You might not have a very pricey wardrobe but that doesn't mean you ought to neglect looking after your clothes while storing them away for the next use. Cautious maintenance goes a long way in looking after premature wear & tear & gives clothes a neat, well pressed look. After all, don't all of us dress to kill?
Here are ways to take care of the essential items in your wardrobe:
Suits & jackets
Always dry neat your suits. Since dry cleaning makes use of plenty of chemicals & can basically destroy the cloth, it is advisable to do this no over 3 times a year. On removing your jacket, brush it with a clothes brush & hang it straight away on a formed wooden hanger & button it up. Keep in mind to empty the pockets & pull out any flaps. Air the jacket by hanging it outside for some time & then keep it in a breathable garment bag. For an extended shelf life of the fabric, it is vital that you steam it every four months (in case you wear your suit often) by hanging it in the bathroom while walking a hot shower. You might have a shirt underneath but the jacket absorbs plenty of moisture as well, so permit 2-3 days in between each wearing.
Trousers & denims
Read the care instructions on trousers which specify whether the fabric needs a gentle machine-wash or hand washing. Empty the pockets & turn your trousers or denims inside out before washing which ensures less chances of the fabric fading. In case of a machine wash, remove trousers & denims immediately to prevent further creases. If the smoke & alcohol smell in your denims has not worn out after a wash, soak in a solution of water & detergent for a few hours.
Shirts
Gently hand-wash or machine-wash your shirts in lukewarm water to preserve the fabric, which means the dry cleaners are a strict no-no. Shirts ought to always look neat & crisp so starch them after every wash. Lovely quality cotton shirts don't need starching, so invest in a quantity of those to save time. To keep away from deodorant stains, spray it on yourself & let it dry before wearing your shirt. Iron your shirt when damp & check for any stains otherwise the heat from the iron can permanently fix a stain in to the fabric. An ink stain can only be treated chemically, so send it to the dry cleaners. For sauce, rinse with hard water & scrub. In case it is a obstinate sauce stain, soak in warm water with a small bit of vinegar. Rinse blood stains with cold salty water & then apply cold soapy water. Red wine stains are basically removed by rinsing well in cold water. Plastic hangers are ideal for hanging cotton shirts. No wire hangers . Cuffs & collars are most liable to getting soiled & frayed. Use a stain remover on these areas before putting it in to the washing machine in lieu of using a hard brush. Check for any missing buttons & replace them immediately although the shirt might go under your jacket.
Ties
Hang your ties on a rack or gently roll them up & neatly store them in a drawer to prevent wrinkling. To remove wrinkles in the tie, roll up the tie from the narrow finish first & leave it for a couple of days & the creases will disappear. To flatten out a crumpled tie by steaming, hang it in the bathroom while walking a hot shower or hold it over a pot of boiling water. Undo the knot after every wear otherwise it may cause permanent wrinkles. Do not wear the tie for four consecutive days as it needs time to retain its normal shape. A safe way of untying a knot is to reverse the tying procedure. Pulling the smaller finish through the knot may cause the tie to stretch out of shape. Avoid dry cleaning ties. Remove the knot before washing & retie the knot later. In case of an unclean spot, apply a small bit of cleansing remover on a white cotton cloth & neat from the outside of the spot towards its centre. Do not get any cologne on the tie as it can fade the color of the tie.
Sweaters
Shake out the sweater on removal to get rid of any dust & air it to remove body odor & moisture trapped in the sweater fibers. To air it, lay the sweater on a dry cotton towel away from sunlight. Never hang a sweater as it can pull the shape out of the shoulders. Remove any fuzz balls by cutting them with scissors than pulling them as it can destroy the fibers. When washing, check the sweater for the care label & follow the washing instructions- hand washing, machine washing or dry cleaning. Don't wring the sweater after a hand wash but gently roll it up in a dry towel to blot up excess water & place it flat on a towel to dry. Fold flat & store them using mothballs for protection. No matter how pricey the sweater, never store it in a plastic bag as this builds up moisture.
Shoes
Remove the dust using a soft cloth no matter how worn out you are after pulling them off & polish your shoes often. A lovely time to polish would be soon after you have taken them off as they are still warm from wear & the leather absorbs the polish more basically. Since your feet stay on the ground most of the time, keep checking the soles & heels for wear & get them fixed. Keep spare shoestrings & often wash the white ones. Sneakers can be dumped in the washing machine. don't spin dry them. Store shoes on a rack. To prevent wrinkled uppers & curling toes, place shoe trees in your shoes before storing them away.
Follow these simple guidelines & you'll be looking lovely without wasting plenty of money shopping for a very long time to come.
