Help me settle a debate. My wife believes that holding a shirt by its shoulders and whip snapping (I don’t know the verb to describe it) it before hanging it gets wrinkles out.

I feel it’s a meaningless ritual and a waste of time. Whether I do it or not, I don’t perceive any difference. The weight of the shirt itself flattens any wrinkles as it hangs.

Is there any evidence (scientific or otherwise) that whip snapping laundry does anything?

  • qdJzXuisAndVQb2
    6·
    11 months ago

    While I do not know if it helps with wrinkles, snapping clothes does help unroll curled up sleeves or pockets or other bits and bobs that get caught up in the machine, so I agree (with her) that it is a useful step.

    • IvanOverdriveOP
      32·
      11 months ago

      Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but this is after if comes out of the washing machine and before it’s hanged.

      EDIT: Wait, never mind. I get what you mean now.

  • pixelscience
    71·
    11 months ago

    It’s been scientifically proven that a micro shock (any stress event less than 1 second) to clothing fibers re-arranges them to their natural state, thus eliminating wrinkles. Being damp further increases this activity as the water molecules covalent bonds align with the fibers natural orientation. Furthermore, no that’s nonsense and you’re totally right. It’s useless.

  • HunkyBrewster
    3·
    11 months ago

    I don’t know, but her ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to her newsletter