Dry Cleaning and Laundry Tips

Suits - You may have a whole walk-in closet filled with them or just that one you only use in the most special of occasions. However many suits you own, you'll inevitably reach a point when you'll have to get them dry-cleaned. If you find yourself asking how often you should have your precious suits treated, you're in luck. We're going to break it down for you.

The short answer: not often.

To understand why, the following are some things you should understand about suits and dry-cleaning in general.

And if you want to learn more about proper care for your clothes, visit our dry clean and laundry service in a location nearest you.

Why are suits problematic to clean?

Aside from being expensive (probably the most expensive pieces of clothing men buy), suits are often made from delicate materials like wool and linen. That's the biggest reason most suits have labels that tell you to only dry-clean them.

However, just because you should dry-clean those suits doesn't mean you should do it often. In fact, it's okay for suits to be reused a number of times. For example, if your suit is made of wool, the creatine in it has anti-bacterial properties that help prevent the development of unwanted odors.

How does dry-cleaning work?

Don't let the name fool you, dry-cleaning isn't actually dry. However, instead of using water and detergent to clean your clothes, the process uses solvents. After your clothes have been soaked with solvent, they will then be dried, pressed, and ironed.

The thing is, those solvents are very potent. This means they take a toll on the fabric of your clothes. Having your suits dry-cleaned more often than absolutely necessary will increase wear and fade.

I'm confused. When should I get my suits dry-cleaned?

As a general rule, you have to get your suits dry-cleaned in case of stains and when odor builds up.

If you don't use your suit that much, opt to have it dry-cleaned 1-3 times a year.

Many online resources will tell you suits can be washed at home, or that certain homemade solutions can remove stains, but do you really want to risk your $1,000 suit?

You may also get the idea of acquiring solvents and risking a DIY dry-clean. It’s not a very good one. Aside from the possibility of failure, those solvents, if not handled correctly, can be harmful to humans and the environment.

Professional dry-clean services, like us, have well-trained staff and state-of-the-art equipment to make sure your suits are at their best when we return them.

Anything else I should know about caring for my suit?

After wearing your suit, you'll want to hang it somewhere where it can breathe. Choose a hanger that preserves the shape and contour of your suit, preferably one that's made of wood so it can absorb some moisture.

You should also use a breathable garment bag when you store your suit in the closet. We use biodegradable garment bags in our stores as a way to minimize our reliance on plastic. You can do the same.

If you wear suits to work daily, avoid wearing the same suit for consecutive days to give it time to breathe.

Get a suit brush and use it on your suit after every outing. This will prevent dirt and particles from building up on the fabric of your suit.

It's hard to beat the sharp look of a suit. Make sure you keep that look by avoiding stains, rotating your suits, brushing, and airing them out. If those don't work anymore, you can always call us here, or visit any of our stores. We'd love to help you.