How Long Does it Take to Dry Clean a Suit?

Ensuring that your favorite suit looks sharp for a big conference or personal event often requires a trip to the dry cleaners. But how long does it take to dry clean a suit? In most circumstances, it will take between 1-3 days for a laundromat to dry clean a suit or tuxedo.

Sometimes your dry cleaner is able to get your suit dry cleaned and ready for you in a few hours, but this can often cost a fair amount extra. Now let’s look at some questions related to “How Long Does it Take to Dry Clean a Suit?”

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How Much Does it Cost?

The average cost of dry cleaning a suit, sports jacket, or tuxedo varies. In most cases the prices below are the standard industry average in North America:

Garment	Minimum Avg $	Maximum Avg $
Two-Piece Suit	15	20
Vest	7	13
Jacket (Sports, Blazer)	10	15
Ties	4	7

Most dry cleaners will also offer rush service, which will quickly clean your garments for an additional fee.

How Long Do I Have to Pick up my Suit or Tuxedo?

Most dry cleaners require you to make an appointment to pick up your garments, but beforehand they will also have your suit or tuxedo ready. In most scenarios, there should be no need to wait longer than one business day for your garments.

What Happens if I Can’t Pick up My Suit?

If you cannot pick up your suit within a few weeks, there is a chance that it is donated to a local charity, or taken by one of the employees. The garments law will vary by state and province, but as a good rule of thumb, you should pick up your suit or tuxedo within a week.

If you cannot pick up your tux or evening suit within a few times, you must notify the dry cleaner not to take your garment. If this is not done, the dry cleaner is required to give you a reasonable amount of time to come and claim it. This usually extends the time by a few weeks.

How Often Should I Wash My Suit?

We recommend that you wash a suit after every two or three uses. This will ensure the fabric stays crisp and fresh for any event. You do not always need to do a thorough cleaning at a laundromat.

In certain cases, a spot cleaning will do the trick. Spot cleaning can be done from anywhere, using products such as Tide to Go or simple ingredients like baking soda, soap, and water.

How to Spot Clean a Suit?

Spot cleaning a suit is a very simple and effective process for removing food stains, dirt, or other bacteria that gets onto your suit.

The most basic way to spot clean your suit is with a damp, warm cloth and some gentle soap. You can take this one step further by spritzing the garment with the solution first but only applying the cloth to the soiled areas.

Be sure to wring out your cloth completely so you don’t leave any water droplets on your shoes or tuxedo. If you’re not careful, water spots can also cause mold and mildew growth on your fabrics.

Can Dry Cleaning Damage a Suit?

The short answer is yes. Dry cleaning is a process that uses chemicals and heat to clean your garments, some of which are known carcinogens. In most cases, these chemicals can damage the fabrics and cause them to fade faster than normal wear and tear would do alone.

Most dry cleaners use one or more of these chemicals: Perchloroethylene, Solvents, Carbon Tetrachloride, Trichloroethylene, Brominated Methyl Esters (BME), Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), Naphtha Ethers (AN), and various Solvents.

Be sure to ask your dry cleaner what they use when you drop off your suits for cleaning.

Important Tips for Dry Cleaning a Suit

It’s common for suits to get dirty over time. To keep your suit looking as good as new, you should always adhere to the following steps:

1. Be sure to empty all pockets before leaving your suit.
2. Ask the dry cleaner for spot stain treatments if there is a particular stain on the suit.
3. Do not store your suit in a plastic bag if it contains moisture.
4. Each time before you dry clean your suit, inspect the inside of the cuffs, collars, and lapels for any signs of wear. If you see any signs of wear, get them replaced before continuing to dry clean it.
5. You should air out your suit for a few hours before taking it to the cleaners for its first cleaning.
6. Check the care tag of your garment to find out if it is machine washable or dry-clean only.
7. Always hang your suit up after every wear.
8. Do not fold suits as they wrinkle easily.

How Long Does it Take to Dry Clean a Suit Summary:

As a general answer to “How Long Does it Take to Dry Clean a Suit?”, you can expect the dry cleaners will take 1-3 business days to complete the job. If you are in a time crunch, it might be a good idea to shell out the extra cash and see if they can get it done within a day. Most businesses will be able to.

We hope this article has answered any thoughts you have regarding “how long does it take to dry clean a suit?”