« Can I Spot Clean A Dry Clean Only Item? | Home | Testimonial from Mark Cooper »
Can I Hand Wash a Suit?
Question; I was wondering whether I should take my olive green cotton suit in for dry cleaning or I can wash it by myself by hand and how? Lining is half rayon, half polyester. Should I expect some shrinking?
Answer; The answer to your questions is yes, yes and yes.
Yes you should take it to a dry cleaner to have your suit cleaned. A suit is a prestigious garment and should be done professionally.
Yes you can hand wash a cotton suit with a rayon and polyester lining. A few things to keep in mind if your going to hand wash this suit, first; a cotton blazer and a cotton pant will be extremely difficult to iron at home with out professional equipment, second; if the color is a dark color be careful not to fade it, excess agitation, high alkaline soaps and heat will cause color loss, third; rayon is a wood pulp fiber and will turn stiff when wet so it will not with stand much agitation.
The last yes, there is always a chance of shrinkage when you introduce moisture, 3% shrinkage is acceptable in textile industry.
The Secret Procedure:
If you are determined to hand wash your suit then follow this process:
- suit than hand wash in cold water
- use a pH neutral soap like ECOS
- rinse multiple times to remove all soap residue
- roll garments in a bath towel to remove excess water, do not make excess wrinkles in garments
- hang to dry
- iron while damp.
Having said all this I would not recommend you washing your suit. If you are concerned about the solvents in dry cleaning than I would suggest you looking for a certified green dry cleaner that uses a water base “Wet Clean” cleaning system.
Good Luck
Karl Huie
Pacific Heights Cleaners in San Francisco and Sausalito
is your resource for cleaning tips and garment care information.
A Certified Bay Area Green Business
Other Articles of Interest:
Techniques Used For Stain Removal And Cleaning.
Stain Removal Products and Tips
What water temperature do I use for washing clothes? Hot-Cold or Warm?
Reducing Shrinkage
Topics: Cleaning Tips/Garment Care, Information - Main Page | No Comments »