How To Care For Your Button-Down Shirt

Extend the life of your clothes: know the difference between laundering and dry cleaning

When you have clothing that needs to look sharp, like a suit, dress, sweater, or dress shirt, chances are you take it to the dry cleaners. But many nice articles of clothing don’t actually need to be dry cleaned—often, having your clothing laundered and pressed is a better choice.

So, what is the difference?

The short answer - water.

Dry Cleaning: When your clothes are dry cleaned, non-water based solvents are used to remove stains, before they are crisply pressed. 

Launder & Press:  With laundered items, water and detergent are used. Your clothes are washed in a commercial-grade washing machine, emerge slightly damp, and then are individually pressed.

Why Launder & Press?

So what's the benefit of using Launder & Press?

• It's gentle on fabric: The chemicals used to dry clean your clothes can cause fabrics to deteriorate over time. Laundering, on the other hand, removes stains and everyday grime using water and gentler detergents.

• It's ideal for removing sweat, oils and dirt: Laundering is actually more effective than dry cleaning at removing sweat and oil from fabrics, so it is typically the best choice for dress shirts and cotton blouses. After clothes are laundered, they are pressed and hung for that crisp, fresh-from-the-cleaner look.

High-quality laundry services like Rinse read the care label on your clothing and make the call between chemical dry cleaning and laundering to maximize the life of your clothes. When you’re the one making the call, read the label: if it doesn’t say “Dry Clean Only,” ask for Launder & Press. Your clothes will thank you!

Why Dry Clean?

You may be thinking - Why on earth would anyone choose to dry clean when Launder & Press is just as effective (if not more in some cases) and gentler on fabrics? Well, the truth is, it really depends on the fabric and the piece. 

• It's ideal for clothing made of natural fibers, like silk or wool because water can have an adverse effect on the fabric. Water can cause the fibers in the fabric to become rigid and even cause the garment to shrink, fade, or lose its shape.

• It's often the only way to get out certain stains: When an item is dry cleaned, it also goes through the “pre-spotting” process where an experienced cleaner will examine each garment to locate stains and determine the source so that they can treat the stain with the appropriate non-aqueous solvent. It’s not uncommon for a pre-spotter to have decades of experience!

A helpful tip to extend the life of your clothes: If you know the source of any stain on your garment, let your dry cleaner know. Be it ketchup, wine, or a splash from a puddle, your dry cleaner will use that information to choose the right solvent and minimize the risk of damage.

There’s a reason both dry cleaning and launder & press are offered today—each serves a different, valuable purpose. Both are aptly named and both keep you looking sharp!

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Learn more about How Dry Cleaning Works from our COO James. He grew up in dry cleaning! 

Or, read Our Guide For Which Clothes You Should And Shouldn't Dry Clean.

Whether for your boss, your belle or your beau, dressing well is an important part of making a lasting impression. That said, suiting up shouldn't leave you strapped for cash; as long as you're mindful when choosing and caring for your suit, it should last you for many workdays and celebrations to come.

Here are five tips for taking the best care of your suits so that you look your best from the boardroom to the dancefloor. 

Treat delicate fabrics with care

Taking care of any two-piece is easy, as long as you know how to treat and maintain it correctly. With this in mind, don't feel restricted to the status quo when choosing a suit. While lighter fabrics such as linen or seersucker are perfect for the spring and summer seasons, consider warmer fabrics such as wool, tweed or cashmere for the fall and winter months.

Although some sources might caution you against entrusting your suit to regular cleaners, you need to take care of your upscale fabrics somehow. After all, suits are a long-lasting investment, and cleaning them right will help to extend their lifetime.

Any items made of natural fibers, such as silk or wool, can react adversely when exposed to water; they may shrink, distort and lose their color. The most discerning suit owners choose reliable and experienced cleaners when it's time to have it professionally dry cleaned or pressed.

Invest in a classic white dress shirt

The foundation to a great suit is a classic dress shirt, and you can't go wrong with white. Make sure your shirt is ironed or pressed for a crisp look. Modern dress shirts often come in easy care fabrics such as non-iron or wrinkle-free finishes, so there's no excuse not to suit up. To complete the look, up your wrist game with some classic cuff links or a chronograph watch.

Notice unwanted stains on your favorite shirt? For best results, tackle stains in a timely manner to prevent them from settling into the fabric before having it professionally dry cleaned to ensure no residual stains remain.

Accessorize to impress

Rather than own a suit for every occasion, focus on timeless outfits that you can easily care for and accessorize to match a variety of events. A silk tie is the game changer for any professional. More than a finishing touch, a power tie connotes strength and ambition, while pulling your suit together with style and substance.

Ties are also a great chance to be playful and experiment with different knots. If you're dressing up for a formal event, you can't go wrong with a full windsor knot—or a sleek bowtie if it's an especially fancy occasion—but a half windsor can work for almost any situation.

At the end of the day, always be sure to untie the knot, as leaving it can permanently crease the fabric. If you notice deep wrinkles in your tie, steam it only—ironing may ruin it.

Keep it fresh with these simple DIY tricks

Suits are surprisingly more low maintenance than one would imagine. Simply spot clean with water after use - as soon as possible if you've had a spill, to prevent stains from setting in - and hang them in a well-ventilated area away from sunlight before putting them back in the closet.

To keep your suit in top condition, invest in an at-home steamer for touch-ups in-between dry cleaning treatments. In a pinch, take it to the bathroom—your post-shower steam will also help to smooth out any wrinkles. For a more thorough cleanse and long-term storage option, consider our final tip.

Store your suit safely during the off-season

Always take your suit to the dry cleaner's after a few wears and before the season is over. Removing stains or unwanted smells will help prolong the life of your clothing. Once it's clean, store your suit upright in a garment bag in your closet to keep natural fibers looking their best. How you maintain your suit is just as important as how you wear it.

With these complete tips and tricks, you'll be well suited for any occasion—be it work, play or a little bit of both. If you need assistance with caring for your suit, our clothing care experts know how to care for your items better than anyone else. Schedule a Rinse dry cleaning pickup today!

Photos: Mélanie Villenueve, Angelina Litvin, Scott Web

Preserving your clothing tags may be one of the most important things you can do when it comes to caring for your garments. It's not always as simple as distinguishing between dry or wet wash. Nuances in clothing care such as wash cycle, water temperature, iron or non-iron can be hard to keep track of without the trusty label for recommended care.

Different colors, different care

The first rule of laundry is to check the care label, and the second rule is to always separate your darks and lights.

While most clothing can tolerate warm water, dark or bright fabrics work best with cold water to prevent color transference. The label will state "Do Not Bleach" if the garment can't withstand bleach products or "Non-Chlorine Bleach When Needed" if only certain types of bleach can be used.

At Rinse, we follow these rules for each and every order. Your clothes are properly sorted and expertly cleaned when in our care. If you don’t want to deal with rules one and two yourself, the third rule of laundry is to have someone else take care of your laundry for you. That’s where Rinse comes in! We’ll pick up, expertly clean, and hand-deliver your laundry straight to your door, 7 days a week.

Wet wash or dry clean only

Unless a clothing label reads "Dry Clean Only," the item can most likely be hand washed with an ultra-gentle detergent designed for delicate fabrics.

Special care items such as outerwear, certain textiles such as merino wool, and delicate embellishments or silk fabrics are better left to a trusted dry cleaning service (especially if the label recommends "Professional Dry Clean Only").

Caring for upscale fabrics

More delicate pieces will often have the following instructions: "Machine Wash, Gentle or Delicate" and "Tumble Dry, Low Heat." This means setting your machine to the lowest setting for gentle care at a maximum of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (compared with a fabric like cotton that can withstand 200 degrees). Alternatively, if your dryer does not have a low heat setting, opt to hang dry your item instead. For more refined fabrics such as pure silk, consider using professional laundry services.

For best results: Treat your clothes to a gentle cycle, or hand wash, and always use cold water (below 85 degrees Fahrenheit). To hand wash, simply fill a basin with cold water and add a gentle detergent. Besides investing in a gentle laundry soap for your most treasured pieces, laundry nets are also a fuss-free way to provide an extra layer of protection for washable items.

After-care: to tumble dry or not to tumble dry?

Have you ever shrunk your favorite sweater? Most likely you've forgotten to read the fine print: "Do Not Tumble Dry." Be sure to check the label for instructions on how to dry or press your garments. Basic items such as cotton should be safe in the dryer on a medium setting ("Tumble Dry, Normal"). Clothing with sensitive fabrics might have a "Do Not Iron" warning.

For best results: Even though the label might read "Tumble Dry, Gentle,"—remember, the less heat you apply, the better—it doesn't hurt to hang dry your favorite item to avoid potential changes in fit or texture. A trick for maintaining a sweater's shape is to flat dry on a solid surface. In some cases, the label may state "Drip Dry" instead of "Tumble Dry" or "Dry in Shade" if wet clothing should avoid direct sunlight.

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Clothing label cheat sheet

Sometimes decoding clothing label instructions can be difficult, but there are a few tricks to understanding common symbols. Bleaching is denoted with a triangle, dry cleaning with a circle, drying with a square (or circle inside a square for tumble dry), washing with a trapezoid bisected by a wavy line, and ironing with a trapezoid bisected by a curved line.

As a general rule for heat instructions, the more dots on the label, the higher the temperature. But consult the breakdown below for specific temperature limits:

Machine Wash

• Normal: Water temperature does not have any heat restrictions
• Cold: Water temperature should not exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit
• Warm: Water temperature should not exceed 105 degrees Fahrenheit
• Hot: Water temperature should not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit

Ironing

• Low: Temperature should not exceed 230 degrees Fahrenheit
• Medium: Temperature should not exceed 300 degrees Fahrenheit
• High: Temperature should not exceed 390 degrees Fahrenheit

When it comes to clothing maintenance, the fine print matters. If you're pressed for time or unsure of specific treatment requirements, consider the array of services offered at a dry cleaner—from Dry Clean, Launder & Press to Hand Wash—to ensure your top pieces are well taken care of.

Photos: Francis Duval, Jeff Sheldon, Clark Street Mercantile, Clark Street Mercantile