A guide to taking care of your ties
Ties are fragile creatures. Without proper care your sharp looking piece of neckwear can soon become a tatty mess better consigned to the bin. Whether you are a tie addict and wear one every day or you are just the casual user sporting them only for special occasions, this is the guide for you. Looking after ties is a piece of cake once you know how. We will split this into storing your ties, wrinkles and stains.
Storage
The best way to store ties is to not put too much stress on their shape over long periods of time. I’m a big fan of keeping them hung on a coat rack, or even a specialised tie rack. This should also allow any wrinkles that have developed on the tie to loosen out. Never leave ties hung knotted up as this will likely lead to permanent creases.
Ties can also be stored loosely rolled and stored in a box or draw. Rolling ties is also a very effective way of getting out wrinkles. Although this does look very nice when you have them all lined up in rows I prefer the hanging method. Do not roll them too tightly as this may lead to a curve in your tie.
Wrinkles
Using the hanging method as detailed above should remove most wrinkles. However, if the tie is left overnight and wrinkles are still not gone then there are two options:
- Roll the tie up and place in a drawer or box overnight
- Use a steamer or an iron on steam setting. Be very careful when using the iron as its is very easy to damage a tie beyond repair with an iron. Especially certain fabrics.
Stains
This is where it can get a bit more complicated. The treatment method will depend entirely on the solvent in question:
- Food – Scrape off as much material as possible with something sharp. The remaining food should then be removed by blotting with water.
- Oil – Talcum powder is your friend here. Cover the area stained with the talcum powder and leave to sit for 8+ hours. Then brush off and repeat if necessary
- Wine – Treatment here depends on the wine color. Red wine you want to cover with table salt as soon as possible and leave. Rose or white wine should dry without leaving a stain so immediately use the hand dryer in the toilet.
So these are a few tips to make your ties last longer. Remember, if you don’t think you are up to the task of removing a stain or wrinkle from your tie, to take it to your nearest dry cleaner.
