Suits are great investments that require a certain amount of care. It seems that men are continually making the mistake of cleaning their suits too often – especially those that are new to the world of custom suits. So, whether you are a regular suit aficionado or just trying out your first new suits, it is important to know how and when to clean your garments.

WHEN TO DRY CLEAN YOUR SUIT

There are no written rules on when to dry clean your suit; it all depends on how much you wear your suit or how dirty it gets on the occasion that you do wear it out. When odours and stains become too visible and difficult to get rid of on your own, it’s time to visit a good dry cleaner.

Airing out your suit and simply spot cleaning your garment with a damp cloth are great ways to get rid of stains and odours. When these methods prove unsuccessful, take your suit to a trusted dry cleaner that is proficient in handling custom and high-quality garments.

Remember: dry-cleaning is a chemical process – whether or not it’s organic – and has an affect on the cloth of your suit. Perchloroethylene (a colourless dry cleaning liquid) or any other chemical used to clean your garment will start to degrade the natural fibres and give your suit a worn out look if over cleaned.

THE BEST DRY CLEANERS IN TORONTO

There are a number of dry cleaners across the city, but many of them don’t know how to clean a custom garment or don’t take appropriate measures in caring for a quality piece of clothing. When looking for a good dry cleaner, ask your tailor for a recommendation and do a little research on which businesses are worth handing over your suit too.

Garrison Bespoke is a regular customer of CREEDS in Toronto, which specializes in quality and couture service dry cleaning. For other notable businesses in the city, check out blogTO’s list of The Best Dry Cleaners in Toronto.

Remember: Always ask your dry cleaner whether your suit will be dry cleaned in- house or if it will be shipped to another location. It’s important to keep a receipt of all the garments you’re placing in their trust so that nothing get’s misplaced or compromised.

For men who prefer cleaning their suits – or don’t like the idea of dishing out hundreds of dollars a year on dry cleaning, – refer to home cleaning methods here.

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR SUITS CLEAN WITHOUT DRY CLEANING

1) Regularly brush your suits to remove excess dirt or build up.

2) Air out your suits to help reduce the build up of odours and wrinkles – remember to use a wooden hanger and empty all pockets!

3) Store your suit with other quality garments. If necessary, use a cloth covering over your suit to protect the fabric and allow air circulation.

4) If there is a spill or stain on the fabric, immediately soak a white cloth with warm water or soda water and rub as much of the content off as possible

5) To remove wrinkles quickly, use a steam press your suit on low heat. If you have a little more time, hang your suit near a steam shower to reduce wrinkles.

If you’re the type of man that only wears a suit once in a while, cleaning the suit might not actually be necessary – unless there are visible stains and the suit is in desperate need of a good pick-me-up. The trick to keeping a suit in the best possible shape is to not over clean the material, which will prevent pilling and rippling and, ultimately, prolong the life of the suit. Happy cleaning!

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Head into Garrison Bespoke and ask one of our stylists for more tips on how to clean your custom suits!