The younger generation has grown up during a time when “fast fashion” dominates that way that clothing is viewed. This means that clothing is manufactured so quickly and cheaply today that many people choose to not even wash their clothes more than a few times. Instead, they will many times choose to simply throw the clothes away and purchase new ones due to the expenses of washing them outweighing the actual purchase of new ones. What comes along with the manufacture of clothing this cheaply is poor quality fabrics and construction, ultimately resulting in clothes that do not fit as well as they could, or wear as well as they could. While this phenomenon might not have a lot to do with the dry cleaning market, because if a person is not going to choose to wash their clothing in a regular washer then they are surely not going to have it dry cleaned, it actually does create a misunderstanding of clothing and fabrics that might cause confusion among some people. The question of “can you wash a suit or formal clothing in a washing machine” comes up often. We will take a little time to explain why you cannot wash a suit in a washing machine, and what would happen if you were to try.
If you purchase a suit that is made of a fabric blend, chances are it cannot be washed in a washing machine as water will cause the fibers to become worn. It also cannot be pressed using a conventional iron as this amount of heat will cause the fabrics to melt slightly, giving a shiny and uneven appearance. Formal clothing and suits can only be cleaned using a specialized process called “dry cleaning,” which uses a chemical bath to remove soils and stains, as well as odors. After being bathed in the chemical, it is then extruded from the fabrics using a specialized machine. The clothing is then gently pressed using a professional ironing machine, creating a crisp and clean look that cannot be achieved at home. Taking clothing in to the dry cleaners used to be far more popular than it is today as the clothing was made from better materials and the clothing was also worn more often, as many people had to dress professionally for work. Culture has loosened this up a bit, a d workplaces are more casual now probably because the amount of “fast fashion” items has become so great. No matter what, each and every person needs a certain amount of formal wear for occasions that do not allow for street clothes, and these items are going to have to be dry cleaned in order to keep them looking good.
So how often do you need to dry clean a suit or formal clothing? The best bet is to dry clean it after each wearing. Your local dry cleaner probably offers a pickup and delivery service free of charge to make it easy for you. Complete Dry Cleaners offers to come to your home or place of business to pick up your clothes, then drop them off at the same location when we are done. This should make cleaning your formal clothing to be convenient and affordable, and while it would be more convenient to simply throw your suit in the washing machine, you will ruin it by doing that.
