How To Freshen A Suit Without Dry Cleaning? From its conception in the early 19th century to its current look in the 21st century, suits had been making gentlemen all over the world appear more expensive and attractive than they normally do.
However, despite its apparent connection with men’s masculinity, suits are actually one of the most delicate pieces of clothing that anyone could ever own and this is aside from the fact that well-made ones could potentially cost more than a thousand bucks.
Hence, it is pretty understandable that you should give your suit a lot of special care and attention if you want it to last as long as possible.
That is why most of the time, people just drop their suit at their local dry cleaners if they want to freshen them up instead of just dumping them into the washing machine as you would normally do with your other clothing.
However, according to experts, this is actually not a good idea and could potentially do more harm than good to your precious fabric.
Avoid dry cleaning your suit as much as possible.
Wait, isn’t it common knowledge that suits should only be dry-cleaned? Well, we hate to break this to you but dry cleaning your suit especially if you just want to freshen it up is like peeling fruit with a chainsaw.
Although it certainly gets the job done, there will surely be collateral damages such as making your suit lose its original luster or ultimately shorten your suit’s life span due to the wear and tear caused by the caustic chemicals used in dry cleaning.
Furthermore, suits are commonly made from wool which comes from animals, particularly sheep. I don’t know about you but I have never heard anything about dry cleaning a sheep to keep it fresh.
So how do you actually clean and freshen a suit without dry cleaning?
If you ask expert tailors, they will confidently tell you that the traditional way is still the best if you want to clean and freshen up your suit without damaging its delicate fibers. This way is known as the sponge and press technique which was already used since the remarkable Victorian era.
The said technique involves removing any stain or spot you see on the suit as well as lightly cleaning the whole suit entirely by hand without using any industrial chemicals. Then, to finish it all up, you simply do hand pressing while letting steam get into the fibers of your suit.
Although this sounds all well and good, the fast-moving world would not permit you to spend countless hours cleaning your suit like it’s the most precious thing in the world.
Advancement in science and technology allowed the invention of countless tools and equipment that can transform many hours into mere minutes or even seconds. One such invention is commonly known as the wondrous clothes steamer.
How to clean and freshen suits by using a clothes steamer?
As its name suggests, a clothes steamer is simply a device that releases a controlled amount of steam which you can directly apply to your clothes. Since steam is technically a gas, it would not wet your clothes too much and can give you most of the benefits that a usual dry cleaning session can do.
This includes killing odor-causing bacteria, dust mites, larvae, and any other nasty tiny things that might have stick to your suit. To clean and freshen your suit using a clothes steamer, simply put it in a clothes hanger and gently run over the clothes steamer all over your suit.
Just make sure that you thoroughly clean the suit while ensuring that you have not missed any spots before you turn it inside out so you can clean the insides as well.
If there are any stubborn stains or spots, you can use diluted white vinegar or just use water. Lightly dab a clean piece of cloth over the stained area until you soak up all of the remnants and moisture. All you need to avoid is rubbing the stain since it can cause it to spread further or even damage your suit’s fabric.
What if I don’t have a clothes steamer?
If this is the case, you can use your washing machine. I know, it sounds contradictory but if you have no other choice, then you can just wash your suit using the lowest setting of your washing machine. You must put your suit first inside a mesh bag and only use cold water for this.
Put as little detergent as possible or simply scrap the idea of putting it and just let the washing machine do its work. Finally, avoid using your dryer at all costs. The best way to dry your suit is by simply putting it in a clothes hanger and allow it to dry naturally or with the help of the sun.
Call a professional
If you have the means, you can simply call a professional suit cleaner to do all the work for you. This can save you a lot of your time and effort which you can use for other meaningful things that you actually want to do such as your hobbies.