Care Tips for Your Suit
How to care for you dress shirts
- Unbutton the buttons, including those on the cuffs and collars and take out the collar stays if the shirt has them and put them away (in a place you won’t forget).
- Pre-treat any stains, particular on the inside of the collar by carefully working a little detergent or stain remover into them.
- To minimize wear on a fine or lightweight dress shirt, use the Delicate cycle. If the shirt is made from a heavier fabric, or is particularly dirty you may opt for the Normal cycle. Whites and light colors can be washed in hot water. Dark colored shirts that you don’t want to fade should be washed with cold water. Take care not to include other laundry items with bold colors that may bleed into your shirts.
- Use a high quality detergent, that is appropriate to the color of the shirt. Be sure not to use any detergents or cleaners that are chlorine based as these will cause discoloration to many shirt fabrics.
- Once the wash cycle is done, let the spin cycle wring most of the water out of the shirts.
- Remove the shirts promptly from the washing machine, before the wrinkles dry into the shirts. Hang the shirts up or lay them out so that they can air dry. Be mindful of the hangers or clothespins your use - you don’t want to leave marks on the shirts.
- The best time to iron your shirts is when they are still slightly damp. If you’re ironing a dry shirt, you may need to use some steam on them. Iron the collar first, then the cuffs, followed by the body of the shirt and finally the sleeves.
- Suits should be dry-cleaned, however, limit dry cleaning to 2-3 times a year. Excessive dry-cleaning can take years out of a suit. Wool fibres have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties so your suits do not require frequent washing.
Here's how to best care for your suits
- After each wear, brush the suit off with a suit brush to get rid of any dirt, lint or hair on it. Work your way from top to bottom to ensure you haven’t missed a spot.
- If you’ve managed to drop something on your suit do a basic spot clean at home. Wipe the stained area with a damp cloth. Use a fabric cleaner if you need to but stay away from hot water as both heat and water weaken wool.
- To prolong the life of your suit, use a steam iron for getting the wrinkles out of it. Try to avoid using a flat iron as it will burn the fibres of the suit creating an undesirable sheen to the fabric. If you have to use a flat iron, use it on a low temperate and do not iron over the stitching.
- Suits need to be hung up in your closet. Try keeping them separate from other clothes and use wood or plastic hangers with rounded edges. This allows for the shoulders of the jacket to keep it’s shape and helps the suit to breathe. If you’ve been wearing the suit in a smoky or smelly environment, let it air for a few hours before putting it in the closet.
- Rotate your suits. Avoid wearing the same suit more than twice a week.
