a hanger, says Johnson. Buttoning the shirt will "help keep it from wrinkling and distorting, and it will also prevent the [garment] from falling off the hanger." Button the shirt after hanging it, though, to prevent stretching the collar.
Otherwise, shirts without buttons should be placed on hangers and hung in the closet.
Hang Your Pants
Pants shouldn't be buttoned if you plan to fold them over a hanger. "Your pants will fold and hang better without being buttoned," says Johnson. If you choose to fold your pants over a hanger, there are two ways to do so:
Hanging Pants With Pleats
If your pants have creases or pleats running down the front, "grab the pants by the cuffs and fold along the creases, then either drape over the hanger bar or clip the cuffs if using a clip hanger," says Johnson.
Hanging Pants Without Pleats
If you're hanging pants that don't have creases or pleats, "simply fold the pants in half and drape over the hanger bar or clip by the cuffs," Johnson says.
Assess Certain Clothes Before Hanging Them
Not all shirts and pants are meant to be hung. Stretchy fabrics—including jersey and knitwear materials—shouldn't be placed on hangers, says Johnson. "They should be folded so they don't stretch," she explains.
On the flip side, "linen should always be hung," even if you're used to folding it, because "repeated folding in the same spot can weaken the fibers," says Johnson.
