Cleaning and sanitizing suits have never been so important. It is essential, though, especially if you have children or newborns at home. Adequate hygiene and spotless care keep germs and bacteria away, and your garments will last better and longer.

Here are some safe and easy tricks to keep your suits, jackets, and trousers clean and good looking.

Brushing

30 seconds and a natural bristle brush is all you need in order to keep your garments clean and dry-clean them half as often. This simple trick removes dirt before it settles between the threads of the fabric.

How can you keep a clean, unclogged fabric? Easy! Hang your jacket and slowly brush it from top to bottom, according to the fabric threads’ direction. Layout your trousers and do the same.

How often should you do that? Possibly every day, after you take your clothes off.

Washing

A brush can do nothing against viruses, bacteria, and spots. Machine-washing a suit is quite the barbaric thing to do, though: you’d better take your garment to a trusted dry-cleaner whenever you have the chance.

How often should you wash your suit?

Dry-cleaning is possible thanks to corrosive chemicals, therefore it is advisable not to do it more than once every two months. In order to prevent a mismatched fading of the colors, it is also important to dry-clean trousers and jackets at the same time.

How to wash a suit

Always check the label to see how you should launder your suit and what temperature the water must be. The three most recommended washing methods are the following:

Hand-wash

When you can’t, or prefer not to, go to a professional cleaner or use the washing machine, you can do it at home. Remember to follow the instructions and prefer natural products such as vinegar, lemon, and sodium bicarbonate.

We advise you not to do this on a regular basis, though, as such ingredients aren’t suitable for every fabric, and they can damage your suit in the long run.

Machine-wash

Hand-wash is not advisable, but machine-wash is even worse. Actually: consider it forbidden! Even if you don’t run the spin cycle, a machine-wash is still likely to alter the fabric’s threads and compromise the shape of your suit.

Dry-clean

Dry-clean is a full-fledged cleaning. Instead of water, a chemical solvent is used to clean and sanitize your suit. Dry-cleaning is the best option if you want to sanitize a men’s suit. However, remember that chemicals are employed, that can damage the fabric of a tailored-suit in the long run. It is therefore advisable not to dry-clean your suit too often.

How to freshen up your suit without washing

You shouldn’t wear a suit – especially your favorite one – more often than twice a week: the fabric threads need time to breathe, and the small creases will flatten out if you just hang your suit leaving both sides free to air. Less than 24 hours later your suit will look like new, and you’ll be able to wear it again.

Sanitize

Are you wondering how to sanitize your suit? First, we’d like to mention an important detail: sanitize and sterilize are two different things. Sanitize means that mild germs and bacteria are removed; sterilization means killing any living organisms, viruses, spores, and nematodes included. Sterilization can be achieved only through appropriate equipment and machinery.

If you need to sterilize your suit because of a serious disease other than flu or conjunctivitis, your best option is to contact professionals who will treat your garment with ultraviolet light in order to kill all bacteria.

You can find many resources online, and learn how to sterilize clothes and eliminate fungi and viruses using sodium bicarbonate, Purell, spray sanitizers, or machine-wash above 60°C. Such tricks can’t be used on every garment, though, especially if your suit is tailor-made and the fabric is fine.

Ironing

A vertical steamer is the best way to iron your suit. Steam is at 100°C and it is an excellent sterilizer. Most viruses and bacteria that survive high-temperature washings will be killed by steam. Buying a vertical steamer means making a small investment, however, it guarantees perfect ironing and deodorization at any time.

A traditional iron is obviously the most common option. A small but important trick: always put a thin cloth between the iron and your suit’s fabric. The fabric will be protected from the high temperature of the iron, preventing that unrefined shiny look.

The last option is a special trick for people who travel a lot. The ironing won’t be perfect, so keep it for a real emergency. Hang your suit in the bathroom, then open the hot water faucet and close the door. Thanks to the steam, creases on the suit will flatten out and your suit will soon regain its shape.

Hanging

Whenever you don’t wear your suit, don’t leave it abandoned and crumpled on a chair. Always hang it. A cedar wood coat hanger is the best choice because it keeps your suit in shape, it soaks up humidity, and keeps moths away.

A garment bag

A garment bag is a perfect solution, and not only when you’re traveling. Store your suit in a garment bag even when you’re home. Leave the zipper slightly open. Your suit will be protected from moths, mites, mold, and dust, and you’ll be able to wear a clean suit, as fresh as if you had just collected it from the laundry!

In short: how to clean your suit

Brush your suit daily and store it in a garment bag. We recommend a trusted dry-cleaner for the cleaning and sanitizing of your tailor-made suits. Remember not to dry-clean your suit too often, as dry-cleaning can wear the fabric out in the long run, and make it shiny. Each suit shouldn’t be dry-cleaned more often than six times a year.

You’re now ready to take perfect care of your suit. Choose your customized Baker & Reed tailored suit.