Knowing how to store a suit can go a long way towards helping you keep your investment looking new.
A suit should be stored on a properly fitted wooden hanger in a well-ventilated area. This area should have some sort of moth deterrent and should be away from direct sunlight.
Before Storing Your Suit
Before you store your suit, you should make sure that it is clean. If you got food, dirt, or dust on your suit, take care of it before you put it away. Dirt and dust can be taken off using a lint roller or suit brush. Food stains can be treated at home or at your local dry cleaner.
Minor wrinkles should go away on their own, but any creases should be dealt with immediately. A dry cleaner can press them out or you can try to take them out on your own with a steamer. Just don’t try to iron them out as this will only result in damage to your suit.
While it might be tempting to put your suit away so that you won’t have to worry about cleaning it until you need it again, this is never a good idea. The longer you leave a stain on fabric, the more likely it is to set.
This means that the stain that could be taken out now, might become permanent a month, a week, or even a day from now. Deal with stains as soon as they arise and you stand a much better chance of getting them out. The same rule applies to creases that have formed as well. Get them out now before they have time to become permanent.
Also, moths and other pests are more likely to be attracted to a dirty suit. Cleaning your suit before you put it away will reduce the chances of a moth destroying your suit.
Moth Protection
Moth protection is a must for anybody keeping suits in their house. These little insects can cause big problems in a matter of seconds.
A moth ruins your suit by laying eggs in and around them. When these eggs hatch, hungry larvae come out and chew holes into your clothing. This doesn’t just apply to suits either. Moths will ruin your entire closet if you let them.
They will chew through any of your suits, but are much more likely to go after suits with stains or body oils on them.
This means that the quickest and easiest way to deter these creatures is to keep your suits clean.
However, a clean suit is no guarantee that the moths will not feast on your expensive suits. In order to completely provide moth protection for your suits, you’ll need to take greater measures.
The biggest enemy to the moth besides your fly swatter and bottle of poison, is cedar. These bugs despise the pleasant smell of cedar and will not go near it.
A cedar closet is the ideal body guard for your clothes. However, building a cedar closet in your home is not always practical.
For those of you who can’t have a cedar closet installed in your home, go ahead and buy cedar hangers. Cedar hangers are an inexpensive and portable alternative to a full cedar closet.
A note of caution when using cedar wood is that it will eventually start to lose potency. The quick and easy solution is to just take some sand paper to the wood and unlock the magic again. If you don’t like to sand you can always buy cedar spray to liven things up again as well.
The fantastic thing about cedar is that it is a natural way to keep pests away. This means you don’t have to worry about spraying poisons that could harm you and your clothing.
Hanging Your Suits
Whether you use a standard wooden hanger or a cedar hanger, you’ll want to make sure it fits your suits properly. The end of your hanger should come to the shoulder blade of your suit. If the hanger is shorter, you’ll deform your suit’s shoulders and if the hanger is longer, you’ll deform your suit’s sleeves.
The pants should be hung keeping the crease in mind. Make sure the pants are folded properly and that the crease has been lined up before putting it on the hanger. This step only takes a few seconds and it will keep your pants from becoming deformed.
Fitted wooden hangers will be more expensive than wire ones, but they will also last a lifetime. Invest in a nice wooden hanger for each one of your suits and you’ll never have to replace them again.
Where to Store Your Suits
Ideally, your suits will be stored in a cedar closet with lots of airflow and zero sunlight. This being said, even if you do not have access to a cedar closet or even a walk-in closet, you can still store your suit properly. Just make sure your suit has room to breathe and that it is not close enough to a window to receive direct sunlight and your suit should do just fine.
The reasons for this are simple. Allowing your suit to breathe will reduce odors and moisture. Keeping your suit away from the sun will keep the fabric from fading in the light.
How to Store Your Suits for Travel
Traveling with a suit can be tricky. You’ll have to strike a balance between saving space and protecting your suit. This is especially true if you’re traveling by plane. Either way, a garment bag is your best friend. It will help reduce wrinkles and will keep dirt and debris from getting on your suit.
The TSA does not have any travel bans on garment bags and with your wooden hangers, you won’t even have to worry about setting off the metal detectors.
When You Arrive
Take your suits out of the garment bag as soon as you reach your destination. Hang them up in an open area and let any wrinkles that have formed fall out naturally. If you still notice wrinkles in the morning, hang your suit inside the bathroom as you shower. The steam from your shower should help knock-out any stubborn wrinkles that have formed during your trip.
In Closing
As you can see, suit storage really isn’t that complicated. This being said, knowing how to store a suit is an essential part of suit ownership. Proper suit storage will help you keep your suit looking new for years to come.