BestMensTies.Com Blog
How to clean and care for your ties?
December 12th, 2011 | BestMensTies.Com
Check out our book 'All Tied Up! A Practical Guide to Buying, Tying, Wearing and Caring for Ties' to learn everything you need to know about ties!
To most men, a tie is not as relevant clothing item as a suit or a shirt, which you dry-clean and iron regularly. Nevertheless, if you spend a bit more on a high quality tie, with some proper care, it can last forever!
Of course, the first step in ensuring that your tie has a long life is investing in one that is well made. How to buy a good tie has been covered in our blog already.
To prolong a lifetime of a silk tie, first of all, you should never knot it too tight, and even more important, it must be fully and carefully unknotted after wearing, and then stored, preferably hung. The force of gravity relaxes the fibers and decreases the wrinkles. That is the reason why you should not wear the same tie for two days in a row – a tie should be given a rest, to get back into its normal, stretched position.
If you get a stain on your tie, unfortunately you can’t wash it (neither machine nor by hand) as it will get ruined. A tie is made of different fabrics which, when washed, will not shrink the same way, and the tie’s shape will be destroyed. A high quality dry cleaner is the only option for stain removal. Don’t bother with some commercial stain removers - you might only get things worse.
If your tie gets wrinkled, a bit too much to be solved only by hanging in a closet, try this: hang your tie in a steamy bathroom (after showering for example) for half an hour, and then lay it flat to dry. If, as a last resort, tie needs to get ironed, it should be done very carefully, with a cloth between the tie and the iron.
In order for ties to keep their color from fading, they need to be stored in a dark closet or a drawer.
When traveling, use a tie case (preferably leather one) in which the tie lays flat, or simply roll the tie and place it into a shoe (should be clean of course) or inside a shirt’s collar.
That’s it, only a few rules, nothing too complicated to keep your tie collection in shape!
To most men, a tie is not as relevant clothing item as a suit or a shirt, which you dry-clean and iron regularly. Nevertheless, if you spend a bit more on a high quality tie, with some proper care, it can last forever!
Of course, the first step in ensuring that your tie has a long life is investing in one that is well made. How to buy a good tie has been covered in our blog already.
To prolong a lifetime of a silk tie, first of all, you should never knot it too tight, and even more important, it must be fully and carefully unknotted after wearing, and then stored, preferably hung. The force of gravity relaxes the fibers and decreases the wrinkles. That is the reason why you should not wear the same tie for two days in a row – a tie should be given a rest, to get back into its normal, stretched position.
If you get a stain on your tie, unfortunately you can’t wash it (neither machine nor by hand) as it will get ruined. A tie is made of different fabrics which, when washed, will not shrink the same way, and the tie’s shape will be destroyed. A high quality dry cleaner is the only option for stain removal. Don’t bother with some commercial stain removers - you might only get things worse.
If your tie gets wrinkled, a bit too much to be solved only by hanging in a closet, try this: hang your tie in a steamy bathroom (after showering for example) for half an hour, and then lay it flat to dry. If, as a last resort, tie needs to get ironed, it should be done very carefully, with a cloth between the tie and the iron.
In order for ties to keep their color from fading, they need to be stored in a dark closet or a drawer.
When traveling, use a tie case (preferably leather one) in which the tie lays flat, or simply roll the tie and place it into a shoe (should be clean of course) or inside a shirt’s collar.
That’s it, only a few rules, nothing too complicated to keep your tie collection in shape!