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Placing an ice bag inside the washing machine before the first wash has become a home trick that is gaining more and more followers. The technique aims to avoid new clothes coming out wrinkled, without needing to use the iron afterward.
The method became popular on social media and on websites specialized in home tricks. Its logic is simple: the ice melts during the wash cycle and generates steam inside the drum.
Why does ice prevent clothes from wrinkling?
The steam released by the melting ice acts as a natural fabric softener. That effect relaxes the folds that form from the friction between garments and the spin cycle.
It is enough to add a few ice cubes — loose or in a sturdy cloth bag — along with the clothes before starting the wash. The result is more noticeable in light fabrics, such as shirts or fine cotton garments.
To apply it correctly, it is best to follow a few basic steps:
- Place the ice directly in the drum, along with the clothes.
- Choose a moderate-temperature program.
- Remove the clothes as soon as the cycle ends.
How can you apply the trick without damaging clothes?
A program with very hot water melts the ice immediately and cancels out the gradual steam effect. That is why moderate temperature is key for the technique to work.
It is also recommended not to overload the drum and to remove the clothes immediately after finishing the wash. Leaving them inside the machine encourages wrinkles to set again.