Easy Care Wardrobe Maintenance

Suits and Dress Pants: With performance fabric garments the care and upkeep is the easiest of all, but the basics are essential no matter what type of fabric you happen to have. First is to properly hang up your garments after every wearing and this works much better when you have the proper hangars to get the job done. For every suit coat there should be a wider hangar to place the coat on to help it keep its shape between wearings. (See Picture) The lower bar should be used to fold your slacks in half along the creases, with the longer end containing the waistband. If this is not possible then up to 5-7 clip like hangars are the best solution. (See Picture) A slack hung up by the hems will give it the best chance to release the wrinkles and dry out to return to its original pressed appearance.

Storing your clothing in a dark area is best along with hanging satchels of cedar chips to aid in keeping moths, silverfish, and other pests at bay. Remember to avoid storing clothing sealed in plastic bags as this only promotes mold and mildew in your garment. Covering the shoulders in plastic or the garment in a breathable bag is best to keep them in presentable in a moment’s notice.

To keep dust and debris from accumulating it is especially important to have a clothes brush to briskly brush the garment in any area that appears to be dirty or dusty. If after brushing the garment, it still appears to be soiled then 2 options remain with the first being a “spot” cleaning and the second choice is to take it to a professional cleaner, depending on their availability in your area. A brief side note is to remember to always remove your clothes from their hangars before taking your garments to the cleaners. If you do not, you will probably never get them back, as they will get lost in the cleaning production process.

To spot clean the area you will need a small amount of degreasing soap (like “Dawn” dish soap or a product like L.O.C.), blotting towels and be at a sink. Using COLD water rinse the area of the spot and then apply a SMALL amount of soap to your finger and use it to scrub the spotted area. Rinse the spotted area thoroughly with COLD water and repeat the process if the spot/stain remains. Once the stain has been removed, completely blot the area with towels to get the fabric as dry as possible and then hang it back up. If the spot remains, then hang dry the garment and take it to a professional cleaner to resolve the stain.

Next, we will be talking about shirts…