Put This On

How to Dry Clothes Properly

An electric, heat-conducing dryer is the enemy of all clothing. Cotton fibers are supposed to have some humidity in them, but when they’re run through a dryer, they become brittle, break, and eventually take on a dull, worn-out appearance. In fact, all that lint you find is composed of the yarns that your dryer has robbed. Plus, dryers shrink clothes and crack mother-of-pearl buttons. They’re really quite terrible. 

Thus, I strongly recommend that you hang dry. This past summer, Jesse put up a clothesline in his backyard. As you can see, you should hang your clothes upside down with clothespins. This will help you avoid pinch marks on your shoulders. 

The other option is to hang dry them indoors. You can use regular clothes hangers for this. If you don’t want to get creases on your shoulders, throw wash cloths under them. 

My own practice, however, is to hang things on a clothing rack, which I place either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. Mine looks very much like this (though it’s not this exact model). There are many designs on the market, but I like this one because it has racks on racks on racks (sorry, had to) for my slacks on slacks on slacks (had to again). The greater amount of hanging space means I can fit about two loads of laundry on it. I also prefer metal to wood since I find it much sturdier. When it’s not in use, it folds up into a flat, thin frame and is stored away. 

This method obviously takes longer than a using an electric dryer, but it will add years to the life of your clothes. If you have lower-quality garments, like Hanes athletic tube socks, I’m sure it’s not the end of the world if you throw them in the dryer. For higher-quality garments, however, let them hang dry. If for some reason you must put them in the dryer, at least use the “no heat” setting.

You can buy a good clothing rack for between $30 and $60. Just look online, perhaps on Amazon, or go to your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It’s not the cheapest purchase, but when you consider how much you’ll save in energy bills and replacing clothes, it’s a smart investment. 

Hanging to dry is better for your shirts and better for mother nature. If you have a backyard, take advantage of it. I just hung this clothesline two weeks ago, and I’ve been line drying like a madman.

Q and Answer: How to Clean a Tie

Norm writes: I recently bought a lovely cornflower blue silk tie. I first wore it about two weeks ago, but it was only today that I discovered several small spots near the point or unknown origin. Do you have any recommendation on how to clean a silk tie? All I have ever heard is to not use water. Is it even worth cleaning a silk tie or should I just buy a new tie (assuming I can find a similar tie, of course)?

First, the bad news: you’re probably screwed.

There are, however, some things you can try should you happen to stain a necktie.

First of all, you can take it to the professionals. Don’t send it the cleaner unless you have one you trust absolutely to spot clean without dry cleaning or pressing. Send it to a necktie specialist. Tiecrafters, in New York, have been specializing in cleaning ties for more than fifty years. They take ties by mail, and they will spot clean your ties and refresh them, without pressing them flat as most dry cleaners will. The service costs $11.75 per tie, with a minimum order of four. Not cheap, but worth it if you’re talking about a favorite tie.

If you don’t want to take that route, you can try to treat the stain at home. If it’s a grease stain, first put some talcum powder or corn starch on top of the stain and allow it to sit overnight. Then brush off the talc, which will have absorbed some of the grease. This can be repeated until the grease stain is invisible.

For other types of stains, you can try a standard spray stain remover - spray it on the stain (don’t soak) and blot to dry with a clean cloth. This may remove color from the tie along with the stain, but that’s the risk you must take.
You can treat ties with a fabric protectant like Scotchguard if you like. I’ve never done this myself, but I’ve heard from those that do that they notice no difference in the appearance of the tie.

Using Oxiclean for Stain Removal

In Episode 4 of Put This On, I address using Oxiclean to remove stains - particularly underarm stains.

You can find the exhaustive system we recommend for removing even bad stains here, but here are some basics.

To boost your laundry’s cleaning power, add two or three scoops of Oxiclean to the load.

To make an Oxiclean soak, mix four scoops of Oxiclean with each gallon of water. You can then soak garments for as long as 24 hours.

To make a super-concentrated pre-treatment, add one scoop of Oxiclean to about 12 ounces of water - that’s about a water glass full.

You should always test if you’re concerned about color fastness, but I’ve frankly never had Oxiclean take color out of my clothes.

When I was researching the Q&A for episode four of Put This On, I reached for one of my favorite reference books, “Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House,” by Cheryl Mendelson. Ms. Mendelson is a true domestic goddess.

The book offers practical advice and explanations of everything from laundry to vacuuming to sewing to entertaining. It’s exceptionally well-written and absolutely fascinating. The advice is consistently excellent, as well. It’s my shortcut to figuring out how to do things the Right Way.

Of particular note to readers of the blog are the careful explanations of the valuable properties of various fabrics, the simple explanations of clothing repair techniques, and the rundowns on ironing and stain removal. Whether you live alone, or share home care duties with a partner, it’s essential information.

The book costs less than twenty bucks, and it’s worth every penny.

Q and Answer: How Do I Wash My Sweaters?

Conor writes to ask: I’m a big fan of wool jumpers (or sweaters I guess?) and cardigans. A lot of those I own say hand wash only on the care label. Do you think I could get away with machine washing them on a cool wash? How else can the machine damage them other than with heat?

This is a tricky question, Conor.

Can you get away with washing wool knits in your washing machine?  Probably.  If you use a no-agitation or “kints” or “woolens” setting on your washer, a lingerie bag and a cold-water wash, you’re likely to be OK.  I won’t guarantee it, though.  It’s easy for sweaters to get stretched out of shape when wet, and agitation can make them pill.  My recommendation is to hand wash.

Hand washing a sweater is pretty simple.

1. Fill your sink with cold water and a detergent designed for hand-washing.  You want something phosphate-free, which will be labeled as such.  In a pinch, you can also use baby shampoo.
2. Put your sweater in the sink and gently work the sudsy water through.  Be careful not to stretch the sweater while you’re doing this.
3. Marvel at the gross gunk that fills the water.
4. Drain the sink.
5. Refill with cold water, and do the same thing, this time getting the sudsy water out of your sweater.
6. Place the sweater flat on a dry towel, and roll the whole thing up, pressing to get most of the water from the sweater into the towel.
7. Lay the sweater out flat on a second dry towel in the shape you’d like it to take - this is called blocking.  If you’d like it to be a little longer in the sleeves or body, now’s the time to gently stretch it out just a bit.

That’s it.  It’s easy.  Remember that unless you spill something on yourself or spend a night in a smoky club, you really only need to do this once a year or so at most.

(If you have a Q for us to Answer, email us.  We respond to as many as we can, which right not is maybe half.)