As a fashionable man, you know your ties are essential accessories for your men’s suits. They add colour, distinction, and a bit of style to even the most conservative of ensembles and can be paired with many different suits in your wardrobe.

While you sometimes take all of these benefits for granted, you notice immediately when certain things, like wrinkles and stains, interfere with your tie’s perfect appearance. When this occurs, you will either do one of three things: run to the dry cleaner’s, throw the tie in the back of your dresser drawer, where it will never be seen again, or fix the problem.

The last option is the most logical, but it can easily be done, as long as you know what you are doing. In case you don’t, however, we have complied a few tips to make tie care a synch.

Wrinkles, Storage, and Your Ties

Wrinkles can be a big problem for your ties, as many are not just random waves in your tie’s fabric, but persistent creases that can break down the body of the fabric altogether. Wrinkles generally occur when the tie’s knot is tied too tightly, when the knot is improperly undone, or because of improper storage. Let’s discuss each of these problems in more detail.

• Storage- Improper storage is one the leading causes of wrinkles in ties, mostly because men don’t take the time to find out how to correctly store them. For the purpose of eliminating wrinkles, the correct way to store ties depends on their fabric. Silk ties should be hung up, and gravity works wonders on small wrinkles on this beautiful fabric. Cotton, knit, and wool ties, however, should be rolled up and stored in a drawer. Hanging them could actually damage their fresh, crisp appearance more than the wrinkles.

• Unknotting- If you don’t take the time to undo your tie properly after a long day of working in your men’s suits, you are just asking for a few wrinkles. While it may seem quicker to yank it off, it will actually cost you more of your precious time (and possibly money if you need to have a professional get rid of the wrinkles) in the long run. Take the tie off correctly by reversing the steps you took to put it on.

• Knotting- Unlike with your shoes, you don’t have to worry about your tie coming undone at some point in the day. This means it doesn’t have to be a noose around your neck. Lighten up when you’re knotting it and prevent deep creases where your knots are located.

Stains and Your Ties

Next to wrinkles, stains are the biggest culprits men have to worry about when it comes to their well-put-together ensembles.

If, or when, this happens to you, my first suggestion would be to make a trip to your local cleaners and have a professional take a look at it. If you decide to take the DIYer approach to life, however, there are several things you should know.

• Blot don’t scrub.

• DO NOT submerge any tie you own in water.

• If you are cleaning with a cleaning agent, test it on the back of the tie first in an inconspicuous area.

• Don’t use spot treat solutions on your ties. These can damage the fabric’s integrity and colour brilliance and will instantly be noticeable.

That being said, here are a few DIY solutions for that stained tie.

• Salt is an excellent absorber. If you spill something greasy on your tie, sprinkle salt on the spot immediately and leave it there for a few minutes. This won’t completely remove the stain, but will get rid of any excess grease.

• Try a splash of lemon, undiluted, on your ties to remove almost any stain you could come across. Not only does this tip work the majority of the time, but you also get to spend the rest of the night smelling fresh and clean.

• When you were a child, do you remember your mom ridding your good clothing of stains with the help of seltzer water? She used it because it actually works. Dip a clean cloth into a glass of seltzer water and watch it lift the stain right off your tie.

Ties provide our suits from Brook Taverner with additional colour, class, and style, so it is our job to make sure they are cared for. The next time you get a wrinkle or a stain, make sure you consider these helpful tips.

About Susan Grant

Susan has more than 7 years of experience as a Fashion Advisor for several reputed fashion houses and manufacturers including Brook Taverner. Her ultimate dream is to design and sell her own clothing line worldwide!

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