Thread by @dieworkwear

USEFUL GARMENT CARE SUPPLIES

Some garment care supplies you may find useful. 🧵

Garment Brush

Most dry cleaners are terrible, so use them infrequently. To clean suits, sport coats, dress pants, and overcoats, brush them out with a garment brush. I use Kent's CC20. No experience with other models, but duck-shaped garment brushes pop up on eBay for like $20

Sweater Shaver

Sweaters pill bc yarns are made from fibers, which eventually break, fly up, and get entangled. To get rid of pills, don't use a sweater comb—you'll cause more breakage. Instead, get a sweater shaver. Try Conair's Fabric Defuzzer ($15) or Steamery's Pilo ($50)

Proper Suit Hanger

Suits, sport coats, and dress outerwear should be hung on special hangers. Otherwise, they can get deformed. The thread below explains why. The Hanger Project sells the best ones. Try Ikea for something more affordable.

https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1690804854225276928

No Rinse Detergent for Knits

Sweaters and knits should be handwashed. To shorten the process, use a gentler no-rinse detergent, such as Soak or Eucalan. Some knitters believe that the lanolin in Eucalan is good for wool.

Garment Bags

Garments should be stored in garment bags during the off-season to protect them from moths. The caveat: you want to find something made from pure cotton, as plastics can off-gas and yellow over time. The Container Store sells them for about $20.

Shoe Trees

Put shoe trees in leather shoes when ur not wearing them. This prevents the toes from curling up. A Redditor experimented by putting a tree in one boot and not the other for 6 months. Hinged trees are best bc they exert less pressure, but hard to find. Check Woodlore

OxiClean

The only stain remover that works. America's Test Kitchen explains why. Read instructions before using, as Oxiclean is not safe on all fabrics.

Sewing Kit and Seam Ripper

Sometimes a button falls off. Or you need to sew something. Get a sewing kit with different colored threads. Also, use a seam ripper to remove the basting thread on new garments. Super cheap at craft stores, grocery stores, or online.

Baby Powder

Want to see a trick? You can sometimes remove light oil stains by sprinkling a bit of baby powder on them, letting the powder soak up the oils overnight, and then brushing it clean the next morning. I use Johnson's. Super cheap at a grocery store.

Snag Nab-It

An amazing tool that can pull snags to the reverse side of fabric. I've used it on sweaters and flannels. Be careful with fine fabrics like silks. For those, you'll want to thread a needle and pull it through, letting the thread drag the snag to the reverse.

Basic Shoe Care Supplies

Get a shoe horn, so you're not crushing your shoe's heel counter. Leather conditioner to keep full grain leathers supple (apply once every couple of years). Shoe polish and wax, a dauber for application, and a shoe brush. (Ignore sweater shaver in pic)

Sneaker Cleaner

Jason Markk sells a great sneaker cleaner that's gentle on all materials. In the photo below, you can see two shoes: the right has been cleaned with a Jason Markk cleaner, and the left has not. See the difference in dinginess? The kit is like $18.

Mesh Laundry Bags

Mesh laundry bags will make the laundry cycle gentler on clothes. Not just for delicates but t-shirts too, where the mechanical motion can stretch out the collar. iDesign sells some with durable plastic pulls that won't break. About $5 on Amazon.

Drying Rack

Finally, a drying rack. Machine dryers can be harsh on clothes, prematurely aging the fabric. If you have space in your home, use a drying rack instead. Oxo also sells specially designed drying racks for sweaters, which should be laid flat to dry (not hung!)