When Dry Cleaning a Suit Is a Smart Idea (and When It’s Not)

Clothes are usually soaked in a solvent, such as perchloroethylene (perc), tetrachloroethylene, or trichloroethane. These chemicals have powerful cleaning properties, are compatible with most fabrics, and are not flammable.

The clothes are agitated to remove dirt and stains and then rinsed with a fresh solvent. The next step involves draining the solution and extracting it using a spin cycle. Finally, the garments are tumble-dried, and any remaining solvent is vaporized using warm steam. The process looks much like a regular washer and dryer, except the machines are more powerful, and water and detergent are replaced with a solvent.

Benefits of Dry Cleaning a Suit

Among the benefits of dry cleaning a suit is its ability to remove stains like oil and grease that are difficult to dissolve with a “wet” cleaning process.

Natural and delicate fibers dry-clean beautifully, but they can become distorted, shrink, and even lose their original color or shape when washed with water. Water can damage delicate fabrics by swelling and stretching the fibers, which changes their structure during the cleaning process.

In addition, using high heat and a water-based detergent to dissolve stains increases the likelihood of damaging the fabric.

Dry cleaning is the proper cleaning method for suits because it protects the fabric from water and heat damage. Furthermore, dry cleaning helps to prolong the life of garments by removing embedded dirt and stains that act as abrasives on the fibers.

Thanks to specialized pressing equipment, dry cleaning gives suits a wrinkle-free, soft, and new look using precautions to prevent texture change, color loss, and shrinkage.

When to Dry Clean Your Suit

Dry cleaning a suit is necessary on many occasions, but how often is it necessary? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. But here are some guidelines to help you determine if your suit needs a dry cleaning. Hanging in your closet:

• If food or drinks spilled on your clothes, they probably need to be cleaned before being stored. Stains, such as red wine or mustard, require prompt attention and should be taken to the cleaner the next morning. When stains remain on your clothes for a long time, they become more difficult to remove. Also, insects will begin to feed on food and drink stains, which will cause the fibers to weaken and break. Avoid at-home remedies like salt, soda, or water because you will likely damage the fabric.
• If you won’t be wearing your suit for a long time, clean it before storage, even if there are no stains on it. On average, we shed 30,000 dead skin cells every hour. Insects not only like to eat food and drink stains, but they also enjoy eating body oils and skin cells left on the fabric, which will eventually leave holes in your suit.
• Consider taking your clothes to the dry cleaner after returning from a business trip. Suitcases are not great storage places for pants, jackets, and shirts. And if your suit was exposed to contaminants, take it to a professional dry cleaner. Dirt and contaminants can shorten the life of clothes.

Rules for Not Dry Cleaning a Suit

• Don’t dry clean your suit every week or month. Remember, frequent dry cleaning can accelerate the deterioration of clothes.
• Don’t clean parts of the suit separately. Why? Because dry cleaning can cause a slight change in color. You don’t want your suit pants to be 1% brighter than your suit jacket.

Store Your Formal Wear Using Butler Luxury’s Proper Suit Hangers

Your suit spends more time in your closet than it does on your body. And what does it rest on for days, weeks, or months? Hangers. Hanging your suit improperly or using cheap hangers can ruin your clothes inside your closet.

A high-quality suit hanger features a thick shoulder section that is slightly curved forward, just like your shoulders. This feature provides luxurious shoulder support and helps the suit jacket retain its shape.

Butler Luxury offers a range of suit hangers to provide high-quality care for your clothes. Browse our online store for a great selection of wooden suit hangers carefully designed to provide support for the jacket, preserve the shape of the collar, and protect your suit.

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