Oct 16, 2019

How to Clean A Men's Suit

When you invest in a suit, you want some assurance that it’s going to last awhile. Knowing how to clean a men’s suit properly plays a significant role in this! By now, you probably realize you can’t exactly throw a suit in the wash and expect it will come out right. So how do you take care of your men’s suit the right way without spending too much money on dry cleaning bills? Here are some tips for making that happen.

Spot Cleaning: Tips and Tricks

The first step is to address any issues with your suit as soon as you see them. This is known as “spot-cleaning,” and it can save you major headaches before a stain sets in. Using a damp, cool washcloth, tackle the spot at its source.

Steam Your Suit

The next step in cleaning your suit is pressing it, also known as relaxing the fibers, to ensure that it’s free of wrinkles. If you don’t have a clothes steamer, you can turn on the hot water in your bathroom shower, hang the suit within, and leave the doors closed. But, if you find this wasteful, you can always opt for a hand steamer. These are typically inexpensive—much less so than the suit itself—and will help ensure that you have a clean, wrinkle-free suit once you’re finished with your spot cleaning.

When You Can Wash a Suit

Here’s a tip you don’t often hear every day: suit trousers can often be washed. Not by hand, and not by spot-cleaning, but by simply throwing them in the washer along with similar clothes.

The key here is to read the label of your trousers and ensure that they can take a fairly intense washing cycle. For example, what is the material made from? Something like our Performance Dress Khakis are going to be much more durable in the wash thanks to their 100% cotton construction.

You’ll want to be careful about how you dry your suit pants in particular. If you feel that it’s too risky to even put them in the dryer, you may simply use the more delicate steaming process to ensure that the wrinkles relax away.

Reading Clothing Wash Labels

The wash symbols on your suit labels can sometimes be a bit confusing, but these are two rules that you should really keep an eye out for when washing your suit:

Use the “gentle cycle” for wool or silk, paying special attention to the temperature of the water that you’ll be cleaning with.
Permanent press icons will tell you whether you can iron your clothes. For example, you often should not iron clothes that have been treated with chemicals to increase their resistance to stains. If you do iron them, it will damage those chemicals, hence damaging the underlying fabric.

Shop Berle Today!

Knowing how to clean a men’s suit the proper way will help to extend its lifespan. But really, it starts with a knowledge of your clothes. We invite you to get familiar with the suit clothing here at Berle, including tailored trousers, casual pants, and our famous Charleston khakis. Our selections will allow you to truly look your best for any occasion.