For wanting to wash ds's 'washable' suits?

[wildfellhall]

Ds has a new job and needs to wear a suit every day. He has several plus a variety of jackets snd trousers.

I bought him two which were relatively inexpensive and they are labeled washable.

The dry cleaner I use said they never look right once they're washed -they're too difficult to press into their original sharpness.

AIBU to want to risk washing one? It's just the dry cleaning bill makes me tempted to try... interested to know if anyone has washed one and it's still wearable?

I used to wash my DS’s Next suits every week, they were washable. They always come out fine.

Thanks, good to know - the dry cleaner is going to say that isn't he?

I have a washable suit and wash it on woolens even though it is polyester I think.

I always put my work suits in the wash. Cheaper stuff that is marked as washable goes in with the normal wash. More expensive stuff marked dry clean only goes on a wool setting and gets hung on a hanger to drip dry as soon as it comes out the wash.

That's why some staff look smart and others look just, well - crumpled.

It might be a good idea to teach your DS to wash and iron his own suits. Then he can make decisions about how to treat them. It’d be a useful life skill. Learning how to iron is taught in the armed forces, I believe! And it’s always tricky, I find, ironing jackets after they’ve been washed. It’d be good for him to learn that skill for himself.

👍

Our boys had them for 6th form. Trousers washed very often, jackets a bit less. All survived absolutely fine, looked very neat and smart throughout.

If your son is old enough to work, surely he can be responsible for his own laundry.

I’d wash them and hand to dry. You can use a steamer to remove crinkles.

Yes he should absolutely be responsible - I did try but failed have failed so far. But he is hugely helpful around the house and does endless dishes and shopping and food prep - he's not a shirker! I am going to work on the laundry & ironing thing now he's working!

I washed DS’s washable suits from next every week as he’s a sweaty kid. They washed fine

DS1 and DH only buy washable suits now, always washed really well, honestly don’t look any different from new to washed.

I agree with the dry cleaner tbh - Jackets never look the same after washing.
they go sort of softer.
just my thoughts. - if polyester I ‘sponge wash’ to get any marks off and hang to dry. works if they are just marked rather than smelly.
trousers/skirts I wash on a very gentle wash - no fabric conditioner.

Ditto, trousers washed more often.

Just tell him to wash and iron them, it doesn't need 'working on'. Using a washing machine is very straightforward.

Tell him to wash one to check it doesn't wreck it, and then he can wash them both on a regular basis from now on.

I used to wash mine every wear and they were fine

That will be because they aren't ironing

My DH has a variety of suits, including wool mix, as he likes to wear a suit each day for work. I have not had anything dry cleaned in over 20 years. I wash the trousers and smooth / hang when wet, so minimal pressing (but I will press if needed and often using a damp cotton hanky to press over) and the jackets are sponge cleaned and steamed, using a normal steam iron. Dry cleaning kills fabric, the pressing makes it shiny and they have limited life after whatever chemical they use now imo. Depending on the fabric mix, I use wool wash cycle generally, with Dri-Pak liquid soap. It got so that a colleague of DH's asked him where he had his suits cleaned and was shocked when he said I washed / steamed them. Said colleague now does the same, with a little advice provided lol! Saves a fortune, just take note of the fabric and if unsure a wet patch test on the hem.

Many thanks for all this advice!

YYUR - do you use one of those slim 'arms' for ironing suits?
🙏

My DS has suits for 6th form. The M&S washable ones washed beautifully.
Jackets not washed as frequently as trousers.
No tumble dryer, so jacket went straight onto a decent shaped hanger to dry. Didn't really need ironing.
Trousers ironed with a clean tea towel over to stop them going shiny.

Good luck!

He sounds like me re some bits of running home. I hate hoovering but love washing, ironing, cooking etc.

Maybe leave him to it and when he’s pulled up by his manager for looking scruffy or smelly, then he’ll really learn

(Meanwhile, I’m old enough and ugly enough, as they say, to pay someone to do the bits of housework I don’t want to do).

Re ironing/pressing - as a sewist, I always iron anything other than cotton or linen with a damp clean 100% cotton (NO polyester) yea towel over the top.

I’m assuming the suits are polyester, a horrible fabric for a home sewist, but cheap and practical I suppose. Use a damp tea towel and you’ll get a better finish and non-shiny.