Does viscose crease? What can you do about it before you go out?
A quarter of an hour before you leave, you take a viscose midi dress off its hanger and feel small creases across the front of the skirt under your fingertips. Viscose creases easily, but it smooths out just as easily: all it takes is steam, a moderate iron and a few minutes on the hanger.
- Does it crease. Yes, especially along folds, because the soft fibre is slow to return to its original shape.
- Wearing and storing. A broad-shouldered hanger, space in the wardrobe and rolling rather than folding in a suitcase.
- Ironing. Inside out, an iron up to 150°C and a cotton cloth between the soleplate and the fabric.
- Before you go out. A garment steamer or bathroom steam and 10 minutes of hanging freely.
- What not to do. Never iron it dry on the right side, and keep viscose out of the tumble dryer.
Does viscose crease, and why?
Yes, viscose creases noticeably, because it is a fibre made from regenerated cellulose, which is soft, heavy and slow to recover its shape once folded. Creases appear wherever the fabric bends: across the back of a skirt after an hour of sitting, in the crook of the elbow and around the waistband.
Viscose also absorbs moisture and body warmth, which soften the fibre further so it holds every fold more readily. So a dress that looked smooth in the morning can show lines across the hips after a crowded tram ride at 25°C. Steam and the fabric's own weight, however, draw them out faster than in cotton. In morning light, smooth viscose has a soft, matte sheen, and as you move it flows down the length of your legs, so every crease interrupts that line at once. More about the fibre and its coolness on the skin is in the guide to what viscose is, and light, airy cuts wait among the viscose dresses.
Viscose that flows softly
How should you wear and store viscose so it creases less?
Viscose creases less when it hangs freely, not squeezed between other clothes, and when you wear it in a cut that does not cling where the fabric bends.
- A broad hanger. Arms close to your shoulder width leave no bumps and do not gather the fabric into folds.
- Space in the wardrobe. Leave about 3 cm between hangers, because squashed viscose takes on the shape of the clothes beside it.
- Rolling in a suitcase. A dress or skirt rolled into a tube has fewer sharp edges than one folded into a square.
- A looser cut. Flared midi skirts and kimono sleeves carry less tension at the folds than a fitted cut.
With long styles the fabric's weight helps too: the more material, the more firmly gravity pulls out the folds. Suitcase creases in viscose maxi dresses usually vanish after a night on a hanger in the bathroom.
Long cuts that smooth themselves out
How do you iron viscose without leaving a shine?
Iron viscose inside out and slightly damp, at two dots (up to 150°C), through a thin cotton cloth. Shine appears when a hot soleplate flattens the fibre on the right side of the fabric.
- Inside out. Turn the dress inside out, so any mark stays on the inside.
- A little moisture. Mist the fabric from about 30 cm away, or iron it soon after washing.
- A pressing cloth. A cotton handkerchief between the soleplate and the viscose spreads the heat and protects the weave.
- Pressing instead of gliding. Rest the iron on the fabric for 2 to 3 seconds and lift it, rather than sliding it back and forth.
Leave seams, darts and hems until last, because the doubled fabric there takes a shiny imprint most easily. This method suits plain fabrics best; patterned dresses often need only a quick steam.
How do you smooth viscose in 10 minutes before you go out?
Steam smooths viscose fastest, from a garment steamer or an iron held a few centimetres above the fabric. The table below compares methods that fit into the last quarter of an hour.
| Method | Time | Condition | When it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld steamer | 3 to 5 minutes | nozzle 2 to 3 cm from the fabric | dresses and skirts with plenty of fabric |
| Iron with vertical steam | about 5 minutes | the soleplate does not touch the fabric | shirts and blouses on a hanger |
| Bathroom steam | 10 to 15 minutes | hanger above a hot shower | light creases after a night in the wardrobe |
| Water spray and hands | about 10 minutes | mist from 30 cm, drying on a hanger | single creases across the back of a skirt |
The steamer and bathroom steam are two ends of one scale: the first smooths deeper folds in minutes, the second copes only with shallow ones but needs no equipment. Afterwards, leave the fabric for 2 to 3 minutes before you put it on, because damp viscose quickly picks up new creases. This way even full-skirted midi dresses are ready in fifteen minutes.
Midi skirts ready in minutes
What should you not do with creased viscose?
Haste ruins viscose faster than any crease, so drop a few habits.
- Do not iron viscose dry on the right side. A hot soleplate flattens the fibre and leaves shiny patches that no wash will remove.
- Never set the iron to three dots. A temperature above 150°C can scorch the fibre and change the colour of the fabric.
- Avoid wringing out wet fabric. Wet viscose is noticeably weaker than dry, so wringing stretches it and sets the creases.
- Do not put on a damp dress. The fabric moulds to your body and after fifteen minutes of sitting it creases more than it did before steaming.
For looks that last all day without touch-ups, the guide to types of fabrics compares how each fibre behaves.
Frequently asked questions
Can you smooth viscose with a steamer?
You can, and it is the safest method, because steam relaxes the fibre without any contact with a hot soleplate. Hold the nozzle a few centimetres away and keep it moving, so you leave no damp marks on light skirts.
Viscose or linen: which creases more?
Linen creases more, and its creases are sharper and harder to remove without an iron. Viscose forms soft folds that often drop out on the hanger, and you can read how other fabrics behave in the guide to whether linen stretches and silk creases.
Can you put viscose in a tumble dryer?
Better not, because the high temperature of the drum can shrink viscose and set the creases. Dry it on a hanger or flat, and if you are unsure about washing, the laundry symbols on the care label tell you exactly what the fabric can take.
Go back to the dress you took off its hanger a quarter of an hour before leaving. Steam, the inside of the fabric and a few minutes of hanging freely are all it needs to go out with you smooth, and the same rules work for light viscose co-ord sets too.