Tips for maintaining your suit to keep it looking as good as new
There are two forms of maintaining suits: daily maintenance and professional maintenance. We should maintain our clothes every day and also know where to obtain professional maintenance services.
If you take good care of it, your suit can even last you for more than ten years while still remaining in excellent condition. Moreover, it will look and feel better than a brand-new piece of clothing.
Daily maintenance
1. Take turns to change clothes. Don't always wear the same one.
Just like shirts and shoes, suits also need "recovery time". Therefore, it is recommended to prepare 2 to 3 sets of suits and alternate between them for wearing.
Here is a simple trick that can easily cause your suit to distort. Many people have fallen victim to it:
If you pay close attention, you will notice that many suits have pocket towels placed in the chest pocket, while the other pockets are left empty. Putting things in the pockets not only makes them look bulky and unattractive, but also, over time, it can cause the pockets to deform.
If there are items such as keys or mobile phones that must be put in, be sure to take out all the contents from your pockets after returning home.
2. Clean promptly after wearing and keep the garment well-ventilated.
Dust and stains are the biggest enemies of suits, causing the fabric to lose its luster.
Therefore, after wearing a suit all day, first use a soft-bristled brush to remove the dust, then place it in a spacious, well-ventilated area to allow sweat to evaporate and any lingering odors to dissipate. Remember to brush gently in the same direction, this will ensure the fabric follows the same direction.
Key areas to clean:
1. Around the collar/shoulder: Dandruff;
2. Behind the collar/trouser hem: Dust;
3. Areas prone to shine (elbows/sleeves/waist of suit jackets, knees/hips of trousers): Before they become shiny, gently brush along the fabric's texture to prevent this.
3. Hanging storage
After airing out the clothes, hang them in a well-stocked closet. Do not leave them on a chair, as this will cause wrinkles and odors.
A suit jacket requires a special hanger that conforms to the shoulder line. It's recommended to choose a wide-handled, rounded suit hanger so it doesn't distort the shoulder shape when hung. Narrow-handled hangers are difficult to support a suit jacket and should be avoided if possible.
For suit trousers, use a trouser hanger to hang them upside down. The weight of the trousers will easily remove any bulging knee wrinkles.
Another common method is to hang the trousers with the legs crossed under a hanger. This saves space and helps maintain the crease and shape of the trousers. After removing them from the hanger, simply lay them flat for a few minutes to restore their original shape. A quick ironing of the creases with a garment steamer will further improve the results.
4.Remove stains and spots
If stains or spots appear on your clothes, be sure to remove them as soon as possible. Try gentler methods first, testing the detergent on inconspicuous areas of the garment (such as the inside of the sleeves or side seams). You can also try immediately immersing the garment in cold water after getting a stain, then blotting it dry with a clean cloth; this might work wonders.
5.Remove wrinkles
After taking off your suit, simply use your hands to smooth it out evenly in multiple directions and hang it naturally for a while to eliminate ordinary wrinkles. If the wrinkles are more difficult to remove, you can try ironing, especially on areas that are prone to wrinkles, such as elbows, knees, sleeves, and waist.
In general, you should avoid ironing clothes as much as possible. Ironing causes abrasion, smooths and shines fabrics, and breaks fibers, especially in wrinkled areas. As an alternative, you can try a garment steamer, or even hang your clothes in the bathroom while showering.
Due to the characteristics of their fabrics (especially glossy fabrics), suits tend to develop a shine over time, particularly around the elbows, knees, and hips. Therefore, it's advisable to have several suits to change into frequently to prevent this shine. If a suit already has a shine, prepare a basin of water with a few drops of vinegar. Dampen a towel with the vinegar and rub the suit in one direction several times to remove the shine. (These are just simple tips for removing shine. If the shine is severe, it's recommended to take it to a professional dry cleaner.)
Professional maintenance
Professional maintenance is another matter entirely. Tailor shops, laundromats, and dry cleaners are indispensable places for garment care. When your suit develops problems that you can't solve at home, remember to seek their help.
For dry cleaning, it's recommended to find a professional and reliable shop. They can provide professional care for suits and reduce the possibility of damage to the fabric. Frequent dry cleaning is not advisable; once or twice a year is ideal.
There's a common misconception about suit cleaning: the more frequently you wash it, the better.
Generally speaking, spots, stains, wrinkles, and a little dust do far less damage to clothing than over-cleaning. Unless in extreme cases, don't wash your suit after every single wear. The chemical solvents used in cleaning and the ironing process can damage the fabric fibers, leaving it shiny, flat, and lifeless.
Some say clothes are like friends, growing closer with time. Both clothes and friends need careful handling, respect, gentle treatment, and love.
If even a small rift arises, remember to address it promptly; otherwise, an irreparable rift may form, inevitably leading to heartbreak.
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