Stain removal as it pertains to dress shirts, silk neckties, and wool suits or blazers is an essential and unavoidable chore whenever it may happen. There are a few simple ways to reduce stains on your dress clothes in the first place, as well as how to deal with stains that you might commonly encounter.
An Ounce of Stain Prevention on Fabric...
There are a few easy tips to remember whenever you suit up that should help you avoid some truly nasty stains:
- Remove your tie while eating: This is really an essential point to make. While some people may hold the pretence that this is highly gauche, it is extremely practical and will save your tie a great deal of trouble. Simple loosen the knot of the tie, roll it up, and place it in your breast pocket. Ties are most commonly ruined in this fashion. If removing your tie isn't your style, however...
- Use a tie clip: Not hard to understand. Purchase a bright silver, stainless steel, or gold tie clip – also known as a tie bar by some. Quality ones can be had between twenty-five and fifty dollars or so.
- Never raise a drink above your head: This holds whether you're drunk or stone sober – one simple slip during a toast and the drink is coming down on that brand new suit jacket. Plus, suits look quite foolish and awkward when one raises their arm well over their own head!
How to Remove Tough Stains on Dress Shirts, Ties, and Suits
There is good news and bad news in terms of this discussion, depending on the severity of the stain as well as the article of clothing the stain is present upon.
- Neckties: The most difficult article of clothing to remove a stain from. If your tie is darker coloured (black, burgundy, navy, charcoal, brown) you have a much better chance for relative recuperation. Brightly coloured ties (white, neons, aqua, yellow, cornsilk) are in big trouble in most cases. Try using a Tide pen on darker coloured ties, though little odds of success can be offered for brighter garments. Dry cleaning is the only real solution, and even then the dry cleaning process can stain or damage ties in certain cases. Regardless of how well the necktie is dry cleaned to remove the stain, the silk of the necktie will be pressed flat and the tie will assuredly never gain it's initial volume.
- Dress shirts: Most stains should be attacked immediately via a combination of ice cold water and mild soap or fabric detergent such as Shout. A basin or a clean sink is appropriate for a prewash, followed by a cold water cycle in the washing machine.
- Wool Suits, Topcoat, and Blazers: Wool garments are typically dry clean only – although some garments are now advertising that they are machine washable this course of action is not recommended unless they are casual workpants – in which case the deterioration of the finish is not an issue. It should also be noted that wool suits and topcoats should be dry cleaned as infrequently as possible, as the dry cleaning process does place a great deal of stress and wear upon the fabric of the garment.
The good news is that – barring a disastrous and fatal meeting between a splash of plum Marechal Foch and a designer silk necktie – most stains can be gotten rid of if you act immediately to remove the stain with a gentle solvent and a quick wash. The longer you wait, the worse your odds of removing the stain as it begins to set. Act quickly and spare your wardrobe – and your pocketbook – any undue pain and frustration!
Nicholas Morine - Nicholas Morine Bachelor of Arts, English Language & Literature Master of Philosophy, Humanities (Candidate) Memorial University ...
