A friend recently asked me a question I’d not considered:
How do you get your shirts into work uncreased?
I iron them, fold them, put them in my bag and cycle them in. Then I store a weeks worth of shirts in the office locker. I’ve found they don’t get that creased in the bag and most of the time I’m wearing a suit jacket anyway.
However, my answer is a bit boring and I feel someone might have a better solution. E.g. Wrapping shirts around a book? Special bag for carrying shirts? Never taking shirts home and instead using a Drycleaner?
Fill me with shirt related wisdom in the comments!
I fold them up and put them on the top of the bag just before I set off. They don’t get long enough to crease up for me.
Try using a simple polypro box, fold the shirt around an A4 card and put inside the box. Put the box inside a waterproof carrier bag. Works also for flights etc. Low cost and works perfect, done it for years!
http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/whsmith-clear-polypro-box-file/377942
Stuff it in my bag and stick it on when I get there. I don’t have a problem with wearing creased shirts. Thankfully I don’t have to meet any clients on a day to day basis.
Buy non-iron shirts?
I mean that is pretty unhelpful.
why bother leaving this reply
I iron it, fold it in half with the sleeves tucked in and then roll it up.
I then put it in a plastic bag to stop it getting wet or picking up dirt, before putting it in the top of my rucksack.
Seems to work quite well, but my commute is isn’t particularly long.
+1 for rolling. Mine gets done in the same way as yours, then rolled up around pants and socks, and wrapped fairly tightly in a plastic bag.
14 mile commute and no creases at the far end. 🙂
Rolling all the way. I roll mine around my trousers/jeans and put it end-to-end in my bag with shoes etc around it to keep it stable. Works like a charm, means I can cycle in twice as often as I used to be able to before I discovered it. Folding doesn’t seem to work for me.
I generally take underwear and socks to work at the same time, so I iron the shirts (or more accurately my other half irons them for me) then I fold them carefully and wrap them around the socks and undies before putting them carefully in my pannier bag. They crease a little, but after hanging in my locker for a day or two they’re fine.
I wear silk shirts sometimes and spritzing silk with a spray bottle of water gets creases out. It then dries really really quickly….
I’m the same as Andreas, except, I bring them in a weeks worth of shirts on the tube on Friday for the following week. Tend to go for a few drinks on Fridays so not cycling that day works well…
This is what my friend is planning on doing too – then you don’t have to cycle home tipsy.
my man… thumbs up! i am doing the same, but on saturday, as my office in on my way to the surrounding shopping malls.
I use a shirt carrier – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carry–Micro-garments-accessories-washbag/dp/B003I15L2A/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1310719980&sr=8-14
Also very handy for sticking to hand luggage only as I travel a lot!
I tend to fold my shirt in half shoulder to shoulder and then half fold half roll with my trousers; underwear and socks inside to stop them getting lost in the bottom of my panniers.
Occasionally slightly crumpled, but then so am I…
I’ve bought myself afew of these shirts, and haven’t looked back since.
It’s made from a breathable cotton which I find doesn’t leave sweat marks.
http://shop.outlier.cc/shop/retail/blazed2.html
It also looks professional enough for monday to Friday use.
Wow, Adem
At the price they charge for those things, I’d expect them to pedal the bike for me as well!!
I fold them like shops do – then wrap my jeans around it in the same way.
I also use non-iron shirts so I cheat a little!
I usually take a weeks worth in at a time getting a lift once a week from the other half, alternatively if have to take in myself on the odd occassion I put my uniform in the top of my bag, works ok. doesn’t get that creased.
I agree choice of shirt is important. I can recommend M&S pure cotton non-iron or a cotton/polyester mix which is at least 50% cotton. I also go for short sleeve shirts so the sleeves don’t crease as much (although some people think that’s a bit weird in the middle of winter…)
I wear mine, seems to work really well and no creases at the far end.
I use a shirt holder.
http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_folders/Pack-It-Folder-18-41069/
I just wear the shirt – with a T shirt underneath – the shirt doesnt get sweaty, and if I’m late, I can just walk into the meeting or whatever without having to change.
Apparently rolling is better than folding for avoiding creases. I’ve never had to wear a shirt to work, though, so I’ve never had to try this.
During the colder, wetter days I was ironing my shirts and using an Eagle Creek shirt packer. But to be honest, as it has got warmer I have taken to cycling slower and wearing my work shirts while I cycle. I swear the extra time cycling is no longer than the faff of getting changed in and out of cycle clothes and showering at work (and sometimes at home too).
I bought a M&S non-iron shirt, but am still unconvinced. To me, it still looks a bit creased after washing and drying…
Re M&S non-iron shirt: forget about the dryer, you have to get out it as soon as the wash has finished, give it a few good shakes holding it by the collar or shoulders, and then hang it up and manually straighten out any remaining creases.
Gravity usually then helps during the drying process to produce something vaguely presentable. I’m not convinced this is any quicker than ironing but at least it saves electricity during these tough times.
I know it’s a bit time consuming…..but I have bought an Iron left it at work. I have a make shift ironing board, where I place one of the work towels (we have a shower at work that provides towels lucky me) on the desk and then iron my shirt on top of that.
Maybe it’s just my folding skills, doesn’t matter which way I fold it, it still comes
out the bag like a crumpled up piece of paper. But then I was always rubbish at origami at school.
Good tips everyone – thanks for the many contributions. I know one of the writers from Cycling Plus is reading this for tips for an article too so might get a mention in there!
fold and pack carefully at very last minute before I leave, and then when I get to work unpack immediately I get to changing room, and hang it up while showering/shaving. This 10mins hanging definitely helps any bag-creases to fall out. I am lucky though, we have irons at work to repair any folding catastrophe, but I hardly ever need them
Fold as best I can – put in back pack and then take it out immediately I get into the office. I tend to store them in my locker at work for a day or two anyway and that helps. Not great but if it is too creased I blame it on my rubbish cleaner.
Anyway, if my shirt is creased a bit too much it doesn’t matter to me, I have just cycled into work so I am already feeling too smug to care.
Another vote for the shirt folder: http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_folders/
I’m going to suggest something else – keep them at work and get them laundered and ironed there and store in office/locker. Means you have less to carry as well and most places will do them for about £1-2 a shirt.
I just look crumpled.
Iron it, fold it and into a Snopake Plastic DocBox 35. Does the trick for me. Cost £3.
I saw this which looks good (http://www.shirtshuttle.com/main/) but I think it’s too rigid to fit in my bag and the eagle creek folder looks a better bet.
Plus one for eagle creek: takes one shirt, suit trousers, tie and u-ware. Shirts of choice: Charles tyrwitt non-iron. I’ve tried a few brands and these really work. Never iron, always hang to dry, any travel creases drop out in 10mins of wearing. http://Www.ctshirts.co.uk, I think. My shirt spends overnight ready in my pannier, often looks better than shirts after a London tube journey!
I’m another one for the Eagle Creek shirt folder, seems to do the trick very nicely.
I use a couple of these, a folder with the shirt in, having been ironed the night before, and a pouch with boxers, shorts and a tee shirt. I leave a daysac at work with boots and washgear, and leave a couple of suits in the office.
I like to iron shirts after washed,
The very best way is that you fold all shirts very nice and neat at very last minute, then put them in a plastic bag, but you also need to put a cardboard (does not have to be very think) inside of a plastic bag top and bottom in order to get them uncreased.
Good post this! Some of the comments are very good too. I think the Snopake doc box is excellent; I shall be giving this a try.
I learned to iron a shirt (and just about every other item made of cloth) in the armed forces. So I like to think I know a thing or two about ironing. (We even ironed company orders for the adjutants inspection.) However one thing we did not usually have access to was a washing machine; hence most doby was done by hand; I have never mastered the complexities of the mechanised clothes wash.
I am however blessed with a wonderful wife (and a couple of pretty adroit daughters too) who is a magician around the old automated washing gizmo, so my shirts are always washed to the highest standard.
We have a tumble drier (not terribly green in our house I’m afraid to say). Personally I’m not very keen on the tumble drier but if the washing machine has been overloaded and the shirts have come out seriously creased a few minutes in the drier can loosen them up which makes ironing so much easier. I then hang them either on the washing line or more often on clothes hangars on an indoor rack. If weather conditions are damp I turn a cold fan on them just to keep the air circulating.
I find M&S shirts are probably the easiest. I do have some nice TM Lewin ones but they take a lot more effort so I tend to keep these for special occasions (church etc). On the whole the M&S ones are pretty acceptable for work.
I iron my shirt in the morning last thing before I set off. Steam iron; cotton setting, an ironing board is essential. Collar and cuffs are done first, then sleeves (both sides), then back (but not yoke which is last) and then front buttonhole side followed by front buttons side. If the shirt is heavily creased from the washing process then it may be necessary to press both sides of the fabric and even apply some sprayed water. If doing both sides then the back is done first, then the front before the commencement of the above sequence. Total time for this – 5-7 minutes maximum.
In the forces we were taught to fold the sides and sleeves of the shirt in towards the middle and then two horizontal folds to make it the size and shape of the Corps magazine – The Globe & Laurel. (One tip is to fold the front of the shirt inwards so if there is anything mucky to rub against it’s the back of the shirt that gets grubby.) However if the shirt was to be packed in a kit-bag or 58 pattern webbing large pack then rolling was recommended. I personally I do not find that rolling works terribly well and prefer the 3 horizontal folds method for transit.
OK so shirt now goes into a plastic carrier bag – making sure its clean inside – then into my cycle pannier for the 1 hour commute to central London.
On arrival: quick shower and unwrap shirt – it’s been in the bag for 1 hour 30 max. Any creases drop out within minutes and voila one well turned out man about town ready for the working day!
Tyt
Interesting insight into armed forces. Good to see the routine is down to perfection!
Crikey. You don’t suppose this is classified do you?
TyT
I was in the armed forces (25 years 299 days); left in 1993, I do the same drill as Titan yer Tummy. my commute is 8, 15, 20 or 25 miles each way, depends how I am feeling as to which distance I do. Shirt always comes out looking good, I take 5 pairs of socks and enough underwear for the week on Monday. I keep 2 suits in the office, wear one and one in the dry cleaners. We have shower and I have 2 lighweight quick drying towels which I handwash and hang in the changing room to dry. Keep pedalling cheers Alan
lucky you!
Ride On went undercover and discovered the technique for shirt folding used by the Royal Australian Air Force. http://rideons.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/undoing-the-work-wear-tangle/
Fold the shirt military style and pop it in a plastic bag to keep it clean and dry. Simple really.
Take weeks worth of underwear at the start of the working week and use a micro-fibre towel that gets swapped-out every couple of weeks.
You can do the whole thing with a small backpack.
Unless you are going for an interview or need to make a shiny impression, it really is a piece of cake.
I use the Eagle Creek packing folder and fold my shirt carefully, http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_folders/
When I get in to the office I hang the shirt up before I jump in the shower and the steam helps to remove any creases that may have formed on the ride in.
http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_folders/Pack-It-Garment-Sleeve-41071/
i would try one of these it kinda big though.
http://www.shirtshuttle.com/main/ – the answer to all of your prays
Funny. Rolling your shirt uses exactly the same principle as the “shirt shuttle” but you don’t have to spend £30 on a pointless piece of plastic!
I use a Shirt Shuttle from http://www.patrona.com. Absolutely perfect for commuting by bike!
I used to use a piece of cardboard. I would just fold the shirt around it, place it in a bag and put it in my bag pack. The only creases I would get are straight lines where the shirt is folded. The cardboard fell apart after a year of use, but it seems cheaper and smaller than £30 shirt carrier, but then, I dont need a tie. Btw I wear men’s shirts, and I’ve used this method as a bus commuter and a cyclist.
Try the shirtshield – recently developed and designed for exactly this
http://www.shirtshield.co.uk
I had one of these rigid laptop cases that was un-used on a daily basis.
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/au/computer-phone-cases/laptop-cases/thule-gauntlet-15-macbook-pro-sleeve-_-tl_85854221252
Fits a shirt in nicely folded, good for abroad meetings too.