The Chainlink

Packing clothes without squooshing them

Each day I pack my clothes for work in my backpack which sits in my milk crate.  I have usually folded them into one of those Jiffy bags that you can suck the air out of (no, not with a straw, but by pushing down then quickly zipping up, if you pardon the expression) or a normal plastic bag.  I do that mostly in case of a downpour and also to keep the clothes in some semblance of neatness when they arrive.  I have to wear business casual, so that usually means boring black or brown pants, a colorful shirt, and a tie.  I make a point of wearing black shoes on both my bike and at work that are halfway between acceptable in a business casual environment and kinda sortof in the sneaker family.  I have managed so far with the clothes but I do worry that they are probably just that little bit more creased than they need be.  What ingenious solutions have you guys and gals come up with?  The challenge is you can't press them too much or they'll get creased since they must be folded but you can't not press them at all or... you got it... they'll get creased bouncing around like a salad.  Find below my picture of a before and after they get in the Jiffy bag.  Any other great ideas from fellow primates would be greatly appreciated!  (p.s. now I know how off color my cell phone camera is - that pink shirt you see is actually DARK BROWN!)

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on July 11, 2013 at 7:53am

Though not waterproof, this is a miracle product.

Permalink Reply by Bez on July 11, 2013 at 8:49am

I started taking my button down shirts to the cleaners and having them fold rather than hanger them.   The one I go to folds the shirt, uses cardboard inserts in the collar and in the large fold and then sticks them in a plastic bag.   I can squish them down pretty tight in my pack without wrinkling.   It costs about $0.50 extra per shirt,  but is totally worth it to me. 

I also recycle all of the extra cardboard and plastic, so my hippie sensibilities aren't damaged too badly. 

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 11, 2013 at 11:15am

It seems there are two things to consider:

1. A large bag that lets you pack items loosely folded

2. Clothes that don't wrinkle when you look at them cross-ways

I don't wear anything to work that requires dry cleaning, ironing or any extra maintenance.  Shirts in particular can be a bit more expensive, but they don't wrinkle and still last for years.

Permalink Reply by Alex on July 11, 2013 at 11:41am

Rolling your clothes can help avoid creases.

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on July 11, 2013 at 11:50am

Alex is correct. Roll them up and then put them in a ziploc or garbage bag.

Alex said:

Rolling your clothes can help avoid creases.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 11, 2013 at 12:01pm

Have a dry cleaner near your work?

I have 12-15 shirts, plus pants, and shoes at work. I bring them to the dry cleaner next to my office. While there is a cost associated with it (about $1.70 per shirt) I find that well worth it. No shuttling stuff back and forth, less laundry at home. I do have a (small) hanging closet at my desk.

Only clothing items I take to and from work everyday are underwear, socks, and an undershirt. Takes up very little space in my pannier and I don't worry about them getting wrinkled.

I take my shoes home every few weeks to get them polished.

BTW, excellent use of the word squooshing. That word does not get enough credit.

Permalink Reply by djm on July 11, 2013 at 12:05pm

Agreed.  Roll, tightly.  Button up dress shirts first.  If putting inside a bag, you can use rubber bands to keep items tight.

Alex said:

Rolling your clothes can help avoid creases.

Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on July 11, 2013 at 5:18pm

Yep. One more for the rolling technique. I roll everything, then slide it into a dry sac if it's raining. Works for my dress pants, pencil skirts, or dress.


Alex said:

Rolling your clothes can help avoid creases.

Permalink Reply by SlowCoachOnTheRoad on July 11, 2013 at 8:15pm

Really, rolling them?  Wow, it must take a long time to roll them all the way to work.

No, just joking.  Not sure exactly HOW to roll pants and button-up shirts without creasing them in the backpack - so I'll check one's trusty Youtube demonstrators and see if a video can explain that to me.  Thanks for the tip though!

Alex said:

Rolling your clothes can help avoid creases.

Permalink Reply by Minh on July 11, 2013 at 9:06pm

Roll them up.

Permalink Reply by yai danche on July 12, 2013 at 8:36am

i use a similar packing folder.  i like the rolling method for stretchy shirts, but i don't know how well they work with dress shirts.  i say keep a blazer at work.  if your shirt is a little wrinkled, a blazer will hide all that.  

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on July 12, 2013 at 8:59am

Roll your clothes. It helps them not get so wrinkled, and they tend to take up less space.

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