ExecStyle | Garment Care Guide

MEN'S GARMENT CARE GUIDE

Here are some tips on caring for your wool garments:

Brush your garments frequently with a soft but firm bristled brush to remove the dust that collects between the fibres.
Hang your clothes where they can breathe, after wearing. Wool needs air to help it spring back into shape.
Give your wool garments a 3 day rest after wearings. This will help them shed wrinkles and allow the garment to regain its original shape. This rest will help avoid dry cleaning and keep your garment feeling new much longer.
Store your clothing carefully. Suit jackets should be hung on good hangers that support the shoulders well and allow the jacket to drape without any creases. Do not squash your clothing in your closet, give it breathing room and don't enclose your wool garments in bags that do not breathe. You may cover the shoulders with a plastic covering, where most dust accumulates, but ensure the garment can breate.
Gently spot clean any small stains with a little warm water or touch of gentle soap on a wet wash cloth. Blot the soap out with the same wash cloth always using very minimal gentle action. You may use a spot cleaning agent but ensure the insructions recommend its use on your type of fabric as well as the stain in question. Always test a spot remover on a piece of the fabric which is not in a visible location.
While it is important to professionally dry-clean your wool garments when needed, do not overdo it or substitute a dry-cleaning when a pressing will serve your needs. Dry-cleaning will age your garment over time and can if overdone, break down the fusing used in most of today's suits. Improper dry-cleaning can shrink a garment or parts of it, can discolour or dissolve fibres and can render your garments dirtier rather than cleaner. Be careful to choose a reputable dry cleaner and clean only when necessary. Bring your clothing to the dry cleaner the night before and request that your clothes be cleaned in the first load the following morning. This will ensure that cold dry-cleaning solvent will be used which will reduce the risks of dry-cleaning.

COTTON AND COTTON BLENDS

To get the longest wear out of your washable cotton or cotton blend garments follow these simple instructions:

Avoid laundries. To increase their throughput they use destructive chemicals, extremely hot water, excessive mechanical action in the drying process and exremely high pressure in the pressing process. The result loss of colour, greater shrinkage, separation of fusing in the collars of shirts, much more rapid wear and broken trimmings such as buttons.
For long life, a supple feel and reduced shrinkage cotton products should be washed in cool water and hung to dry. The heat and mechanical action of the dryer will shrink and wear out your clothing much more rapidly.