An Easy Guide to Men’s Wardrobe Maintenance
Properly maintained clothes always look better than neglected expensive clothing. Sadly the idea of ironing, brushing, and repairing clothes is a foreign concept to many Indian men. Well-made garments can last for decades, and trust me protecting your wardrobe costs much less than buying replacement clothing every few years. This blog is all about the care required to maintain your clothing and footwear for decades.
Organize Your Closet
The wardrobe is not a piece of furniture, but a tool to organize your clothes. The key to deal with limited space is rotating clothing. If you are not going to wear something for next few months, fold it, pack it and store it. As a thumb rule, maintain at least half inch space between garments for airflow and ease of selection. You can arrange clothes by colours; organize them by category or hang them according to days too.
Get them cleaned
Notice a stain on your shirt? Spot clean at home against sending it to the dry cleaner (unless something is strictly dry-cleanable). Each garment has a set life span and dry cleaning unnecessarily shortens its life. Let the garment sit in a small tub of water for a few minutes and apply a right amount of detergent to spot clean. Beware of overdoing it though. In spring, when you plan on storing your woolens, wash them first. If you suspect any moth infestation, send them to the dry cleaners to get them cleaned. Clean the area where the clothing has been kept with an anti-bacterial spray.
Know How to Iron Clothes
Although non-iron fabrics are quite popular, they fail to appeal as much as freshly pressed ones. Iron pressed clothes not only look sharp, but they also add to the complete package of a well-dressed man.
Read the clothing labels and symbols before you put your clothes to iron test. Once iron is ready, turn your clothes inside out. Start with the collar and cuffs on a shirt; in case of the trousers, begin with the waistband. Start at a low temperature, and then go higher with cotton. As for wool, never let the iron touch the wool. Use a layer of cotton instead. Don’t forget to ensure that the base of the iron is clean.
Brush your Suits and Trousers
Proper wardrobe maintenance requires discipline. All it takes is 30 seconds. Use a clean double-sided brush to clean your clothes after each wearing. Brushing your trousers or suit jacket after each wear is an excellent practice to remove the dirt and food bits that attract insects. A clothing brush also takes care of dried up stains.
What else you need?
Apart from a double-sided brush, there are a few other must-haves that can be used as an arsenal for men’s wardrobe maintenance.
Wire hangers can permanently damage your clothing, especially woolen. Spend a little extra and purchase Wooden Hangers.
If you want to get more than a couple years out of your leather shoes, Wooden Shoe Tree is a mandatory purchase. They preserve the shape of the shoe and prevent the leather from premature cracking.
A Fabric Shaver sounds like a boring investment, but trust me, it’s definitely worth it. Ignore anyone who tells you to use a razor to remove lint; it can be too aggressive and might accidentally tear your favorite shirt.
Organize Your Closet
The wardrobe is not a piece of furniture, but a tool to organize your clothes. The key to deal with limited space is rotating clothing. If you are not going to wear something for next few months, fold it, pack it and store it. As a thumb rule, maintain at least half inch space between garments for airflow and ease of selection. You can arrange clothes by colours; organize them by category or hang them according to days too.
Get them cleaned
Notice a stain on your shirt? Spot clean at home against sending it to the dry cleaner (unless something is strictly dry-cleanable). Each garment has a set life span and dry cleaning unnecessarily shortens its life. Let the garment sit in a small tub of water for a few minutes and apply a right amount of detergent to spot clean. Beware of overdoing it though. In spring, when you plan on storing your woolens, wash them first. If you suspect any moth infestation, send them to the dry cleaners to get them cleaned. Clean the area where the clothing has been kept with an anti-bacterial spray.
Know How to Iron Clothes
Although non-iron fabrics are quite popular, they fail to appeal as much as freshly pressed ones. Iron pressed clothes not only look sharp, but they also add to the complete package of a well-dressed man.
Read the clothing labels and symbols before you put your clothes to iron test. Once iron is ready, turn your clothes inside out. Start with the collar and cuffs on a shirt; in case of the trousers, begin with the waistband. Start at a low temperature, and then go higher with cotton. As for wool, never let the iron touch the wool. Use a layer of cotton instead. Don’t forget to ensure that the base of the iron is clean.
Brush your Suits and Trousers
Proper wardrobe maintenance requires discipline. All it takes is 30 seconds. Use a clean double-sided brush to clean your clothes after each wearing. Brushing your trousers or suit jacket after each wear is an excellent practice to remove the dirt and food bits that attract insects. A clothing brush also takes care of dried up stains.
What else you need?
Apart from a double-sided brush, there are a few other must-haves that can be used as an arsenal for men’s wardrobe maintenance.
Wire hangers can permanently damage your clothing, especially woolen. Spend a little extra and purchase Wooden Hangers.
If you want to get more than a couple years out of your leather shoes, Wooden Shoe Tree is a mandatory purchase. They preserve the shape of the shoe and prevent the leather from premature cracking.
A Fabric Shaver sounds like a boring investment, but trust me, it’s definitely worth it. Ignore anyone who tells you to use a razor to remove lint; it can be too aggressive and might accidentally tear your favorite shirt.
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