Washing a jacket – what you should bear in mind

If you don’t want to take your jacket or suit to the dry cleaner, you can also wash your business clothes yourself under certain circumstances.

Washing a jacket – not always necessary

It is not always necessary to fully clean or even dry clean a jacket after wearing it.

• Smaller stains can often be removed quickly and easily by dabbing with a damp cloth.
• Do not rub too vigorously. On the one hand, you would only rub the stain deeper into the fabric. On the other hand, you may roughen the delicate fabric of the jacket by rubbing it vigorously.
• Unpleasant odors from your last visit to a restaurant or the smell of cigarettes are no reason to wash a jacket. A thorough airing overnight is usually sufficient.
• You can easily remove not only odors but also any wrinkles with a steam bath. To do this, hang your jacket on a suitable hanger over the bathtub and run hot water over it.
• Close the bathroom door and window to allow the steam to take full effect.

Wash your jacket by hand or in the washing machine

The label will tell you whether you can wash your jacket yourself.

• If you see a washing bowl that is not crossed out on the care instructions, the jacket is machine washable.
• Only hand washing is permitted if a hand is shown next to the washing bowl.
• If the wash bowl symbol is crossed out, the jacket may only be dry-cleaned.
• If the care instructions are missing completely, try cleaning on your own in an inconspicuous area;
• Apply a little detergent solution to an inconspicuous area on the inside of the jacket. The armpit is also a good place. If a stain remains here after drying, you should refrain from washing.
• Hand washing is best done in a very large bowl or in the bathtub. The water temperature should not be higher than 30 degrees. Only use heavy-duty detergent.
• Just immerse the jacket in the detergent solution and leave it to soak for about an hour.
• Then rinse the jacket thoroughly in clear water until every last bit of detergent has been removed.
• If you want to put the jacket in the washing machine, select the delicate or wool wash cycle.
  Here too, the washing temperature should be a maximum of 30 degrees and a wool detergent should be used.

• Close the buttons on the jacket before washing. It is best to wash the jacket alone or at most together with the suit trousers.
• Spin the suit jacket at a maximum of 600 revolutions per minute.
• Whether you wash it by hand or in the washing machine, you should not wring out the jacket. Neither should you put the garment in the tumble dryer.
• Hang the jacket wet on a hanger and allow it to air dry;
• Tip: Use a hanger with shoulder straps that are as wide and rounded as possible. This will help the jacket keep its shape.