“Private Wrinkle.  Reporting for duty, Sir.”

Just because your employees wear uniforms doesn’t mean they look professional.  In fact, some can show up looking downright sloppy.  Whether they just rolled out of bed, break out in hives at the sight of an iron, or simply don’t care, wrinkled garments can sabotage the effort and money you invested into making employees look professional.  Here are a few strategies for waging war on wrinkles.  

• Choose products with no-iron or wrinkle-resistant fabrics.  Advancements in fabric science are perfecting treatments that can take fabric (even 100% cotton) to a state of wrinkle-free euphoria, requiring little maintenance.  The investment could be slightly higher but ask yourself what its worth for a professional-looking team.  Also, choosing fabric with some or all polyester can help.  Fortunately, today’s polyester isn’t the same as that from the 1970s.

• Consider a uniform laundry program.  This option allows for your uniforms to be picked up on a weekly basis, laundered, pressed, and returned in crisp condition.  This option takes the guesswork out of the equation.

• Invest in a garment steamer.  For a minimal amount of money, you can purchase one of good quality.  Keep it in a closet or employee locker room.  If an employee looks less-than-presentable, send them to steam their clothes.  It can be as quick as 5 minutes.

WARNING: Make sure the employee isn’t still in the clothes when steaming.  This would be dumb and can lead to a 3rd-degree burn and a lawsuit.