# Wrinkle-free pants: How is a permanent crease made?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrinkle-free-pants-how-is-a-permanent-crease-made/122785>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 7, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrinkle-free-pants-how-is-a-permanent-crease-made/122785 "2002-08-07T14:49:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rseneres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@rseneres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rseneres)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrinkle-free-pants-how-is-a-permanent-crease-made/122785/1 "2002-08-07T14:49:38Z")

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I have some great wrinkle free cotton slacks but every time I wash them the crease from my previous pressing disappears, and I must re-press them to create a new crease. However I have bought wrinkle-free cotton slacks before which had wrinkle-free characteristics as well as a permanent factory-made crease that made the slacks virtually maintenance free. How can one make a permanent crease in such material if one was not made at the factory?

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrinkle-free-pants-how-is-a-permanent-crease-made/122785/2 "2002-08-07T17:03:15Z")

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You can’t, they use a [formaldehyde](http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html) compound and an industrial press to make the crease during manufacturing.

> [@](#):
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> Sources of formaldehyde in the home include building materials, smoking, household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters. Formaldehyde, by itself or in combination with other chemicals, serves a number of purposes in manufactured products. For example, it is used to add permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, as a component of glues and adhesives, and as a preservative in some paints and coating products.

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**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrinkle-free-pants-how-is-a-permanent-crease-made/122785/3 "2002-08-07T21:08:11Z")

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That may be the way they do it now, **astro** , but I used to have some pants whose crease was held by a very thin bead of silicone sealant applied along the inside of the leg.

FWIW, I have several pair of new Dockers that were supposed to have the permanent crease – it was permanent through one washing ☹