A coat is one of the most common types of outwear. There is hardly a woman who had never owned one, and men also often wear them. That’s why the question of how to clean a coat at home is always relevant.
Taking a closer look
Every cleaning starts from the inspection of the item: hang the coat in the light and take a close look at it. Pay attention to the lining, problem areas (collar, the insides of cuffs, pockets), and look for stains. While doing that, determine the material the coat is made of, its features, and properties.
Only after a thorough examination, you may ask yourself a question of how to clean a coat without ruining it. Some items can be cleaned with a simple brush, but stubborn stains can require special chemicals, dry cleaning, etc.
Some coats can be washed, but before doing so, read the care label instructions. If the material has a tendency to shrink, do not wash it. Those materials can only be cleaned with a dry velour brush at home, or taken to the dry cleaners.
Cashmere
You can easily wash a thin cashmere coat in the automatic washing machine. Choose a delicate cycle, make sure that the temperature is set at 30°C.
Give a little extra treatment to the collar and cuffs by hand washing the cashmere coat.
- fill a plastic tub or a bathtub with lukewarm water;
- add some shampoo, liquid soap or laundry detergent;
- soak the coat and rub dirty areas with a brush;
- when rinsing, add some fabric softener, then rinse again in clean water;
- gently squeeze the cashmere coat by rolling up, but do not wring it out.
Let’s also find out how to dry the coat at home, as it is important to know not only how to clean and wash your coat, but how to dry it as well.
After washing, squeeze the clothes by spreading them on a thick terry sheet and rolling it up. Then unroll it and place the clothes on a large dry towel. Straighten the lining and bonded elements, shape the item to prevent creases from forming, and leave to dry completely lying down like that.
There is another way to dry the coat – just hang it in the bathroom on a hanger. Straighten the coat in the same way, make sure you choose the right hanger and wait for the water to run off the coat, and for the coat to dry.
Drape
Drape coats are fashionable, and probably will remain that way for a long time. To clean a drape coat, you can use a carpet detergent. Follow the instructions: apply the foam, let the coat dry, and then use a brush with natural bristles to remove dirt. You can also clean a cashmere coat using this method.
To clean a light-colored drape coat, use the ‘Vanish’ powder. Lay the coat on a table and sprinkle the powder over it, then brush it off using a clothing brush.
Read the care label instruction: if it is permitted, you can wash the drape coat. Otherwise, you will have to clean the item dry and apply soap solution to tough stains at home. This is how you can do it:
- dissolve some laundry detergent for washing wool in water to make a low-concentration solution;
- dampen a cloth in the solution and rub the soiled area, the coat should become moist, but don’t rub too hard;
- let it sit for 20-30 minutes until the detergent does its thing;
- wet the coat with clean water, cleaning the soap solution off, then pat with a dry towel;
- leave on a hanger to dry.
Wool
Cleaning wool coats at home consists of removing stains and dust. It is recommended to hand wash wool items in cold water with fabric softener. But apart from this method, you can also consider using the other ones:
- Clean wool items with a brush, and try using a sponge dampened in a solution of alcohol and vinegar (1:1) on the shiny areas;
- If the coat is dark, you can use a cloth soaked in strong brewed tea;
- Sometimes it helps if you steam the soiled area;
- You can remove dust and lint with a velour brush.
It is pretty hard to clean a white woolen coat, because if you clean it in a wrong way, it can turn gray or yellow. You can spray some ‘Amway’ cleaner on the collar, or if there are many stains, wash the item using special wool washing detergent, rinse thoroughly, and place on a hanger to dry.
Removing stains
Stains on the coat cause a lot of troubles: they are hard to remove, and they can remain even after washing. There are some traditional methods for removing stains at home. Here are some tips:
- Work from the outside edges of the stain towards the center. Otherwise, the edges will spread, and it will be even harder to get rid of the stain;
- To remove a stubborn stain, rip open the lining and put there a cloth that can absorb stain remover and dirt;
- It is better to treat stains from the wrong side of the fabric;
- You can clean grease using gasoline or a mixture of water, ammonia and liquid soap;
- Try cleaning a dirty collar with a mixture of salt and ammonia (4:1);
- You can remove coffee stains using a solution made from glycerin (you can buy it in any pharmacy or online) and ammonia (2:1);
- You can remove a fresh grease stain using only talc or starch. Sprinkle plenty of powder on the stained area and let it stay like that for a few hours or overnight. Then dust off the powder from the clothes.
If there are stubborn stains, take the item to the dry cleaners, where they use special stain removers.