Valeting

[carl browne]

Gentlemen:

How often do you dry-clean? I have the best dry-cleaners in town, yet I still don't entirely trust them. The Idea of my bespoke suits floating helplessly in a vat of perchloroethylene with a lot of other peoples' clothes sends waves of nausea through me.

Usually my clothes only need a light pressing or the occasional spot removed. Sometimes I send my clothes to the cleaners for pressing only--but I don't know if this is wise.

I understand clothes used to be "sponged and pressed." What does that mean, exactly? It seemd less drastic than dry-cleaning, but when I asked my cleaner about it, she looked at me as if I'd just flown in from Mars.

Can you recommend the Corby trouser press?

Can you recommend a steamer to remove stubborn creases?

I'm told you can press your own clothes with an electric steam iron and a sheet of muslin to protect the finish of the cloth. Is this true? is there a source for me to learn how to do this myself without potentially ruining $$$$ worth of bespoke clothing?

[couch]

I'm sure others will have much to add, but a few responses:

I dry clean as seldom as possible. Even if cleaned separately in fresh solvent, the amount of oil-stripping of the wool resulting from organic solvents will shorten the life of the cloth and impair its appearance due to several chemical and mechanical mechanisms. I have a navy flannel blazer/reefer jacket made in 1984 that has never been dry cleaned. The only time I would risk it (absent a totally disastrous oily spill) is once a year in spring to deter moths (but more on that later).

"Sponge and press" is just what it sounds like. In the old days, before steamers and spray bottles, a valet or tailor would moisten a clean sponge or pad of cloth and dab or press it onto the wool (having thoroughly brushed it first to remove any crusted mud from the hunting field or ash from the city), to dissolve and absorb any remaining spots, and to dampen the wool before pressing with a flatiron through a pressing cloth (to keep from shining or scorching the wool surface). For pressing, sometimes uncoated kraft paper was used instead of a press cloth--the paper or cloth placed over the smoothed garment on the ironing table, water sprinkled onto it from a hand dipped in a bowl, and then the hot iron was applied (there's a nice evocation of this in the first disk of the Granada TV "Jeeves and Wooster" series). You're right that these days, it's hard to find anyone other than a tailor who offers a sponge-and-press service, or knows the term.

Today I will still dab with a damp pad to remove small water-soluble spots, or use an appropriate solvent-based spot lifter (either a spray that includes a powder to adsorb the mobilized stain, or liquid applied sparingly via a cloth pad as directed), both after brushing.

After any needed spot cleaning, you can (especially for trousers) use (or instruct and delegate someone to use) a commercial steamer while the trousers are hanging from the cuffs to relax out wrinkles. Wool can take full steam at close range; be careful with synthetic linings which may need more distance (cooler steam). If you pay attention to areas where the garment is in closest contact with skin, you can kill any lurking moth eggs with the steam and reduce the concentration of body oil and perspiration, rendering the wool less appetizing to new moth visitors.

This step usually leaves wool clothes pretty wrinkle-free. The next step is to press them through a press cloth (I usually use a cotton handkerchief) or Teflon pressing shoe with an electric iron on an ironing board or padded table. If you need to locally dampen an area, you can lightly mist with a plant sprayer, or better, a dampened cloth pad. But when you want to set the crease and even the surface, you will be using dry heat (moisture causes the wool fibers to revert to their naturally springy kink, thus relaxing wrinkles but also creases. No real tricks here, other than to be careful to press down rather than stretching the cloth with the iron, as one does a cotton shirt. Somewhere on his English Cut blog, I believe, Thomas Mahon has a little video on ironing, including sleeve-board construction. I have yet to need to fully press any of my coats--just a light steam and touch-up to the rear skirt--since usually they hang out nicely of their own accord.

As to gaining skill, if you start slowly and work carefully (mostly paying attention to the heat settings on your iron), you should pose little risk to the clothes. I'd start with a sturdy pair of trousers and work up to more delicate cloths as you gain confidence. The only drawback is the time; but I find I if I hang and then steam trousers, they don't always need to be pressed after each wearing. The actual work, like polishing shoes, can be satisfying.

Good luck in your endeavors!

[Trey]

Couch -

We spend much time discussing Cary Grant and North by Northwest. There is a scene therein, where he sends his suit out to be sponged and pressed. I abhor having my clothes dry cleaned - despite having put myself through undergraduate school working at a dry cleaners. I nightly use a stiff clothes brush on my suits. Nevertheless, I occassionaly needs spots cleaned.

I asked my deer in the headlights cleaners - the best in town- to sponge and press. They have never heard the phrase and insist on over-chemalizing my fine suits. I tried steaming spots at home with a steamer, but the spots still remain. What's to do?

Happy thoughts!

Trey

[Trey]

Gentlemen -

On another note - and looking at the subject line - how do you pronounce "valet" and where are you from? I pronounce it a certain way and steadfastly and proudly stand by it. My wife cringes! Your thoughts.

Trey

[carl browne]

In the words of Margot Asquith to Jean Harlow, "The "T" is silent, as in Harlow."

[carl browne]

Or not.

[storeynicholas]

Couch -

We spend much time discussing Cary Grant and North by Northwest. There is a scene therein, where he sends his suit out to be sponged and pressed. I abhor having my clothes dry cleaned - despite having put myself through undergraduate school working at a dry cleaners. I nightly use a stiff clothes brush on my suits. Nevertheless, I occassionaly needs spots cleaned.

I asked my deer in the headlights cleaners - the best in town- to sponge and press. They have never heard the phrase and insist on over-chemalizing my fine suits. I tried steaming spots at home with a steamer, but the spots still remain. What's to do?

Happy thoughts!

Trey

Steam cleaning is a good alternative and white vinegar is a very good stain remover.
NJS

[couch]

Trey,

The best spot removal technique depends on the nature of the spot. Water-soluble materials obviously move best when moistened; as NJS says, a bit of vinegar helps especially with alkaline materials like the mineral salts in water or soda, and is easy on wool, which has a slightly acidic pH. A drop of two of Woolite in dilute solution can also be good.

Oil-based stains require other strategies. I most often use the spray spot lifter behind the link in my previous post, since it's less likely to leave rings than unskilled dabbing might be.

So for a soup splash, for instance, I'd start with the spray, since the solvents won't swell the fibers, and if any stain remained, I'd try some moisture, since soup contains both oil- and water-soluble colored compounds. Then if necessary I'd repeat the spray, then the moisture. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to use hot air to speed the drying. It will probably set the stain permanently.

But specific kinds of stains really need specific techniques that may not be obvious. I've seen the immediate application of a poultice of table salt and seltzer take spilled red wine out of white raw silk upholstery; after repeated application, rinsing with plain seltzer and blotting, literally no trace remained.

There are many detailed stain removal guides accessible on the web; if you google "stain removal guide" you should find plenty. You can probably sort out the trustworthy ones by the sponsoring site and the quality and precision of the writing.

Good luck!

[Trey]

Gentlemen:

I think the "proper" pronuciation of valet is that the "t" is not silent so that it is pronounced
"vall-it". I have heard it pronounced this way in old movies, but no one I know, other than me, pronounces it this way today.

Trey

[marcelo]

Gentlemen -

On another note - and looking at the subject line - how do you pronounce "valet" and where are you from? I pronounce it a certain way and steadfastly and proudly stand by it. My wife cringes! Your thoughts.

Trey

Not being a native speaker, I rely on a good dictionary for RP.





Do you steadfastly and proudly favour the English or the French variant? The French one ends like the English pronunciation for “café”.

[couch]

In the context of wardrobe maintenance I've always pronounced it the English way. But I guarantee if I requested "Vall-it parking" at a restaurant here in Philadelphia no one would have a clue what I was asking for.

[carl browne]

Special thanks to Couch.

There are new contraptions available for steaming out wrinkles and odors. They are cabinets of some type, quite expensive--are any of you gentlemen familiar with these things?

[couch]

Carl--not at all.

I'm not familiar with these cabinets. Can you post a link to a description or pictures?

[carl browne]

Whirlpool product. The following is a demonstration.

http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/HomeAgain/V ... -02-0.html

Tell me what you think.

[carl browne]

Also:

http://www.presiva.com/index.html