Washing Machine or Steamer? A Man's Guide to Cleaning a Suit

Most men own a suit, but do most men know how to own a suit?

Specifically, do they know how to properly care for the suits in their closets? 

More often than not, they don’t - and they’re either flying by the seat of their pants or going by bad advice someone else has given them.  

Taking care of a suit is an art and a science, and there are certain rules that you should know.

In order to keep your suit looking its best for years to come, and to avoid costly mistakes, we’re going to show you do’s and don’ts when it comes to cleaning a suit and performing general maintenance for one of the most foundational pieces of a man’s wardrobe.

The True Cost of Owning a Suit

When you purchase a suit, you need to think about how you are going to store it and hang it. You also need to think about how much it is going to cost to maintain that suit over its lifetime.

You need proper suit hangers, to start, and this is integral to preserving the integrity and life of your suit. Those made by Butler Luxury, for example, not only help you preserve your investment but also provide the support your suit needs to maintain its structure.

Rules for Cleaning a Suit

Depending on how often you wear your suit, your cleaning regimen will be different but, in general, some light maintenance should normally prevent most problems with your suit.

Rule 1: Inspect Your Suit After Usage

Along those lines, another big issue is that men don’t inspect their suits after wearing them. This inspection could help you spot stains and wear early. That means you can get it repaired before it becomes a bigger issue. 

Rule 2: Brush Regularly

Regular brushing of your suit is a must. This loosens any accumulated dirt and forces you to examine it after wearing it. Remember what we said about spotting problems before they become bigger issues? Here’s a great opportunity to do just that.

Rule 3: Spot Clean - Sparingly

One of the biggest mistakes that men make when cleaning a suit is trying to remove a stain on their own. Due to the fabric used to make most suits, trying to remove a stain using store-bought materials and your own know-how could not only ruin your suit but it could make it beyond repair. After all, a dry cleaner is not a miracle worker and a tailor cannot repair discolored fabric easily.  

If you know what you’re doing, then none of this should be a problem, but most people don’t. The issue that you will face time and time again with a do-it-yourself approach is that you’ll cause damage you didn’t intend.  

We recommend spot cleaning only when the stain is minor and not ingrained into the fabric. If you notice that the fibers underneath the stain are dyed by the stain, then it might be a little too much for you to handle. Most light stains will come out with some light brushing and cleaning.

Rule 4: Use a Steamer - But Have a Storage Plan Afterwards

Steaming a suit works great for removing wrinkles or blasting out a surface stain. Just don’t expose them to large amounts of liquid or water vapor in any form. Using excessive steam can introduce problems with the fabric’s integrity. Keep the treatment localized and thoroughly air dry the spot afterward with cool air if possible. Hot air could damage the fabric of your suit. 

In addition, If you do not store your suit properly after steaming, mildew can appear on your outfit! You want to keep them in a semi-cool environment without a lot of light.  

This ties in with another huge issue that men have with their suits and that is the hidden or invisible damage done to them every time you wear them. Again, as we said in the beginning, not using proper suit hangers can have a huge impact on the structure of your suit. Putting them on poorly fashioned hangers that aren’t up to the job can result in degradation of the make and construction of the suit as a whole.

Rule 5: Keep the Dry Cleaner As a Last Resort

You should be wary of having your suits dry cleaned frequently. Dry cleaning is, at best, an annual event for your suits and we recommend you try to keep it to a minimum for even your most heavily trafficked items. Dry cleaning strips the fibers of their natural wools and makes them more susceptible to wear and tear.  

So, when to take a suit to a dry cleaner? A good rule of thumb is that, when it is beyond your abilities, you should consult with the professionals. There are a myriad of reasons for this but chief among them is that they are less likely to screw up the job. It’s that simple.

Being penny-wise, but pound foolish, is an expensive venture when it comes to men’s suiting.

That’s why we advise letting your dry cleaner take a look if you can’t do it yourself. Just refrain from making this cleaning option a regular habit! Not all solutions involve a full dry cleaning. Some stains and issues can be handled with other methods.

Trust Butler Luxury For All Your Suit Care Needs

If you’re one of those men who treasure his suits and want to take better care of them in the future, then you should consider suit hangers from Butler Luxury.

Designed for both mens’ and womens’ suits, each hanger is crafted from the finest materials and designed with the consumer in mind. These suit hangers will help you maintain the integrity of your sartorial collection for years to come.

Visit Butler Luxury’s online store today to learn more!

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