r/AskMen • u/Cal-Augustus • 1d ago
How often do men dry clean their suits?
Assuming normal wear without any sloppy accidents, how many days' wear do you get from a suit before sending it to the cleaners'?
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u/_GuyOnABuffalo_ 1d ago
How often do I what my what?
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u/J-Rag- Big boy 1d ago
I think OP is asking how often you wash your underwear?
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 1d ago
Monthly
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u/J-Rag- Big boy 1d ago
Monthly?? That's insanely. I can't believe some people wash their underwear that often!
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u/IndicationScared418 1d ago
Only 2 more underwear washes left in 2026 wdym
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u/J-Rag- Big boy 1d ago
Only 2 more underwear washes till Santa comes!
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 1d ago
Sorry, should have rephrased. Monthly if I'm lucky..
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u/cdsbigsby 1d ago
I'm with you.
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u/fidelkastro 5h ago
I work a corporate client facing 9-5 job. I recently emptied my closet and all my suits are moth eaten and at least 10 yrs old. I haven't worn them for at least 6-7 years.
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u/shartymcqueef 1d ago
For ten years I wore a suit every day of the week. I had probably 12-15 suits to rotate through. I would dry clean them all maybe 2-3x per year unless I did something that got one dirty.
But wearing underwear, undershirt, & dress shirt and staying in the AC all day meant that they never really got dirty.
So your mileage may vary.
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u/Cashneto 1d ago
That wouldn't work in NYC. You're dry cleaning your suit after wearing it once
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u/SevenToucan 1d ago
Too many people say "NYC smells like piss." Too few say "my piss smells like the greatest city in the world"
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u/dluminous Male 1d ago
.. why?
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u/Cashneto 1d ago
The subway is dirty, the streets are dirty, you're typically walking a lot as well.
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u/dluminous Male 1d ago
Do you roll in the street or something? Like sure the cuffs of your pants may get a bit dirty but you can hand was that a few times before needing to dry clean
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u/unfeaxgettable Male | 32 1d ago
Nah the dust and dirt are airborne and they stick to you and make you REEK
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u/PatricksPub 21h ago
Man NYC sounds like it sucks asshole
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u/unfeaxgettable Male | 32 1h ago
It’s not terrible but it’s not the best. I think a part of living in a large American city is going to be dealing with the noise and pollution associated with the density.
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u/Cashneto 1d ago
Have you been to NYC? It's hard to explain. The smell in midtown during the summer is not the most welcoming. You just feel dirty after being out for a full day.
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u/dluminous Male 17h ago
Yes about 6 times but always as a tourist and never in a suit. So different context.
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u/cameron_cs 23h ago
lol this is just not true, coming from an NYC suit wearer. You don’t need to dry clean your suit unless it has visible stains or wrinkles. This takes several wears assuming you’re being reasonably careful
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u/nim_opet 14h ago
Not true. I’ve been wearing suits in NYC for two decades, and still clean them extremely rarely
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u/SV650rider Male 11h ago
Yeah, I used to live in NYC and now live in the 'burbs. When I go back to NYC though, I am very strongly reminded of the "intensity".
I had some rather crunchy granola friends visit, too, and despite their efforts to conserve water, they admitted, "If I lived here, I'd be showering a lot more often."
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u/unknownviking 1d ago
"This shirt is dry clean only. Which means... it's dirty." Mitch Hedberg
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u/VariousDingDongNames 1d ago
I got so excited at first that nobody made the reference and thought I was going to be the first one. Good job friend
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u/w_TwoFer_m 1d ago
I average two wears out of a suit before dry cleaning, mainly when it’s warm out. If it’s cool I can sometimes make it three.
But I’m hard on clothes 🤷♂️
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u/OceanWaveSunset 1d ago
It depends on the suit. If its a work suit that I am wearing often for work, I will just get it cleaned every 1 or 2 weeks depending on how dirty it gets. When I had to wear suits for work, I would have about 8 suits at a time.
If its a special occasion suit, I will get it cleaned when it doesn't look perfect or it smells. If I just wear it for a few hours and its still virtually perfect, I'll just put it back in the suit bag for next time.
This is just what I found that works for me. Now I work remote, I just have the special occasion suites.
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u/sweatervest614 1d ago
It's been twenty years and I haven't done it yet. Probably still good for another twenty.
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u/NoNeedForAName 1d ago
Much like my sheets, probably not as often as I should.
But I'd say roughly every 10 wears when I wore them pretty regularly. Maybe less now that I rarely wear suits.
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 1d ago
Haven't worn one since HS prom, which I remember spilling punch on by noon.
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1d ago edited 21h ago
[deleted]
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u/Complete-Bumblebee-5 1d ago
At a wine and cheese pre-gathering before the actual event
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u/lunchmeat317 1d ago
Was it for the parents? For a high school kid, ghat's just a cheese event, unless there's also grape juice.
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u/Getz3m 1d ago
I wear a sports coat or suit 4 out of 5 days in a work week. I’ve cycled through 2 coats the past seven months. They are still in great shape but it’s time for a dry clean. I think a dry clean every 4 or 6 months for each suit coat would be a good cycle. But once a month or more often even if you want your pants nice and pressed along with your coat.
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u/Express-Platypus-512 1d ago
When I worse suites to work, id rotate around 5-6 weekly and dried cleaned them around every 5 or 6th wear unless needed. I would air them out on a drying rack in between and always did 2 at a time so you always have a freshly cleaned suit in rotation
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u/TheNemesis089 1d ago
That’s probably about where I was as well. But I probably went more like 10 wears before having them laundered.
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u/shipwreck11 1d ago
Do the pants still have a nice visible crease? Then the suit is clean. Faded crease? Time to dry clean.
Otherwise, as long as no visible spots on the jacket, it’s still clean.
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u/retirement_savings 1d ago
I've had my current suit for about 5 years and have never dry cleaned it. I wear it maybe 3x a year.
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u/nawksnai Master Chief 1d ago edited 1d ago
I very rarely wear a suit, but will wear one many, many times between washes. MANY times. I decide solely based on vibes. No system in place.
Well, unless I spill alcohol on it, and get sweaty. Both happened at my cousin’s wedding.
EDIT: Despite never wearing a suit, I bought a new suit that can be laundered normally. It’s made from merino wool and Cordura, is super comfy like workout/sports clothes, and can be worn in summer.
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u/Hrekires Male 1d ago
Considering in a typical year, I wear my suit 0-3 times, I just dry clean it after every event.
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u/kaminaripancake 1d ago
I don’t need to wear jackets at my office. I dry clean my shirts after 3-5 wears depending on the season. I also always wear an undershirt
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u/NicePossibilityDaddy Male 1d ago
I started buying these washable suits, they look wool but they're not. I love them because it always smells fresh.
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u/ucd_pete ♂ 1d ago
I have 3 suits in regular rotation and I dry clean them once per quarter.
Tux is dry cleaned once a year unless it’s a particularly messy night.
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u/dsm5000 1d ago
People still have suits?
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u/bendstraw Male 1d ago
Do yall not wear suits to weddings, funerals, etc? Or do you just rent them when you need them
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u/russki516 ♂ 1d ago
I do not wear suits, no. I rented a tux for my wedding and before that for high school prom.
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u/bendstraw Male 1d ago
Sorry no i was asking if you dont wear suits for other people's weddings, funerals, etc
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u/russki516 ♂ 1d ago
I do not wear suits. Those two occasions were the only times in my life I have done so
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u/bendstraw Male 1d ago
lol i just realized you're not even the person i was responding to. Anyway, if you don't wear suits, what do you wear to other people's weddings, funerals, etc?
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 19h ago
You’re asking Reddit. Based on the comments I just have to assume most people here do not have jobs that require suits. I have to go to court frequently (legal field) so this whole comment section is just blowing my mind as well..
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u/TheNemesis089 1d ago
My office was suits every day until just before the pandemic. I still own like a dozen of them. Probably wear one now about once per week.
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u/xbuffalo666x 1d ago
i hate wearing suits so i only have one and i dry clean it after every use since i usually use it once a year if im lucky lol.
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u/Romeo9594 1d ago
Probably just the once every three or four years I wear it. Otherwise it's in a garment bag
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u/nipslippinjizzsippin Male 1d ago
it would really depend how you wear the like i might wear my suit jacket once a year for an hour or 2 at a wedding, doesnt really need much, might do it every few uses. but my office suits when i was wearing them (WFH ftw) i would wear all day, pants get done after 1-2 uses and jacket again every few uses or even after 1 depending on how the day was, like if was sweaty
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u/sesameseed88 1d ago
Not so much how many days, but if I go to a meeting where a lot of people smoke and it smells afterwards I'll dry clean it. I don't wear suits daily, just when needed.
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u/ResponsibilityOk2173 Male 1d ago
Maybe 6, if you wear an undershirt, long briefs and tall business socks, and the wears are like a couple of weeks apart or so. The undergarments pick up most of one’s inside filth. The time in between lets them rest and dry.
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u/NooneKnowsIAmBatman 1d ago
I use dryel, which effectively turns your home dryer into a dry cleaner for purposes of cleaning your suit. I do that, and if I notice a stain that doesn't come out with a non water based cleaner, then I'll take it to the professionals to clean. I wear my suit 2x per week to work, I've had to clean it once in the last 7 months
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u/ChillSexyOld 1d ago
I would suggest after 5 wears in winter, maybe fewer in summer. Depends if you sweat.
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u/KaiserSoze-is-KPax 1d ago
I typically only wear mine two or three times a year so… once every two years
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u/PixelLight 1d ago
Reading this thread is just so bizarre. Growing up in the 90s and 00s, I expected that an office job would probably necessitate a suit, or some kind of more formal clothing. These days, that couldn't feel less true. Sure, it still remains a thing in some industries and cultures, but they're quite uncommon these days, where I live anyway, and I wouldn't dream of taking a job in one of those industries. As a result, there's very little need to wear a suit for most men, even in office jobs. Occasionally for more formal [social] events (e.g.: weddings), but even then I havent had one of those in a while so I donated my last suit, and I'll probably just get smart trousers and a shirt next time I need one, and only a tie and jacket if I really need to.
As for washing a suit, that would necessitate wearing it often enough for that to be an issue, so I couldnt answer that.
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u/TheNemesis089 1d ago
As an attorney, they are still required when you are in court. People will generally wear them to bar events, though those are also becoming much less formal.
We also wear them when on Zoom hearings, though the newscaster trick is pretty common.
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u/dangleicious13 1d ago
No idea. The only suit I own and have ever owned is the one I got in high school in the mid 2000s. I don't think it has come out of my closet since 2018.
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u/taftpanda Male 1d ago
My rule of thumb is after every five wears. I used to wear suits pretty much every day for work, so I’d rotate through a few each week and then get them all cleaned like once a month.
They didn’t really get dirty, but they’ll get some dust or some other crap on them. I’m in Michigan so they’d also sometimes get salt on the pant legs. It’s also just nice to have a crisp suit, and after a while they look almost worn in.
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u/MattH665 1d ago
Back when I wore suits to work, I washed them in the washing machine lol. Did this for years and the pants haven't even faded, I bought a spare pair in case they'd fade and no longer match the jacket but that turned out to be unnecessary.
But it no longer matters, nobody in tech has smart dress codes so I don't wear suits anymore.
Now if your suits are made of some fabric that really can't get wet this may be a different matter, just check what material they are and look up care instructions for that online. Cotton/polyester is generally fine for the washing machine, stick to a cold wash (warm/hot washes are unnecessary in general anyway, save your power bill).
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u/Darth19Vader77 Male 1d ago
I don't wear one very often, but usually after I've worn it for something.
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u/bangbangracer Male - Mid 30s 1d ago
Usually, my suit gets cleaned a week before whatever funeral in attending.
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u/High_Violet92 1d ago
Everytime after I wear my suit because I only wear it for occasions and I know that shit got dirty
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u/PPKA2757 1d ago
I wore a suit for work daily for a number of years. Rotating between the five, I would dry clean 2-3 of them every six weeks or so.
Hot Arizona summers with a jacket were not kind.
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u/Z32anxiety 23h ago
Typical when I wear a suit I’m traveling, and it’s only 3-4 times a year. I dry clean it after the trip so it’s pressed and ready next time I need it.
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u/IndianaJones_Jr_ 23h ago
I'm a big fella and somehow whenever I wear a suit it's always a hot and humid day. So usually I'll dry clean them after a wear, but I also only wear a suit 2x a year max.
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u/Sliced_tomato 23h ago
Cleaning isn’t the trigger. If it’s wrinkling at the elbows / knees or the jacket is looking out of shape then it goes to the dry cleaners. Usually after flights etc. Mostly wear sports jackets / blazers rather than suits these days tho.
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u/youngbeanieyyc 23h ago
Two days before I have to wear it again before a wedding when I take it out and see stains from the last wedding I went to
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u/little_lexodus 23h ago
About once or twice a year, but recently I’ve been using a steamer so it seems to work well unless there is some major stain on the suit jacket/pants. Dress shirts definitely have to get dry cleaned every couple wears
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u/rabid_briefcase Male 23h ago
Sunday-only suit, also to weddings and funerals, only gets worn a couple hours at a time, and indoors in clean buildings.
My last suit I owned for about 15 years, jacket and two pants. The pants went through the regular wash perhaps once a year, the jacket never, only had some spot cleaning on very rare occasions because I don't do anything dirty with it. My wife made me buy a new suit for a wedding because she said it wasn't in style any more and didn't fit right because I have lost weight, but I figured it was still wearable. The pants for it will probably go in the wash sometime next year unless a baby pukes on it or something.
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u/fudgyvmp 23h ago
So far by the time I've worn a suit coat more than 48 hours I've outgrown the coat.
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u/beer_is_tasty 22h ago
Last month on the plane ride back from a wedding, one of my girlfriend's makeup bottles leaked in the suitcase and spilled on my suit, so I took it to the dry cleaners. I think I bought that suit in 2015, so about that often.
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u/SkiMonkey98 Male 22h ago
I wear it very rarely for weddings and maybe the occasional work event. Haven't cleaned it so far
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u/dgmilo8085 21h ago
I have 5 suits that I wear on rotation. Provided they are just office wear, I’ll dry clean about once a month so 3-4 wears.
If I wear one out to a bar, wedding, event, then I’ll dry clean it there after.
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u/Naltoc Male 21h ago
I own, currently, 12 suits and use them on a somewhat random rotation 5 days a week for work. I will bike in them, drive, do 5k walk and talks, whatever.
I have them tailor made (cheaper than good quality off the rack, my tailor flies in from Thailand twice a year and foes his rounds, doing measurements etc) and always have 2 pairs of pants amde, so I can wash the pants without them colorfading significantly compared to coat and vest.
Material matters, really. Almost all my suits are pure wool and they air out like champs. So rotating them means it takes ages for any noticeable smell to be able to build up, and they get dry cleaned before that happens. I have had a couple in synthetic material and I never sore them, because after 3 or 4 uses, they reaked. I currently own two of mixed materials, and they get used less, because even with only 20% plastics, they may look nice , but the smells vuild up fast and no matter how much you air them out, that sweat doesn't fuck off.
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u/jeeves585 21h ago
I don’t wear them often so everytime. I don’t put it back in the bag in the closet wothout being cleaned.
I’ve been the same size for the last 30 years, these ought to last until I’m gone. At which point some chap is gonna have a damn near brand new suit for pennies on the dollar.
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u/NoSuggestion5970 Male 19h ago
Maybe twice or three times a year, depending on how dirty they are, I have seven suits and several blazers that I combine with khakis and rotate during the month. I must travel abroad for work at least three times a year and I have suits and blazers for those trips as well, those get cleaned once a year
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u/comicsnerd 19h ago
Pants after 3 wears, jackets every quarter. Mainly because the 1st thing I did at the office is take off the jacket and only wear it in meetings.
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u/Skaftetryne77 Dad 19h ago
I have 7 suits and I never dry clean them. There are other ways to keep them clean.
Hang them, steam them, hang them outside if the weather permits, you can even hang them up outside in snowing weather if the suit is wool and you live someplace cold.
Lighter gasoline takes care of most hard to remove stains, and if there’s still anything that you need cleaned dry cleaning won’t work anyway. But the thing that actually do work is my high end washing machine with a certified hand wash program that works for most suits too. Yes, you can actually wash your suit in a washing machine.
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u/TheNarwhalTusk 19h ago
When I used to wear a suit to work I had 4 suits to rotate through and I had them dry cleaned once a month.
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u/StonedJesus98 18h ago
I only really wear a suit to weddings and funerals, both of which usually end messily, so after each use most of the time
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u/2HGjudge 18h ago edited 18h ago
They basically never go, dry cleaning decreases the longevity of the suit. I use cheap vodka in a spray bottle instead, much less harsher on the fabric and gets any smell out just the same. None of my suits have any polyester, they're all natural materials (but very little cotton, which also develops odor well relative to other natural materials), so I get many wears before they start to develop any smell in the first place. I rarely wear the same one on consecutive days, could be weeks between wears, so they can air between wears. I get 10+ maybe 20 wears before they need any treatment.
For stains I do spot cleaning, often just with water, sometimes with some kind of stain remover.
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u/quiet0n3 18h ago
Depends how often I wear it. Some for work get steam cleaned pretty frequently. But I don't send them for a full drycleaning very often. Maybe 2-3 times a year.
My nicer event type ones that I don't wear very often. Get sent for a clean before each event to ensure they are looking their best. So they probably get washed more vs I how often they are worn.
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u/nim_opet 14h ago
Extremely rarely. I sometimes steam the pants, or have them flat pressed, but actual dry cleaning, unless there’s a stain…maybe once per year.
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u/misterrootbeer Male 7h ago
I wear it for weddings and funerals. It's been worn less than 20 hours over 8 years. It hasn't needed washing.
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u/DopyWantsAPeanut 6h ago
I have stretches of wearing a suit for a few weeks at a time. I'll usually wear a suit ~3 times before Drycleaning. Of course, underwear, undershirt, and dress shirts were one time wears.
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u/smartliner 3h ago
It really depends on the quality of the material. 100 a good 100% wool suit will really not need dry cleaning unless it gets stained or or otherwise very dirty. A wipe with a damp cloth is all it needs. Wool is an amazing material. 90% wool and 10% polyester is also a good alternative because it's not prone to damage from moths.
A polyester suit on the other hand, or other synthetic blends, will need cleaning much more often.
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Here's an original copy of /u/Cal-Augustus's post (if available):
Assuming normal wear without any sloppy accidents, how many days' wear do you get from a suit before sending it to the cleaners'?
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