Suits are some of the classiest garments in our wardrobe. They are timeless and make us look sharp in every situation. Not by chance, they’re also some of our most expensive clothes, so it’s crucial to know how to take good care of them. Especially, if you happen to wear a suit daily. Suits can wear out quickly if some steps are not taken to maintain them. In this article, you’ll read about how to clean your suit, remove wrinkles, dry clean, and more.
How does dry-cleaning work?
The dry-cleaning process is a chemical one and is not as dry as you might expect. It doesn’t require water or detergent, but the process resembles a regular laundry. Instead of water, a liquid solvent is poured onto the suit, recirculating in filters throughout the process in a particular washing machine. The chemicals evaporate quickly, baptizing the process. However, because of its use of aggressive chemicals, dry cleaning can damage your suit in the long run. Still, if you dry-clean them less often than you should, you’ll end up damaging it as well, for your body oils and the ammonia in your sweat, can wear out any fabric. For those reasons, it’s essential to know how regularly you should look for a dry-cleaning service for your business suits, suit jackets, wool suits or any custom suit you may have.
Suits and dry-cleaning regularity
Different materials behave differently, such as dirt, sweat and oils. Some fragile materials, such as wool, usually require professional dry-cleaning. A general rule of thumb to get your suit dry-cleaned is, when just airing and brushing it is neither cleaning nor removing its odour anymore, then get it dry-cleaned. Unless there are stains or it smells bad, once or twice a month should suffice. Maybe, even less.
Again, dry-cleaning is a very aggressive chemical process, and you shouldn’t do it unless it’s absolutely necessary. Some suites come with a “dry clean only” on the label; then you don’t have any other choice. Anyway, getting your suit professionally dry-cleaned is always the best thing you can do, regardless of whether you use it every day or storing it for the off-season .
General maintenance tips
The durability of a suit depends on a couple of variables, like the materials involved, how often it’s used, in which weather conditions, etc. Here are some tips that are likely to increase your suit’s lifetime:
- Let it breathe: Suits need air. After a long day, gathering moisture and sweat, your suit will be better hung on a sturdy hanger, close to an open window or anywhere ventilated. Let it dry out and lose its odours. Avoid storing your suit in a plastic bag at all costs.
- Gear up: Get the appropriate tools for maintaining your suit. If a suit is used daily, it should be brushed daily. That doesn’t only mean that you need to get a brush for it, but that there’s a specific brush for every kind of fabric. A garment steamer can also do wonders for your suit’s freshness.
- Make amends quickly: A small problem can become a huge one when untreated. Watch for moth holes, loose threads, loose buttons, etc., and get them fixed as soon as you spot them so that things won’t get worse.
My Butler is the go to mobile dry cleaning Sydney service. Get in touch with us today to book dry cleaning for your business suits.