The Complete Handbook of Wrinkle Releasers & Anti-Static Sprays

Chapter 1: Understanding Wrinkle Releasers & Anti-Static Sprays

Wrinkle releasers and anti-static sprays are common but poorly understood tools. Walk into any grocery store or hardware store and you will see thin plastic bottles promising to relax creases from a garment in minutes, usually with a vaguely medical mention of a "fabric relaxant" or an "anti-static formula." Most people buy them out of desperation a half hour before an event or a meeting. They spray them on a wrinkled shirt or a dress that has been crushed in a suitcase, pull at the fabric, and hope for the best. The results vary from surprisingly good to disappointing, and because the product category is not considered important enough for serious study, most users never develop an understanding of what is actually happening. This handbook is designed to change that. It is written for people who use these products regularly enough that trial-and-error costs them time and money: professional cleaners, theater costumers, RV owners who pack for weeks at a time, laundromat operators, and anyone who processes garments in any volume.

To understand the category, you have to understand the problem that these products are trying to solve. Wrinkles in fabric are not permanent deformities in the majority of cases. They are the result of polymer chains in the natural or synthetic fibers being bent into a new position and then held there by internal friction and hydrogen bonds between the chains. When you fold a shirt and press it under a