How to take care of ties

A quality tie can bring a whole outfit together. Even take it to the next level. Ties are a way to diversify your business wardrobe simply by mixing and matching ties with different shirts, jackets and suits. But you need to remember ties are delicate. If you don't take care of them, they can easily become worn and ragged. And ruin your whole look. Different materials need different kind of methods to storage and take care of.

   

5 steps to take care of your ties

If you want to take good care of your ties and want them to last longer, be sure to follow these five simple steps.

Taking care of ties - fighting the wrinkles

One of the biggest problems with ties is wrinkles. Wrinkles that make the tie easily to look cheap. And make your whole outfit to look sloppy. By wrinkles I do not mean just those random waves in the fabric, but wrinkles that are persistent creases that break the line down the center of the body. These wrinkles you need to fight against. There are many reasons for wrinkles on ties. They can appear due to improper storage, faulty untying of the knot, or even too tight tie knots.

Storing ties - pay attention to the material

Always keep your ties in someplace dark, cool and dry. One way to to storage your ties is a tie rack. Technically you can hang a tie off to anything. However tie racks can make storing and organizing your ties much easier. It is not worth the risk of throwing your ties on the back of a chair or some other place where it can get dirty or sat upon for example. Another way is to keep your ties storaged in a drawer. Many guys tend to roll-up their ties and set them after that to drawer. Both above-mentioned ways are good. Important thing to consider when talking about the way how to fight wrinkles and how to storage your ties is the material of a tie. If the tie is made of smooth silk, hang it up. Silk has a beautiful intrinsic quality of relaxing and smoothing itself out. Let gravity do the work. Small and light wrinkles tend to fade away in the fabric if it gets the proper time to recover. Therefore you also need to pay attention to your rotation. Even though it is fine to have personal favorites, you just can't wear the same tie every day. For cotton, cashmere or knitted ties for example the best way is to roll them up and store them away in a drawer. Unlike silk ties, gravity may actually damage these types of fabric and make them lose their fresh and crisp look. Protip: When you are traveling, you fold your ties into fours and place them for example in your jacket pocket. That will help the ties to maintain their shape while traveling. And protect them from wrinkles. Never leave the tie knotted during storing.

How to untie your tie

The second possible cause for wrinkles is the way you untie your tie. And unfortunately a wrinkly future is in store if the unknotting is done improperly. To take off a tie, just reverse the steps of putting it on. It's that simple. Many guys try to get rid of their tie at the end of the day as quickly as possible. But unless you are so tired that you will end up falling asleep without changing clothes, there is no real excuse to disrespect your tie by not undoing the knot and storing the tie properly. It does not take long and it will keep your tie wrinkle-free and looking as fresh. However, in case you happen to get wrinkles to your tie, try these steps:

How to clean a tie

Wrinkles are a problem every tie wearer can basically fight against by themselves. Another, less common but more difficult problem is stain. Dirt. With stains you need to be very careful. It is very easy to damage the tie while trying to fight against stains. So be careful while eating or drinking with a tie on and try to avoid getting food or drinks on it. The most important thing to remember however is this. If you get a stain to your tie and you take the tie into a dry cleaner, specifically request that they don't press your ties. Unfortunately most dry cleaners still do. Ironing a tie presses down on its rolled edges and ruins its shape. Therefore remember, no pressing. And whatever happens, never put your tie into washing machine. I personally prefer and recommend finding a trustworthy dry-cleaner to take care of your ties that are stained. However there are multiple proclaimed home remedies such as alcohol, powders, water, scrubbing etc to try out in different situations. For detailed information about cleaning ties made of different kind of materials, check here. If you happen to get a stain on your tie, take action quickly. First of all, don't rub it. But try to blot it. Blot it with cold water so that you will prevent the stain from setting. But never submerge your ties in water. And in case the stain is from something greasy, water won't help. For greasy stains, try talcum powder to absorb the grease. And do it again as soon as possible. Let it affect for a few hours and after that brush off the remaining residue and clean with a soft cloth. If you decide to try whatever cleaning method, test it in an inconspicuous area first. And pay attention when removing a stain that you don't "spot treat" a necktie. Any sort of difference in a tie, be it color brilliance or fabric integrity, will be immediately noticeable. And you don't really want to bring any extra-attention to those possible stains. In addition, if the stain persists, it may even spread. And that you don't want to happen.

Removing stains from a tie - short list