How Many Times Should I Wear My Suit Before Dry Cleaning It?

This is one of those questions we are often asked, and unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a quick and easy answer.  The general guideline is after 2-3 wears, but in order to give you a complete answer, we’d need to ask you these questions:

• How long did you wear your suit?
• What was the weather?
• Where did you wear your suit?
• Did you take public transportation?
• Did you eat a meal while wearing it?
• Did you drop or spill something on it?

How often you need to clean your suit really depends on all these factors.  For instance, if you put on a freshly cleaned suit and wear it only 4 hours on a super-hot day, take public transportation, visit a restaurant with strong smells, and spill something on it, you really need to have it cleaned again before putting it away.  Likewise, you could get 3-4 full day wears if you simply wore it in a mild climate, at the office, and didn’t spill anything on it.  But there are more buts.

Below is a specific list of do’s and don’ts for caring for your suit :

• Never store your suit in the plastic dry cleaning bag; these bags are only designed to protect your suit until you get it home.
• When you put your suit in the closet, cover the shoulders with a paper or cloth dust cover.
• Store your suit on a good quality wooden suit hanger or on a strut hanger with shoulder guards so that the suit doesn’t become misshapen.
• If your suit doesn’t need to be cleaned after wearing it, make sure to empty the pockets and remove the belt before hanging it up.
• Immediately hang up your suit after wearing it.
• Never put your suit in the closet if it is damp; allow it to dry first.
• If you do spill something on your suit, it is best to have it cleaned right away. Stains get worse and more difficult to remove with time.
• If you wore your suit for a short period of time and it looks clean, but you aren’t going to wear it again for a while, go head and have it cleaned. Insects are attracted to and feed on the dirt and body oils on clothes.
• Be sure to clean all pieces together to ensure a uniform appearance.

Shores is an expert when it comes to cleaning men’s suits .  If you have a question or need help with your suit, feel free to stop by or call one of our three convenient locations.