How often do you dry clean suits/trousers?

Sunbed

Sunbed

Sunbed

Soldato
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Thankfully I don't have to wear a suit to work but I do wear wool suit trousers. I have two pairs which I alternate, and I dry clean them both every 2/3 weeks. So I get about 5-8 wears for each pair.

Do you think this is enough? Dry cleaning is expensive so if I thought it was OK to get another week or so out of them then I would.
 
You only wear them 5-8 times before buying replacements? I wouldn't bother getting them dry cleaned at all then.
 
And this is why I hate dry clean clothes. I always buy washable trousers for work and they get a wash after 2/3 wears. Dry cleaning would get too expensive.

My old boss had pretty much dry clean everything and would only wear anything once before his cleaner took his clothes to the dry cleaners most days. But you can do that when you're a millionaire.

I'm not sure I'd want to wear the same pair of trousers for 8 times without a wash.
 
Greebo said:
And this is why I hate dry clean clothes. I always buy washable trousers for work and they get a wash after 2/3 wears. Dry cleaning would get too expensive.

My old boss had pretty much dry clean everything and would only wear anything once before his cleaner took his clothes to the dry cleaners most days. But you can do that when you're a millionaire.

I'm not sure I'd want to wear the same pair of trousers for 8 times without a wash.
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Dry cleaning once a day seems ridiculous, and would undoubtedly age the fabric more rapidly.

Wool doesn't trap smells/moisture like poly/cotton blends so you can get away with wearing them for a lot longer before cleaning.
 
Googling suggests that so long as you brush and air your dry clean wool suits on a regular basis you should only dry clean the absolute minimum when you either have a stain or the airing won't remove the smell. Perhaps once a year if you have a proper routine for looking after your clothes.
 
Greebo said:
.... But you can do that when you're a millionaire.
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You can light a cigar with a £20 note too, but in my view, it's equally daft, even if you can afford it. It's conspicuously ostentatious, and in my view, unnecessary. I'd also say it's more to do with personal issues than being a millionaire, though I guess wealth enables impulses that others can't afford.

As for "how often", for me, there's no simple answer. I tend to get suit trousers and jackets washed/dry-cleaned as and when I feel they need it. I always buy at least two or three pairs of trousers per jacket, so can rotate. By the time the trousers need cleaning, so does the jacket.

But I generally avoid suits unless the situation requires it, so it's mainly just meetings and/or business dinners. A "wear" might be an hour for a meeting, rather than 8 or more hours in a busy office, or shop or whatever. So my suit trousers don't get heavy wear, and I buy fairly good quality in the first place, and they hold up well.

I think all I can say is "when they need it", and when that is will depend on hour long your day is, what kind of work you do, how much your 'perspire' and frankly, how fastidious your standards are.
 
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Sunbed said:
... so if I thought it was OK to get another week or so out of them then I would.
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Well, in that case, I'd suggest care and attention to how you store suits you aren't wearing. It can substantially extend the period between necessary cleaning.

First, always, always "air" a suit before putting it away. Even a hour hung up in an airy space allows many odors (cigarette smoke, etc) to dissipate, and also, to not stink up the rest of your wardrobe. Remove anything bulky or heavy from all pockets before storing. Do up buttons and zips when storing. It helps the suit hold shape, and helps prevent fabric distortion. A suit should always have a quick, gentle brushing, or at least a going over with a lint roller, before wardrobing. Don't tightly 'pack' clothes into the wardrobe. Each suit needs to hang freely.

If you got creases, either in jackets or trousers, many fsbrics benefit from a light steaming. But I do mean "light". It's enough with most to hang them in the bathroom for 30 minutes or so after a hot bath or shower. Then, and DO NOT skip this bit, hang them out in an open airy space until all steam has dried out. For most materials, most creases will gave just dropped out if you do this right.

And if you collect specific stains, treat them carefully, and as quickly as possible. At all costs, avoid wetting then stressing fabric while stain-removing, though. And if spit-cleaning doesn't work, then dry-cleaning may be necessary and if you do dry clean, do it as soon as possible, use a good cleaning company, and point out specific stains when booking the suit in. If you don't, and they fail to spot it and treat it correctly, they can effectively 'fix' the stain by dry-cleaning without pre-treating, at which point, the stain is permanent.

Bear in mind, dry-cleaning consists of washing your clothes in some quite aggressive chemicals (usually perchlorethylene), and that process alone will degrade suit fabric, so over-cleaning can be more damaging than not cleaning enough.

The biggest trick is in the airing, usage rotation, and considerate storage.
 
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I check when buying trousers to make sure they aren't dry clean only.

For suits - I only tend to wear them a few times a year. They go to the dry cleaners when they are noticeably dirty or smelly.
 
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