Does Rayon Wrinkle: A Guide into Rayon Fabrics

As fashion evolves so do the fabrics, but these fabrics made nowadays wrinkle so easily. One such prominent fabric is rayon. Rayon is such a versatile and special fabric. It is smooth as silk and comfortable as cotton. It has the ability to shapeshift and suit any body type beautifully. Rayon’s semi-synthetic fiber makes it a delicate and luxurious fabric for clothing. This is the reason why designers are often asked- why does rayon wrinkle so badly and does rayon polyester wrinkle? Because honestly who would want their pretty dress to be ruined by wrinkles? So, let’s begin and learn some interesting facts about rayon like how to keep rayon from wrinkling while wearing such dainty clothing, and many more.

1. Does Rayon Wrinkle a Lot?

Yes. Rayon is a synthetic fabric thus people assume it does not require as much care as their natural fabrics, which is definitely not true as rayon requires a lot of care. It is a soft and delicate fabric. The biggest enemy of rayon is water and moisture. (See 20 Camouflage Colors And Patterns)

2. Why does Rayon Wrinkle so bad?

Well, this is simply because of how it’s made. Let us understand the science behind it- why does rayon wrinkle, as we mentioned water or moisture can wrinkle the rayon fabric easily because rayon is cellulose-based fabric. The polymers in the fabric are connected by hydrogen bonds which hold the bond in water too. Thus, when water/ moisture comes in contact with the fabric new hydrogen bonds are formed which makes the fabric hold new shapes which form the wrinkles. Check out Will Rayon Shrink with Washing?

3. Does Rayon Polyester Wrinkle?

Polyester fabric is synthetic in nature and thus it’s a wrinkle-free fabric. Rayon is blended with polyester to make garments wrinkle-free and wrinkle-resistant. Blended fabrics are made to solve the problem of wrinkling, polyester does not wrinkle and helps rayon to not lose its shape too.

There is a simple science behind it too, polyester is made out of petroleum and thus it does not have a hydrogen bond, which makes it a wrinkle-free product. Rayon blended with polyester wrinkles a lot less for the same reason too. In this way, the positive characteristics of polyester tend to eliminate any negative aspects of the rayon. (See Why many people choose to wear branded clothes?)

4. How to keep Rayon from Wrinkling?

Rayon being a delicate fabric is prone to wrinkling, but here are a few ways you could use to remove wrinkling from rayon garments:

Iron- Ironing your rayon fabrics can let them be wrinkle-free. But you need to take extra care.

• Use the lowest heat for rayon fabric,
• Turn your garment inside out,
• Spray the cloth with water and iron immediately, and
• Do not let the iron stay at the same stop, move quickly while ironing.

Steam- Steam irons work best if you are handling such delicate fabrics. They let out a precise amount of heat and mist to smoothen the fabric. It protects the garment from the straight heat it gets while ironing which could lead to the garment being burnt. It also saves you from the hassle of following the steps to iron the garment.

Wrinkle-removing spray- Okay honestly, this is like a lifesaver when you are in a rush and you find your prettiest rayon clothing wrinkled up. These sprays are made in such a way that they flatten out the wrinkles by smoothening them down. Just spray the wrinkle-remover on your dry garment and see how magically the wrinkles disappear. 

5. How to keep Rayon from Wrinkling while Wearing?

Your beautiful rayon garment can easily wrinkle while you are wearing them. But don’t worry with some precaution you can still manage to keep your pretty clothing intact.

• Make sure your hands are dry before handling rayons.
• Avoid going out wearing rayons on sunny days, the sweat will wrinkle the garment quickly. Wearing something appropriate under the rayons might help you solve this issue.
• Avoid applying perfumes and deodorants on the rayons. Apply perfumes, deodorants, body lotions, serums, etc before and wait for them to dry, only then wear your rayon garment.
• Try not to switch a lot of positions as it will fold the garment which can cause wrinkles.
• Make sure you wear the right fit. Too loose or too tight clothes might wrinkle the fabric.
• Store them and pack them properly when you remove them. Dry them off and then pack them in such a way that they would not get exposed to moisture. Try storing them in airtight plastic bags.
• Handwash your rayons as machine washing would ruin the delicate fabric and cause a lot of stiff wrinkles.
• Iron your rayons properly and meticulously, preferably using steam irons, this will help you smooth out the wrinkles in the clothing.
• Keep the wrinkle removal spray with you while going out, it will conveniently remove and flatten the wrinkles instantly.

Even though rayon is a cheaper fabric and looks super pretty, it is very delicate and dainty making it a very difficult fabric to care for. Rayons become very challenging to remove wrinkles from.

And wrinkle is not the only hassle they have, shrinkage of the garment is also one big issue. Rayons are sold with stiffening agents which can stain and ruin the clothing even in dry washes. Yes, all these sound a little tough but you should not discard the rayons completely just because of the reasons- why does rayon wrinkle so badly, they still look beautiful, and elegant, and with the right methods of protecting a rayon, you will be able to save yourself from all this hassle and enjoy the clothing. (Also read Why do women wear tight clothes?)