You may not think about it much, but your dress pants need to be cleaned just like any other piece of clothing. Dirty or wrinkled pants can make you look unprofessional, so it’s important to take care of them. Here are some tips on how to wash dress pants without ruining them.
How to wash dress pants?
Dress pants are meant to be worn in an office setting, and as such, are not made to be washed in a machine. However, if you really need to wash your dress pants by hand or in the washing machine, there are some steps you can take to make this process easier and less damaging.
Check the labels on your pants
Always check the care label on your pants to make sure you are washing them correctly. Some people recommend hand-washing dress pants, but this could cause shrinkage and color loss. If you have a stain or odor on your pant leg, try using a liquid detergent that contains enzymes.
Remove any accessories like buttons or buckles
After you remove the pants from the dryer, check to make sure that there are no buttons or buckles on them. If there are, remove them. After removing these items, put the pants in a sink full of cool water before washing. This will help loosen any dirt or grime that may be stuck to the material and prevent it from being washed away during the washing process.
Washing machines can be rough on dress clothes (and anything else you throw into them), so make sure that all accessories such as buttons or buckles are removed before putting your pant legs into a machine for a wash cycle.
Close any zippers on the pants
You should also close all buttons and zippers on the pants. Make sure to put them in place so that they don’t get caught on other clothes drying in the dryer with yours.
Use the lowest heat setting on your dryer. This will help to prevent shrinkage and keep the fabric from getting damaged.
Turn the pants inside out
If you have a white or light-colored dress shirt, it’s a good idea to turn your pants inside out when washing them. This way if there are any color bleed stains on the front of your pants, you can easily see and remove them before they set in. Turning your dark-colored dress shirt inside out also helps prevent staining from occurring on the backside of the garment.
You should also always turn your dress pants inside out before putting them in the dryer so that they don’t get tangled up with other items and accidentally shrunken by heat damage while being laundered.
Use cold water, and a light cycle with a small load size
When washing dress pants, use cold water. Hot water will shrink your pants and can also cause them to fade. Use a light cycle with a small load size. Make sure you don’t use bleach. It is unnecessary and will fade the color of your dress pants. Also avoid using fabric softener; this product makes it difficult for the cloth to absorb moisture, which can lead to repeated dry cleaning expenses down the road.
Add a little bit of laundry soap
Add a little bit of laundry soap. If you use too much, your pants will be stiff. If you don’t use enough, the pants will be dirty. Also, don’t use fabric softener as it makes the material slippery, which can cause them to fall down in front of all your friends and family at a wedding or other formal event.
Conclusion
There are a few things to remember when washing dress pants. First, make sure you don’t use too much detergent or fabric softener, as both can leave residue that will build up over time and affect how well the pants look after multiple laundering cycles.
