Is handwashing worth it?

[Maharlika]

All my shirts, underwear and bedsheets are handwashed.

 

[GQgeek]

C, why not just iron your shirt when you decide to wear it? I let mine air dry but don't iron them until it's time to wear them. I agree that it's a pain to sit there ironing a ton of shirts since they all take so long. I'm also trying to be a bit less fussy about the ironing because 99% of the time a jacket is covering my shirt anyway.

 

[bryce330]

Originally Posted by Dragon

I don`t understand why someone would buy an expensive shirt and take it to a cheap cleaner.

Maybe because the cheap cleaner does just as good a job as a more expensive cleaner?

I take all my shirts to the local cleaners which charges 99 cents (minimum order of 5). I have never had a shirt ruined or significantly damaged and have only had a tiny number of buttons lost or damaged.

Even if they did on rare occasions damage or destroy a shirt, I would still keep taking my shirts there rather to an expensive cleaner. It is really a question of economics. If I'm washing 200 shirts per year, and I can take them to a 99 cent place ($200 per year) or a place that charges $5 ($1000 per year), I am clearly better off taking them to the cheaper place - even if they ruin one or two $200 shirts a year, I am still coming out ahead. Obviously it is different if the cheap cleaner is ruining or damaging your shirts on a regular basis but that has not been my experience.

I find handwashing and ironing extremely tedious so that is not even an option for me.

 

[kitonbrioni]

I have found that a front-load washer on "Delicate" to be ultra gentle and very effective in cleaning cashmere and wool sweaters.

 

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by bryce330

Maybe because the cheap cleaner does just as good a job as a more expensive cleaner?

I take all my shirts to the local cleaners which charges 99 cents (minimum order of 5). I have never had a shirt ruined or significantly damaged and have only had a tiny number of buttons lost or damaged.

Even if they did on rare occasions damage or destroy a shirt, I would still keep taking my shirts there rather to an expensive cleaner. It is really a question of economics. If I'm washing 200 shirts per year, and I can take them to a 99 cent place ($200 per year) or a place that charges $5 ($1000 per year), I am clearly better off taking them to the cheaper place - even if they ruin one or two $200 shirts a year, I am still coming out ahead. Obviously it is different if the cheap cleaner is ruining or damaging your shirts on a regular basis but that has not been my experience.

I find handwashing and ironing extremely tedious so that is not even an option for me.

Taking a shirt to a 99cent cleaner and not having it damaged is completely different from having it done correctly by hand.

 

[josepidal]

Anyone have good tips for taking out collar stains when you machine wash?

 

[tljenkin]

Originally Posted by pgoat

If I made more $ I'd definitely scout out a good cleaners to do my shirts. The few I've used in Manhattan have destroyed my buttons. Luckily they were on older, less expensive shirts. I'd recommend always giving your least-treasured garments over to a new establishment; once they've earned your trust you can make with the T&As.

I do find ironing therapeutic, but my two biggest problems are

1. If I wait till there are too many shirts it takes me forever - approx. 10 mins. each

2. My results even with that amount of time kinda stink.

I plan to get a steam iron (Rowenta perhaps) and a sleeve board; perhaps with some practice I'll improve.

I will say this: I'll press my shirts but not pants. To complicated, especially with pleats. I get my pants dry cleaned roughly once a year as needed. But shirts are washed after each wearing, "woolens" gentle cold water machine setting, hang dry, pre-brushed with soap and nail brush for stains.

Loving the username. I'm a big fan.

 

[globetrotter]

what is a "ruined" shirt? I have some 7 and 8 year old shirts that the color has faded, I replace buttons maybe on average one per shirt per year, and on some of my shirts that are older than 5 years the collars are a bit frayed on the points. all of these are acceptable to me, in the big picture - replacing MOP buttons is prorbrably the worst part, but that isn't very expensive or time consuming.

 

[Moss]

I've noticed that commercial pressing is particularly bad on my blue shirts. Since blue (indigo) dye does not absorb completely into the threads, but rather sits on the surface, it tends to rub off more easily when subjected to the rough handling of the commercial press.

 

[odoreater]

EDIT: Woah, nevermind. Didn't realize this thread is a dinosaur.