How to wash a suit without ruining it: the right way

A suit isn't washed like a shirt. Its structure, its lining and the canvas stitched inside the jacket don't take kindly to water, heat or the drum of a washing machine. Yet sending every piece to the dry cleaner's each month is both unnecessary and expensive, and over time the harsh solvents wear out the fibres. The real question isn't “full wash or dry cleaning?” but which method to use depending on the fabric, the stain and how the suit is worn.

Here is our advice for cleaning your suit at home, keeping the fabric fresh, and knowing when a proper wash or a trip to the dry cleaner's is called for.

Can you really wash a suit?

Yes, but rarely in the machine and never without reading the care label first. A classic worsted wool suit with a stitched canvas and a lining should be dry-cleaned or spot-cleaned. A modern suit in polyester, or a machine-washable suit, can go in the machine on a delicate programme at 30°C, with a minimal spin. It all comes down to construction: a hand-stitched canvassed jacket loses its shape when water relaxes the canvas.

Before any kind of wash, start with this: empty the pockets, do up the buttons, turn the jacket inside out and put it on a wide hanger. Leave it to rest for 24 hours in a well-ventilated room. This step alone removes 70% of the day's odours. Many suits need nothing more to stay fresh.

Read the label before you do anything

The care label shows the fabric composition and the care symbols that apply. A crossed-out circle means no dry cleaning. A washtub with the number 30 means the garment can be washed at 30°C with a mild detergent. A crossed-out triangle means no bleach.

An iron with one dot indicates a low-temperature setting, 110°C maximum. Ignore the label and you risk shrinking a jacket by two sizes in a single machine cycle. Two minutes of reading can save you from disaster.

The right method for each fabric

Classic worsted wool: spot-clean with lukewarm water and a microfibre cloth. Regular dry brushing removes dust and particles. A garment steamer is enough to freshen it up between wears. A trip to the dry cleaner's once or twice a year is all it needs, no more.

Cool wool, Super 100's or Super 120's suit fabric: the same rules as for worsted wool, with extra care when ironing. A pressing cloth, a damp cloth placed between the iron and the fabric, prevents shiny marks on the lapels.

Polyester and technical blends: these suits can handle the machine at 30°C on a wool or delicate cycle, with a mild, enzyme-free detergent and a minimal spin of 400 rpm. Dry them on a wide hanger, never in the tumble dryer.

Linen and cotton: these can be hand-washed in a basin of lukewarm water with a mild detergent, without rubbing. Rinse thoroughly in clean water, then dry flat on a towel. Linen creases easily, it's in its nature; a light pass with a steamer will soon have the piece looking sharp again.

Removing a stain without spreading it

The golden rule: act fast, dab, never rub. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the fibres and leaves a permanent ring. Use a white cloth dampened with cold water, then dab from the edge of the stain towards the centre.

For wine, sprinkle with talc or Fuller's earth and leave it to work for 30 minutes before vacuuming it off. For sweat, mix a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda with a little water. Apply the paste to the area, leave it for 15 minutes, then remove it by hand with a damp cloth. For grease, Fuller's earth is still the safest solution. For ink or make-up, head straight to the dry cleaner's: home remedies with solvents do more harm than good.

Steaming, drying and storing

A garment steamer is the most useful tool in a man's wardrobe. It freshens up a suit in five minutes, relaxes the fibres and removes light odours. Hang the jacket on a wide hanger and steam from top to bottom, without pressing the nozzle against the fabric. When you're travelling, the steam in a bathroom after a hot shower will do the trick.

For conventional ironing, set the iron to the wool setting and use a pressing cloth on the lapels and shoulders. Never iron the outer fabric of a jacket directly: it's the surest way to leave it shiny. Trousers can take more direct ironing, with a crease set using steam.

To dry a suit after wet cleaning, hang it on a wide wooden hanger, out of the sun, in a well-ventilated room. Drying it slowly keeps the cut intact. Never on a radiator, and never in direct sunlight, which fades the fibres.

Storage matters as much as washing. A narrow hanger will distort the shoulders within three months. A breathable cotton garment bag, never a plastic one, keeps the dust off while letting the fibres breathe. Between wears, air the suit for 24 hours before putting it back in its bag.

How often to clean a suit so it lasts

A suit worn twice a week should be brushed after every wear and aired for 24 hours. It goes to the dry cleaner's once or twice a year, no more. A suit for formal occasions worn three times a year only needs one trip to the dry cleaner's, at the end of the season, before it's put away. Men who wear a suit every day are better off rotating two or three. Wool needs 24 to 48 hours to recover its shape between wears. That's what separates a suit that lasts five years from one that lasts ten.

To find out more about travelling and folding, read our guide to travelling well with a suit. And explore our men's suits collection to find fabrics that match the way you live.