Washing your suit yourself? Here's what you should keep in mind!
Typically, the garment needs to be dry-cleaned immediately so the stain can be completely removed and the trousers or jacket can be worn again. This not only costs time, but also nerves, and, above all, money. But that doesn't have to be the case. Washing a suit with our tips is faster, saves money, and, if used correctly, saves your stress.
Of course, cleaning a suit yourself always involves a certain amount of risk. However, it is possible to wash your suit in your home washing machine. As long as you follow a few important rules, this shouldn't be a problem. We'll explain how to get your jacket and trousers clean and presentable again without professional dry cleaning.
Pay attention to the care label
Before washing your suit for the first time by hand or in the washing machine, you should check the care label to find out how it should be cleaned.
The label inside the garment indicates the temperature and wash cycle for the garment. The cycles also vary in terms of spin speed. Below, we briefly explain the most important care symbols:
Special detergent protects the material
If your suit is made of new wool, you should use a wool detergent when washing it at home.
This protects the fabric fibers and contains no enzymes that can attack virgin wool. Natural fibers, such as the virgin wool mentioned here, but also silk, are attacked by the enzymes normally used in detergents and can therefore lose their quality.
Virgin wool is a very popular material for suits and jackets because it absorbs moisture and wicks it away, preventing sweat stains. Bugatti men's suits also contain a high proportion of breathable virgin wool or are made entirely from this fine material, reflecting the modern, casual business look.
Test fabric before washing
Before washing, you should test the detergent on an inconspicuous area. Some fabrics cannot be cleaned with water. Therefore, a test should be done on the inside of the trouser or sleeve hem to see if the fabric can withstand a light detergent solution and subsequent rinsing without leaving stains.
If a stain cannot be removed this way, the suit can only be cleaned at a dry cleaner's. If no visible stains or marks appear in the tested area, the suit can be safely exposed to water.
How hand washing differs from washing in a machine
Before the actual wash cycle, you should brush the individual parts of the suit with a suit brush to remove any coarse dirt, such as lint or hair. You can then choose either a regular hand wash or the hand wash program on your washing machine as the cleaning method.
Hand wash
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First, you should check the suit for stains. These can be removed with a lint-free cloth, such as a microfiber cloth, and then moistened with a solution of water and gall soap, for example. But please don't rub or scrub. The virgin wool will take offense.
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Now comes the actual washing process, which begins with filling a small washing tub. The water should be lukewarm. The wool detergent is completely dissolved in it. The suit is then soaked in the solution. However, you should avoid soaking for long periods.
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The water must then be drained and the suit rinsed several times with clean water until the detergent is completely rinsed out.
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Wrap the washed garment in a terry cloth towel and gently squeeze out the water. Don't make the mistake of wringing the garment out.
Washing program in the washing machine
Today's washing machines also have washing programs that are specifically tailored to the needs of individual fabrics and fibers.
Most washing machines have a wool or hand-wash program. To machine wash your suit , jacket, or trousers , follow these steps:
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Before putting the clothes in the washing drum, they should be closed so that they retain their shape.
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When washing in the washing machine, you should put a maximum of three items into the drum per wash cycle to avoid damaging the suit fabric.
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The washing program that is now selected should have a high water level, low spin speeds in the range of less than 600 per minute and a washing temperature of no more than 30 degrees Celsius.
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The suit should be removed from the washing machine immediately after spinning to prevent it from creasing.
Never put your suit in the dryer
To keep your suit or trousers in shape and prevent wrinkles, please note the following when drying:
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Tumble drying is not suitable for suits and trousers. The corresponding symbol on the garment label is therefore crossed out.
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You should hang your jacket and trousers separately. The jacket hanger should have wide, curved edges to allow the shoulder pads to retain their shape. Suit trousers should be dried on a towel on a clothes rack, ideally lying on top of one.
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It's best to stretch your jacket and trousers into shape before hanging them up. This will prevent wrinkles and ensure your suit fits properly. You should also fasten all buttons on your clothes beforehand.
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