Can a suit jacket be machine washed?

[grwasher_expert]

Suits are a bit tricky to wash.Some parts(shirt,pants) are machine washable,but other(jacket,tie/bow tie) are supposed to be only dry-cleaned.Why so?I wonder what would happen if I put a suit jacket in the washing machine on woolens or delicates cycle on cold.I don't believe that they are so sensitive to shrink or deform even on the gentliest cold cycle because most jackets are made of wool,rayon or polyester and all these fabrics are machine washable.I believe that the reason that most people prefer to dry-clean them is that they get easily creased and they are pretty difficult to iron.Has anyone tried to wash a suit jacket in the washing machine?If so was it damaged anyway?

 

[launderess]

Likely not

Due to the linings, interlinings, padding and other materials.

Consumer Reports tested "wet cleaning" several years ago and found while it was great for sweaters and some silks, anything that was tailored, fitted, etc... was better off dry cleaned.

Places that do wet cleaning have all sorts of tensioning and finishing equipment to get things back into original shape after cleaning in water; sometimes it works, others it does not.

 

[ozzie908]

Yes have washed a whole suit

you may find you have to press the trousers but if you do them inside out to begin with as for the jacket I have a steam generator iron and found that hanging the jacket and steam it very heavily it will look as good as new without the iron sheen as you steam it without actually ironing it.
Oh and it was washed on a warm delicate cycle just warm enough to relax the fabric so it gave up the stains etc.

Have also washed a leather bike suit and that came out like new )

 

[henene4]

I wash my cheap suit my self as well. Wool cycle, cold wash, slowest spin possible. The items tend to drip a bit afterwards.

Suit pants survive that without any issue. I mean, the original crease is still in them, and if that dosen't come out, cleaning can't be that harsh.

However, buttons as well as seems suffer a bit I noticed, especially on ties and the more shaped parts of the jacket.

However, this wool wash cycle isn't more then a refresh. Every once in a while I get it dry cleaned, simply because its a far more effective clean and the finish is just far better then everything I could get out of any iron.

However my better more expensive suit will never ever see a washer from the inside. Wouldn't risk that.

 

[joshywashy]

Depends

Depends on the result you want my brothers everyday work suit I machine wash and tumble dry although the liable states dry clean only but then again the whole suit was 50 quid more expensive occasional wear I have washed on the past with success and left to dry flat, then again I've washed prom dresses and wedding dresses with out problems

 

[logixx]

I wash my suit all the time. Delicate cycle, 40C/104F, 800 rpm spin and regular powdered or liquid detergent for colored clothes. The jacket gets washed (once a month) along with the pants and five shirts (weekly). Everything but the jacket is also fully tumble dried on medium heat.

I bought my suit from Primark = cheap. It still looks flawless.

 

[grwasher_expert]

On the video below,the guy washes his whole suit on a cold wash cycle with rinse hold on.On another video,the suit gets spun at 400 rpm

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IR2A6DVdA

 

[rpms]

I bought a long suit jacket when they were in style back in the 90s. Liked it so much I couldn't get rid of it. I have wore it several times for Halloween. It has had fake blood on it, talc you name it. I have probably washed it 4-5 times. Never a problem. The lining does get wrinkled but you can't see it.

 

[foraloysius]

What's the material of the suits you are washing?

 

[imperial70]

I have washed an entire suit in my Whirlpool Imperial 70 on the knit gentle cycle. Suit came out wrinkle free and brand new looking. The suit was a wool blend.

I miss that Washer.

 

[neptunebob]

Some of you must remember the 70s.

Back then, many men had leisure suits made of polyester and they were definitely washable.

And no, I would never put a non-leisure suit in a washing machine, always professional dry clean.

 

[frigilux]

You are so right, Bob. I remember washing many loads of my parents' polyester/double-knit pant suits and men's suits in the mid-1970s. They were certainly 'easy care,' but.....yeeesh!

 

[neptunebob]

One of the worst parts about leisure suits..

Was that they were nearly indestructible. The polyester would never wear. There are probably leisure suits now in landfills that will be dug up 1000 years from now, with the people in the future wondering what were they thinking in the 70s?

John's Travolta's white polyester 3 piece suit in Saturday Night Fever was not a leisure suit but it was polyester and is probably hanging in some closet in Hollywood today, looking the same as in 1977.

And what's the boys and the look they are giving? Do they really think a girl is going to want to date them in a pale blue leisure suit?