Question: Frequency of Dry-Cleaning Clothes
How often should I dry-clean my wool clothes?
Answer: I learned a valuable lesson early in my career. I used to dry-clean my suits and other wool items rather frequently because that is what I thought you were supposed to do. After one or two wearings, I thought my garment was ready for the cleaners. But my clothes started to look worn much to soon--a costly mistake considering how much I love designer clothes. After making some inquiries, I realized I was dry-cleaning much too frequently. I learned that dry-cleaning can discolor and/or wear down fibers, can give your wool clothes an undesireable sheen, and can shrink your clothes (which has happened to me several times) if overdone. So even though it is important to dry-clean your clothes, don't make the same misake I did. Sometimes a simple spot cleaning and/or steaming/pressing will be all that is required. And aways choose a dry-cleaner that comes highly recommended.
