Keeping Suits/Clothing Hygienic

Hi Fellas,

How do we keep our suits and other delicate clothing clean if we are supposed to refrain from washing/dry cleaning (to resist wear and tear)? With all my shirts and casual clothing, I never wear anything more than 2-3 times without throwing it into the washing machine. Underwear gets changed everyday. Is this not the norm?

It looks filthy when someone is wearing a light colored shirt and you can see sweat stains inside their collar which is far from stylish. I can even smell the difference if I don't wash my shirts after the second day (especially on warmer days).

I have read that hanging suits out to air after a day of wearing helps, but surely all the sweat and grime still builds up after a few weeks? Surely owning more pairs of suits would also help, but you would still eventually run out of suits and clothing racks to hang them?

Are all high class business men/entrepreneurs just dirtier than the casual down to earth guy? What are your thoughts on this?

Cheers,
Rob

Bump

Three points,

1) Wool is infinitely more resistant to sweat and grime than vegetable fabrics such as cotton;
2) Avoid making the armholes on your jackets smelly by using anti-perspirant and wearing disposable underarm shields inside your shirts (recommendation: Kleinerts);
2) Instead of dry-cleaning, use google to find a wet-cleaner in your area.

Originally Posted by lightsaber

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Three points, 1) Wool is infinitely more resistant to sweat and grime than vegetable fabrics such as cotton; 2) Avoid making the armholes on your jackets smelly by using anti-perspirant and wearing disposable underarm shields inside your shirts (recommendation: Kleinerts); 2) Instead of dry-cleaning, use google to find a wet-cleaner in your area.
agreed. Wear undershirts where possible, and ofcourse pay attention to the lighter fabrics for summer. Prevention is the key. Do everything possible to prevent sweat, etc from ever escaping your shirts into the jackets. You can fold length-wise a sheet of paper towel and stuff it between your shirt collar and your neck before leaving home. If you have to run for trains or buses, the paper towel will absorb sweat, and once you cool off, remove it. Your shirt collar will be preserved from grime just that bit more. Don't worry if some paper towel is visible while commuting. It makes a great conversation piece. Before you know it, everyone will be doing it. (hmm...could be a million $$$ idea there..stay fresh collar inserts) I concur also with Wet Cleaning. And also, no more than 2 wearings per shirt before laundering. You can also take a jacket outside and give it a good old-fashioned beating with a yardstick. Storage of your clothes is a factor too. Well ventilated, use cedar blocks, and rotate the clothes in the closet. Sorry for typing too much, i am very tired.

Thanks for the tips, good stuff.

I just hate it when you are in a crowded train on a hot day and can smell some people's body odour around you, never want to be one of them!

As for wool staying cleaner than cotton, why aren't shirts made out of wool too? Is it much warmer?

yeah I would assume so, wool is much more insulating than cotton, not to mention not as durable if washed repeated.

Not sure, anyone want to correct me?

Wool can actually be cooler than cotton depending on the type. Wool is more expensive however, and the better the quality the higher the cost. Wool has the ability to insulate/cool/stay clean far better than cotton. A lot of high-end bicycle clothing is wool (usually merino), and some cyclists go weeks without washing.

Get a home steamer. $50, gets rid of wrinkles, freshens up the fabric, would probably kill any smells, etc.

That being said, my suits don't really get that nasty I don't feel like.

I brush my suits with a Kent clothes brush after each wear. I also steam them regularly.

No more than 2 wearings for a shirt before washing? Are you out of your mind? You wear a shirt once, and then you wash it. This is not up for debate.

Originally Posted by Working Stiff

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No more than 2 wearings for a shirt before washing? Are you out of your mind? You wear a shirt once, and then you wash it. This is not up for debate.

I'm with you on this one. Tried to be more economical and wear shirts twice before a wash. Just cant do it!

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

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I'm with you on this one. Tried to be more economical and wear shirts twice before a wash. Just cant do it!
Same here. I wash my shirts after each wear, and it applies to both dress and casual shirts.

Originally Posted by Working Stiff

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No more than 2 wearings for a shirt before washing? Are you out of your mind? You wear a shirt once, and then you wash it. This is not up for debate.
I'm afraid it is!

You never wear a shirt more than once, yet you would wear a suit an infinite number of times? Where is the balance?

What about the damage/fading caused to a shirt/trousers by the washing machine? Not to mention most fine shirts/trousers even have their own rule sets when washing (no tumble drying, gentle cycles only, etc.)

Besides, how many people have you seen with the same shirt on for the ENTIRE week? And for the ones that you see who change their clothes everyday, how many do you think just switch it for another shirt in the ward drobe without washing it? Admit it!

2 wearings is ideal.

PS. I'm not too sure what brushing a suit does in terms of getting rid of odours/killing bacteria? It just removes hairs and lint?

Wouldn't brushing remove any soot/food/etc. and in effect help minimize those harmful factors as well keep the wool eating beasties away? Also, the act of brushing a suit aerate the clothing instead of putting the suit into a dark closet right away.

For shirts, I rather wash them after each use. It doesn't feel right especially since I wear without an undershirt. Imagine all that body oil, humidity, and darkness between you and the shirt.

Originally Posted by supastylin

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[/b]I'm afraid it is!

You never wear a shirt more than once, yet you would wear a suit an infinite number of times? Where is the balance?

What about the damage/fading caused to a shirt/trousers by the washing machine? Not to mention most fine shirts/trousers even have their own rule sets when washing (no tumble drying, gentle cycles only, etc.)

Besides, how many people have you seen with the same shirt on for the ENTIRE week? And for the ones that you see who change their clothes everyday, how many do you think just switch it for another shirt in the ward drobe without washing it? Admit it!

2 wearings is ideal.

PS. I'm not too sure what brushing a suit does in terms of getting rid of odours/killing bacteria? It just removes hairs and lint?

Why do you need a balance between the number of times you wear a shirt and the number of times you wear a suit? It's the other way around: if you always have a fresh clean shirt, you reduce the number of times you need to clean the suit.

Yes, it may be that washing your shirts wears them out, but if you only wear them once between washings a gentle wash is enough. It is when you wear them several times that you need higher temperatures. And you should hang dry them, not tumble.

I agree with previous speakers, shirts should only be worn once between washings!