HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR NECKTIE

How do you iron your tie the best way?

The necktie makes the man so before you iron your tie, it may be worth testing a few things to remove any wrinkles. A tip is to do just like with a suit, hang it up in the bathroom when you shower. Water steam will then remove any distortions. Another tip is to roll up the tie by holding the narrow end and then roll the tie around your hand. Let it lay down to rest overnight.

If none of the above actions work, iron is the solution. You shall never iron directly on the necktie, put cotton in between. If the tie is of silk or polyester choose a very low heat on the iron. For wool or cotton neckties you can use a little higher temperature. Iron the necktie from the bottom up with the front towards ironing board. Turn the tie if necessary and iron the front too. Always iron gently and never press the iron against a individual spot for a long time. Hang the tie when you have finished ironing. It is important not to use any stain remover when you iron as they may stick to the tie.

To avoid ironing and risk the tie loses its luster, remember to never tie the tie knot too tight. A necktie is subjected to the greatest strains when tying the tie knot and especially when opening the knot. If this is done gently it will lengthen your necktie's life and it will easier maintain its original form. Instead of tearing the necktie off the shirt, fold up your shirt collar and then gently lift the tie over your head. Of course, a tie knot should always be released after each use and the necktie should always be hung! Please use a necktie hanger, a cheap way to store the necktie without the risk of wrinkling. Do not store the necktie so it exposures to excessive sunlight, it will bleach the necktie.

What do you do with a stain on the tie?

It's important to take care of the necktie in the best possible way for it to keep the lustre and form for a long time. If you must wash the tie, go to a dry cleaner with experience of washing neckties. A necktie is washed like any other garment in the dry cleaner and it can lose form and luster and have rounded corners when it comes out of the laundry. Although it is possible to wash a necktie, it is not recommended because it can easily lose its original lustre! Silk is wrinkled in contact with water and neckties with interlining can easily lose their form. A recommendation is to never wash a quality necktie! If you would get stains on the necktie you can first try with a little bit of stain remover on the back of the tie. If no discoloration occurs you can try to remove spots one after another. Light spots are most easily removed by dipping a cloth in a little club soda and dab gently on the stain until it disappears. For tough stains use steam from a steam iron. Be careful not to let the iron touch the necktie. You can also try to keep the tie over a boiling pot. As a last option, you can try a dry-stain remover for ties.

For grease stains, pour a little talc powder over the stain and leave the necktie for a while so the powder is absorbed by the fabric. Then wipe of the remaining powder with a soft cloth.

Loose threads are removed preferably with scissors, not by pulling out the thread. Then the necktie can easily "collapse".