Wash less, and wash colder
Most clothes wear out in the laundry, not on your back. Heat, agitation and the dryer do the damage, and the lint in the trap is your clothing leaving a little at a time. Shirts, underwear, socks and gym clothes are washed after one wear. Denim and chinos go five to ten wears, sweaters worn over a shirt go five or six, and a suit is dry-cleaned only when it is visibly soiled or smells, perhaps once or twice a season. Always clean both halves of a suit together so that the colors age evenly.
The dress shirt routine
- Unbutton every button, including the cuffs and collar, and remove the collar stays.
- Rub a little liquid detergent into the inside of the collar band and the cuffs, where skin oil builds up.
- Turn the shirt inside out and wash it on cold with a fragrance-free detergent, using less than the cap suggests.
- Skip fabric softener, which coats the fibers and leaves a residue.
- Shake the shirt out, hang it on a wide hanger and button the top button so that the collar dries in shape.
- Iron or steam it while it is still faintly damp, starting with the collar.
Steaming, pressing and brushing
A handheld steamer relaxes wrinkles in wool jackets, trousers and knitwear without the shine that a hot iron leaves on wool. Steam cannot put a sharp crease in trousers or crisp up a cotton collar, and those still need an iron, with a pressing cloth between iron and wool. After wearing a suit, empty the pockets, brush it downward with a natural-bristle clothes brush and let it hang in the open for a day before it goes back in the closet.
Storage and moths
Hang jackets on wide, contoured hangers that support the shoulder, and hang trousers by the cuff or folded over a felted bar. Fold sweaters, because hanging stretches them out of shape. Leave a finger's width between hangers. Moth larvae feed on wool, and are drawn to sweat and food residue, so clean everything before storing it for the season. Use breathable cotton garment bags for suits and sealed bins for knitwear. Cedar deters moths mildly and only while its scent is fresh, so sand the blocks lightly each year.
Tip Treat a stain at once by blotting it with a clean cloth and cold water, never by rubbing and never with hot water, which sets many stains for good. Point the spot out to the cleaner and say what caused it.
