Suits mean style, elegance, and professionalism and when washed properly, can result in compliments coming your way in the office. However, washing a suit isn’t as straightforward as it sounds and if you’re not cautious, you could end up ruining your suit. Let’s be honest, nobody wants to turn up in a meeting with a messy suit! To save you from having a bad day at the office, we’ve come up with a guide on dos and don’t of caring for your suit.
There are a lot of dry cleaning myths. Here are 10 of them, debunked.
Despite the name, dry cleaning doesn’t actually mean that your clothes are cleaned whilst dry. Dry cleaning is called as such because water isn’t used in the process. Instead of water, a chemical solvent, with a lower viscosity than water, is used because of its effectiveness at removing grease-based stains whilst minimally disturbing the fibres on clothing.
If your clothes are coming back from the dry cleaners smelling strongly of chemicals, it’s time to source a new launderette. The smell is a result of the solvent that replaces the water in the cleaning process not being left long enough to be completely removed. In addition, if your clothes have a lingering bad odour, it comes as a result of the launderette not using clean solvent. That means soil, sweat and anything else trapped in the fibres of your clothing is being redeposited rather than cleaned off. A good dry cleaner will always use clean solvent and know the appropriate time to leave the solvent in for in order to produce high-quality, clean clothing.
If you are consistently dry cleaning your clothes than the cost can begin adding up. If you are only dry cleaning the essentials, such as delicate items of clothing, or you build up a substantial amount of clothing, then dry cleaning is the most sensible option.
Despite the speculation that club soda can remove stains from clothes, it can actually end up doing more damage than good. Rather than using club soda, dab the stain immediately with a white napkin. For the best result, take your stained clothing to a dry cleaners and inform them of the stain and what has caused it. That way, they can ensure the best treatment is used and the stain is more likely to be successfully removed.
Continuously washing clothing will eventually wear out the colours and fibres of the item regardless of whether you use a dry cleaning service. Contrary to popular belief, dry cleaning your clothing will preserve your clothes for longer than using a regular wash. This is because dry cleaning solvent is lighter than water, and therefore travels through fabric in a much more delicate manner.
Many people leave their clothing in the plastic bags that their dry cleaning comes in. This is very bad for your clothing. The reason that plastic bags are used for your dry cleaning is to prevent your clothes from being dirtied post-laundering. As soon as you get your clothing home, it is recommended to immediately take your items out of the plastic to allow your clothes to breathe. Leaving your clothes in the plastic bags could trap humidity and allow stains to oxidise and make the clothes harder to clean.
If your suit is looking shiny it is not a result of getting it dry-cleaned. The shininess of a suit comes from the fiction of wearing it day after day. That being said, if your dry cleaner is not sufficient at pressing suits you may notice some marks left behind.
As previously mentioned, because of the lack of water used, dry cleaning is gentler on your clothing. This is not to necessarily say that all of your clothing needs to be dry cleaned to help them stay intact. We recommend that you always read the care label on your clothing. There are some items that are labelled “do not dry clean” because they have a protective layer coating the fabric. If these items are dry cleaned your clothing will not stay intact for long.
Care labels on clothing must be looked at so that you know how best to look after your clothing. More delicate fabrics, such as cashmere, will most likely come with a “dry clean only” label. It is always advisable to have delicate items of clothing dry-cleaned to avoid damage to the material, however, hand washing these items can sometimes work just as well. If you are hand-washing any delicate items remember to ALWAYS air dry your clothing to avoid damage to the fabric.
For many people, their wedding dress will be worn on their wedding day and never again. If there are no visible stains on the dress, you may not see any reason to get it dry cleaned. Regardless of whether you can visibly see any stains, you should ALWAYS get your wedding dress dry cleaned. There will be sweat, deodorant and body oil stains on your dress from wearing it all day. Over time, these stains will turn a yellowish colour that will completely ruin your dress. Having your special dress dry cleaned will prevent this from happening so should you, or anyone else, wish to wear it again it will be just like new.
Laundryheap is open for ALL of your dry cleaning needs. Simply head to our website or download the app to book your slot. We now offer a hot wash service and contactless delivery to limit the spread of Covid 19.
You splashed out a bit of money for a prestige suit and now you have to ensure it is well maintained or it won’t be worth the money you spent on it.
Follow these easy tips to make your suit last longer:
A key cleaning tip is to not have your suit dry cleaned regularly unless absolutely necessary. Instead, use a damp cloth to spot clean any dirty areas rather than the whole suit. A trip to the dry cleaners (or a scheduled pick up from Laundryheap) is suitable only when: a tough stain occurs, there’s visible dirt or built up odour.
The fabric on suits can accumulate particles of dust, dirt or lint from the environment which, if left over time, will cause damage to the fabric. Invest in a brush and occasionally use with a lint roller to remove the debris. Use in a careful, downward motion.
Do avoid using wired hangers. Stick to using a wooden or thick plastic hanger that will take the shape of the suit shoulders. This way, it will keep it in a good shape and promote longevity of the suit.
Always remember to hang your suit when you’re not using it!
Steaming is a great way to remove creases and wrinkles on suits. Unlike ironing, it’s a delicate method that won’t damage the fibres.
Caution: when steaming, avoid the chest area to maintain the shape of the internal canvas.
If you’re on the go and you need to carry your suit with you, use a garment bag to keep it in good shape. It’s easy to carry, light and breathable for your suit. Plus, you don’t have to fold it.
